Bethlehem Academy Boys Basketball Trying to Get Healthy

The Faribault Bethlehem Academy Cardinals boys basketball team participated in the Hayfield Invitational Tournament this week.  The defending Class A State Champion Hayfield Vikings handily won the event.

The Vikings first opponent was Bethlehem Academy on Tuesday.  Cardinals Head Coach Ed Friesen was encouraged with the start of the game by his team saying they had a 17-10 lead at about the 9 minute mark.

The halftime score was Hayfield 42  BA 28.

Friesen added, "Afte having a number of guys out with the flu last week we were no necessarily in the best game shape.  We got fatigued which led to some poor decision-making, turnovers and being step slow on the defensive end.  It was good to have senior Brad Sartor return to game action for the first time since his knee injury last year."

The Vikings won the game 74-50 thanks in large part to scoring 28 points off 28 Cardinals turnovers.  Senior Justin Simones led BA with 24 points, 5 rebounds on 11 of 14 shooting.  He wasa the only Cardinals player in double figures.

Hayfield was led by Isaac Matti with 25 points.  Easton Fritcher added 16 points and Zander Jacobson collected 13 points and 8 rebounds.

Both teams shot 45% from the field.  The Vikings were a plus 7 on the glass and scored 7 of 11 free throws while the Cardinals were 4 of 7 from the charity stripe.

Wabasha-Kellogg was the opponent Wednesday in the 3rd place game in Hayfield.  The Falcons led 44-27 at the half and won by a final score 69-54.

Simones finished with 22 points, 4 rebounds.  Sartor tallied 12 points in 32 minutes of action.  Turnovers were again a problem with the Cardinals having 20 and the Falcons 10.

Adam Dunagan finished the game with 32 points on 7 of 12 shooting.  Parker Springer added 19 points for Wabasha-Kellogg.

BA defeated Wabasha-Kellogg December 3, 2021 in Wabasha 59-55.  The Cardinals are now 2-3 while the Falcons are 3-5.

Our first radio broadcast of a Bethlehem Academy game is scheduled for Tuesday, January 4, 2022 at Mankato Loyola.

The Crusaders sport a 6-1 record after defeating Fairmont 69-60 at Bethany Lutheran College in Mankato today (December 30).

Other scores from Thursday boys basketball action include:

• Kasson-Mantorville 67  Faribault 42   in Burnsville
• Owatonna 62 Osseo 54 at Concordia-St. Paul
• Rosemount 72  Woodbury 64 at East Ridge High in Woodbury
• Farmington 92  Blaine 79
• Eastview 81  Cretin-Derham Hall 78 at East. Ridge
• Prior Lake 67 Maple Grove 53
• Lakeville North 54  Austin 40
• Mankato Loyola 69  Fairmont 60 at Bethany College Mankato

Some Thursday girls basketball scores:

• Sartell-St. Stephen 70  Lakeville South 57
• Austin 64  Farmington 53

Could you guess these?

This is an awesome read too.