For the first nine minutes of the game, the Faribault Falcons enjoyed a lead against the mighty Winona Winhawks, but the final score was 54-37 in favor of Winona.

It was a snowy bus ride to Winona. The ladies welcomed me on the bus with my favorite snack, carrots. I remember feeding my uncle's horses carrots; unfortunately for the Falcons their workhorse, Ellery Akemann, went down with a knee injury in the first half.  They certainly missed the team's leading scorer, because they had a hard time scoring in the second half after trailing 29-22 at the half. No Faribault players were in double figures.

Our Faribault State Farm Insurance Agents Faribault players of the game were Grace Amacher, Elana Palmer and Lauren Isaacson with eight, eight and nine points, respectively. Winona outscored Faribault 16-7 at the free throw line and had just one player in double figures. Junior Hallee Hoeppner tallied 16 points. Neither team has a senior on it.

Coming into the game, the Falcons ranked third in the Big Nine in fewest points allowed per game at 51.6 but were last in scoring at 41.3. The Winhawks were second in scoring at 59.7 and eighth in defense, allowing 56.9 points per contest. Faribault could face Winona again in the first round of the section tournament in a couple of weeks. In other Big Nine girls basketball, Owatonna downed Northfield 71-56, Red Wing defeated Mankato East 69-58, John Marshall edged Mayo 43-39, Century nipped Austin 57-55 and Mankato West rolled over Albert Lea 70-40. The Bethlehem Academy Cardinal girls won 42-30 over Medford, Blooming Prairie defeated Hayfield 68-59, United South Central beat Maple River 55-47 and Fairmont cruised by NRHEG 68-48.

In other girls basketball Tuesday night, Rochester Lourdes defeated Zumbrota-Mazeppa 60-48, Goodhue rolled over Wabasha-Kellogg 60-39, Blooming Prairie beat Hayfield 68-59 and Kasson-Mantorville got by a very good Waseca team 49-34.

Here are some other girls scores: Lakeville South 64, Farmington 30; Shakopee 63, Lakeville North 53; Eastview 62, Prior Lake 31; Rosemount 65, Eagan 52; and Burnsville 73, Apple Valley 64.

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