Faribault Girls Basketball Defeats Rochester Mayo in Opener

The Faribault Falcon girls basketball team traveled to defending Co-Champion of the Big Nine Rochester Mayo Tuesday night and won 30-24.

The Falcons had to hold on for the win after taking a 25-13 lead at half.

The last several minutes of the game Faribault played keep away and held the ball but had more turnovers than points in the second half. (6 turnovers, 5 points)

I guess you could say Faribault beat Mayo at their game.

The Spartans are very methodical under Head Coach Rich Decker and with two of their best players out for the season with knee injuries the first game of the season was probably the right time to play them.

Faribault seems to have Mayo's number.  The Falcons were the only Big Nine team last season to sweep their conference games with the Spartans.

The reason in my mind is Faribault's ability to play Mayo's style.

Not all teams are as patient as you have to be against Rochester Mayo because they play an aggressive 2-3 zone.

I say aggressive because they were able to get 15 Faribault turnovers in the game but the Spartans had 17 of their own turnovers in the season opener for both teams.

Senior Grace Amacher and junior Abby Van Ryn were our Faribault State Farm Insurance Agents Faribualt players of the game.

Amacher led all players with 8 points, all of them coming in the first half when Faribault had four different players hit a three point shot.

In addition to Amacher, Van Ryn, seniors Lauren Isaacson and Rachel Hanson hit long shots

Van Ryn was a needed spark, particularly on offense off the bench with 5 points.

Isaacson also tallied 5 points in the game and Faribault found themselves in a bit of foul trouble which helped Rochester Mayo get back into the game.

The Falcons were 6 of 10 from the free throw line.  After going 5 of 6 in the first half they were 1 of 5 in the second half.

I called their sit on the ball offense the cocoon offense and it seemed to carry over into their free throws.

But as Head Coach Bill Bardal said after the game, "A win is a win." He added he didn't care if they won by 6 or 26 as long as they won the game.

Faribault travels to Mankato West this Friday and indications are they will have their hands full.

The Mankato West Scarlets defeated state ranked Waseca in their opener 62-60.

Other girls scores include:

• Cleveland 55 Faribault Bethlehem Academy 48
• Watterville-Elysian-Morristown 71  Belle Plaine  48
• Medford 69 Tri-City United 61
• Stewartville 57  Austin 45
• Rochester Century 64  Lacrosse Logan 42
• John Marshall  59  Albert Lea  28
• Farmington  71  Owatonna 59
• Rochester Lourdes 63  Kenyon-Wanamingo 28 (a rematch of last year's Section 1AA title game played in the Castle Tuesday night)

Some other girls basketball scores:

• Lakeville South  62  Eden Prairie 43
• Lakeville North  76  Woodbury  70
• Shakopee 51  New Prague  48
• Burnsville 63  Bloomington Jefferson  58
• Park of Cottage Grove  43  Eagan 35
• Christ Household of Faith 52  Mayer Lutheran 50