The Worthington Trojans boys basketball team hung around in the first half Tuesday night against the visiting Marshall Tigers, but Marshall started strongly after halftime and went on to post a 63-39 win over WHS.
WHS was ahead 6-2 early on thanks to pair of hoops from Jacari Swinea and a basket from Permeye Okony. Following a Welbaka Morke free throw and another Swinea bucket, the Trojans had what proved their last lead of the night at 9-7. The Tigers tallied 15 of the next 21 points after that to build a nine-point edge. Swinea had four more points before the first half ended and Morke contributed a 3-pointer, but Marshall was up 32-20 at the break.
The Tigers began the second half with a 10-2 surge to build a 20-point cushion, and Worthington would get no closer than 14 points the rest of the way.
Swinea paced the Trojans in scoring with 19 points as WHS slipped t0 2-13 overall with its fifth consecutive loss. Marshall, meanwhile, is 13-3. The schedule doesn't get any easier for the Worthington boys as they play host to 17-0 Waseca on Friday night.
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In Trojan girls basketball Tuesday night, Worthington was in Marshall to take on the Tigers, the state's top-ranked team in Class 3A, on the campus of SMSU. WHS suffered its 12th straight setback. losing by a score of 80-27. Marshall is now 18-0.
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The Austin Packers scored the game-winning goal with 2:50 remaining Tuesday night as they edged the host Worthington Trojans 5-4 in high school girls hockey despite being outshot 31-13.
Austin got the night's first goal at the 8:09 mark of the first period, but Madelyn Cummings scored on a power play for WHS — with Peyton Nickel picking up an assist — to tie the score at 12:08. Another Packers' goal with 43 seconds remaining in the first period made it a 2-1 game.
Austin went up 3-1 just 1:13 into the second period, but the Trojans answered with 3:25 to go before the next intermission when Tayler Nickel scored on an assist from Sadie Nickel.
In the third period, the Packers scored at 2:07 to regain a two-goal lead, but Worthington fought back. Sydnie Van Briesen made it 4-3 at 3:56 as she got passes from both Tayler Nickel and Breeta Johnson. Then, with 3:30 remaining in regulation, Peyton Nickel tied things up, with assists going to Victoria Bush and Sadie Nickel. Forty-seconds later, though, Austin netted the game-winner.
The Trojans are now 3-15 on the year. They at Windom — which they beat earlier this season by a score of 1-0 — on Thursday night.
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In area boys hockey Tuesday night, it was:
Marshall 4, Redwood Valley 2
In area girls hockey Tuesday night:
Marshall 4, New Ulm 0
Fairmont 3, Windom 1
In area boys basketball Tuesday night:
Westbrook-Walnut Grove 84, Yellow Medicine East 51
Nicollet 55, Martin County West 51
Hills-Beaver Creek 80, Southwest Minnesota Christian 76
Russell-Tyler-Ruthton 61, Tracy-Milroy-Balaton 58
Murray County Central 79, Red Rock Central 58
Madelia 71, Mountain Lake Area-Comfrey 51
Jackson County Central 91, Tri-City United 34
Belle Plaine 66, Fairmont 63
Windom 73, Pipestone Area 69
Luverne 85, Redwood Valley 80
Sioux Center 53, Sheldon 45
Boyden-Hull 67, Central Lyon 59
Okoboji 64, Sibley-Ocheyedan 45
Storm Lake 74, Spirit Lake 49
In area girls basketball Tuesday night:
Martin County West 61, Nicollet 48
Hills-Beaver Creek 62, Southwest Minnesota Christian 59
Tracy-Milroy-Balaton 61, Ortonville 35
Russell-Tyler-Ruthton 68, Mountain Lake Area-Comfrey 36
Westbrook-Walnut Grove 64, Heron Lake-Okabena/Fulda 39
Adrian-Ellsworth 53, Edgerton 48
Murray County Central 62, Red Rock Central 34
Redwood Valley 71, Luverne 62
Windom 71, Pipestone Area 66
Jackson County Central 80, Tri-City United 47
Fairmont 54, Belle Plaine 40
Sioux Center 68, Sheldon 20
Central Lyon 82, Boyden-Hull 21
West Lyon 49, MOC-Floyd Valley 48
George-Little Rock 62, MMC-RU 20
Harris-Lake Park 46, Trinity Christian 34
Storm Lake 58, Spirit Lake 45
