Johnica Bernotas (2) celebrates after hitting a three in the second half as Ava Jaehning (4) readies to defend in the full court
The Breckenridge Cowgirls muscled their way past Pelican Rapids in a 66-63 road win Thursday night, continuing their ascent up the Heart O’ Lakes Conference standings.
Johnica Bernotas paved the way for Breckenridge with 14 first-half points, helping the Cowgirls erase a six-point deficit and claim a 29-28 halftime lead with a 28-foot triple before the horn. The senior guard scored a career-high 29 points in the contest.
Johnica Bernotas dribbles off a screen from Mariah Koltes into a step-back three
Bernotas and the guard unit scored several back-to-the basket looks down the stretch, while the post duo of Mariah Koltes and Sienna Fobb played disciplined, vertical defense to limit the Vikings’ inside scoring. Koltes and Fobb combined for 10 points and four blocks, also playing a key role in defending star guard Morgan Korf off the ball screen.
Korf was electric despite facing constant double teams, dropping a game-high 34 points and cutting the lead to three in the final 30 seconds with an old-fashioned three-point play. In the end, Korf was forced to give the ball up before the buzzer as Piper and Ava Jaehning surrounded her in a swarming trap on the high wing.
Breckenridge senior Parker Yaggie scored 15 points and converted a trifecta of and-one opportunities. The senior guard’s automatic free-throw shooting and relentless rebounding was instrumental to building her team’s late lead.
Breckenridge (12-6, 6-4 HOL) sits two games behind Frazee and Perham in the loss column for the Heart O’ Lakes Conference lead. The Cowgirls travel to Park Christian on Tuesday to continue Section 6A play. Pelican Rapids (9-6, 5-5 HOL) travels to Hillcrest Lutheran Academy on Saturday to face the No. 3-ranked team in Class 1A.