Let's get physical!
How are these for statistics?
Fouls: 58 (33 by RTR).
Free Throws: 30 of 71 (RTR 12 of 29; Minneota 18 of 42) for a total percent shooting of 42 percent.
Turnovers: 66 (33 by each team).
Team shooting: Minneota 41 percent; RTR 26 percent.
Total shots: 129.
Okay — so what was the score?
Minneota 77, Russell-Tyler-Ruthton 44.
"That's the style of defense RTR plays ... aggressive!" said Minneota Coach Chad Johnston.
"They keep you on your toes, "he related.
At times, particularly early, Minneota looked very, very good. They went on a 9-0 run to start the game, then pushed the lead to 43-23 at the half.
Abby Hennen led the early returns, cashing in seven points in the first nine minutes. Sister Morgan, who would lead the Vikings with 26 points, sank Minneota's only three-pointer in the first half.
Morgan Hennen, Lydia Sussner and Lizzy Gillinham each grabbed 10 recounds and Abby Hennen had another eight. Gillingham scored 12 points.
By halftime, the two teams were mired with 31 total fouls and 31 turnovers between them.
But in the second half it only got uglier.
"They give people fits with their press," Coach Johnston said about the RTR defense. "We had a 25-point and get to the foul line 40 times, you should be way ahead," he said.
But one thing Minneota could not do was, "Get in the flow."
"There was no flow to this game," sadded assistant Coach Al Panka. "It was just ugly," related JV Coach Dale Kockelman.
"We need to learn when to stop going fast and play with patience," said Coach Johnston.
There wasn't much of that Friday night.
The coach is quick to add, "We did a lot of good things. We got to the foul line ... we just tried to play too fast when we didn't need to."
Minneota, now 5-1 on the year, will play Tuesday at home against Tracy-Milroy-Balaton.
Camden Conference Scores
Thursday
Dawson-Boyd 50, Central MN Christian 43
Lac qui Parle Valley 52, MACCRAY 42
Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg 57, Renville Co. West 33
Friday
Tracy-Milroy-Balaton 55, Yellow Medicine East 43
MACCRAY 60, Renville Co. West 46
Minneota 77, Russell-Tyler-Ruthton 44
MINNEOTA (2's, 3's, FT, F, TP) Lizzy Gillingham 6 0 0-5 4 12; Abby Hennen 3 1 4-9 4 14; Morgan Hennen 8 2 4-6 3 26; Carolyn Hoffmann 1 0 0-0 0 2; Laura Knutson 1 0 0-0 0 2; Morgan Kockelman 0 0 5-8 3 5; Hidie Moorse 1 0 1-1 1 3; Mariah Muhl 1 0 1-3 1 3; Natalee Rolbiecki 0 0 2-4 1 2; Abby Rost 0 0 0-0 3 0; Lydia Sussner 4 0 1-6 5 9. Totals 25 3 18-42 25 77.
RTR (2's, 3's, FT, F, TP) Jonni Biren 2 0 4-7 5 8; Makenzie Buchert 1 0 0-0 2 2; Mya Christensen 2 0 0-2 2 4; Jackie Dressen 2 0 1-5 2 5; Tina Haroldson 4 1 1-2 4 4 12; Chloe Hess 0 0 0-1 5 0; Jayda Johansen 0 0 0-0 0 0; Morgan Johnson 1 1 4-6 3 9; Madison Muenchow 1 0 0-0 3 2; Brooke Thomsen 0 0 2-4 5 2; Catherine Vogt 0 0 0-2 2 0. 13 2 12-29 33 44.
Score by Halves
RTR 23 21 — 44
Minneota 43 34 — 77
Statistics:
SHOOTING: Minneota (2's 25 of 58 for 43 percent; 3's 3 of 11 for 27 percent; overall 28 of 69 for 41 percent); RTR (2's 13 of 51 for 26 percent; 3's 2 of 9 for 22 percent; overall 15 of 60 for 25 percent).
FREE THROWS: Minneota 18 of 42 for 43 percent; RTR 12 of 29 for 41 percent.
REBOUNDING: Minneota 52 (Gillingham, Sussner, Morgan Hennen 10 each; Abby Hennen 8; Muhl 5; Kockelman 4; Rost 2; Hoffmann, Moorse, Rolbiecki 1 each); RTR 33 (Christensen, Dressen 7 each; Haroldson, 5, Thomsen 4; Biren 3; Buchert, Hess 2 each).
TURNOVERS: Minneota 33; RTR 33.
STEALS: Minneota 13 (Gillingham 4, Sussner 3; Morgan Hennen, Kockelman 2 each; Abby Hennen 1); RTR 10 (Haroldson 4; Biren, Thomsen 2 each; Johnson, Christensen 1 each).
ASSISTS: Minneota 16 (Sussner, Abby Hennen 4 each; Morgan Hennen, Kockelman 2 each; Gillingham, Hoffmann 1 each); RTR 4 (Haroldson 3, Hess 1).
BLOCKS: Minneota (Sussner 4); RTR 1 (Hess).
B SQUAD: Minneota 47, RTR 24.