You’d never know it from the final score, but Four Winds/Minnewaukan girls’ basketball was losing on Monday.
The Indians, in the first game of the Region 2 tournament at Mayville State University, trailed 7-2 during the opening minutes. Their shots were wild, and Grafton hit a three-pointer that boosted it ahead.
Then everything changed.
A 20-0 run wiped the Spoilers off the floor, leading FW/M to a comfortable victory in the tournament’s first contest. The Indians won 53-33, advancing them to a semifinal matchup against No. 1 Thompson. Suri Gourd led with 19 points.
In the first couple minutes, neither team could muster up much offense. Grafton was getting offensive rebounds but wasn’t capitalizing, and FW/M’s shots were going all over the place.
The Spoilers got on the board first with two free throws after an intentional foul was called on the Indians. Gourd evened it back up with two free throws of her own.
Grafton scored five straight, including a three-pointer that put FW/M in a 7-2 hole. This is a Grafton team that nearly beat No. 4 Devils Lake last week, so it wasn’t out of the realm of possibility that an upset could be in order.
The Indians took it upon themselves to evaporate those chances.
Sophie Robertson got FW/M going with its first field goal, and Cailee Hanson knotted it up with a three. The Indians scored three more baskets to close out the first quarter, ending on an 11-0 run that gave them a 13-7 lead.
Gourd got the scoring started in the second quarter, then backed up her shot with a three. The Spoilers were struggling to hold onto the ball during their possessions. The Indians weren’t perfect, but they stayed persistent at the basket and continued to get offensive rebounds whenever they missed a shot.
The run finally ended at 20-0 for FW/M, with Grafton making its lone basket of the second quarter. The game had quickly become a complete rout after the Spoilers looked solid enough in the early minutes.
The second half was a lot more even, but the Indians were already leading 29-9 at halftime and didn’t need to worry about a Grafton comeback. The Spoilers made some poor choices, including a play where they passed it backwards despite having a clear opening to the rim. The Indians stayed quick and managed to pick up steals. Hanson played a strong defensive game and wore Grafton down with her blocking.
It was an even 24-24 in the second half, holding the margin of victory at 20.
So the Indians will advance, and now they have a much tougher test ahead of them on Tuesday. They’ll face No. 1 Thompson, which went 20-0 during the regular season. FW/M will attempt to upset Thompson and keep its season alive at 5:30 p.m. at Mayville State University.
