Busy Thunder have won six of past seven games

Three games in five days certainly kept the Osseo-Fairchild High School Girls Basketball Team busy last weekend but didn't prevent them from being successful.

The Thunder (11-7) won two of these games, 69-23 over Black River Falls at home on Thursday, Jan. 26 and 57-48 over Tomah, also at OFHS, on Monday, Jan. 30.

The only blemish was a 68-62 loss to No. 8 ranked Chippewa Falls McDonell (15-3) on Friday, Jan. 27 on the Might Macks' home court, all but sealing the Western Cloverbelt Conference title for them (which they would officially do so this Thursday, Feb. 2 at Eau Claire Regis). Still, O-F was won six of its past seven contests.

The Thunder's contest with BRF was no contest from the very start as Osseo-Fairchild held the Tigers to just 10 first half points to their 36. In a continued display of scoring balance since the start of the new year, 10 players scratched the scoring column for OFHS, tri-led in 11 points each for Addi Koxlien, Eleice Dahl and Rhi Pruidlick. Josi Tye scored eight points, seven points each went to Madi Loontra and Eleice Dahl. Taylor Hammer scored six, Taylor Gunderson five, Katie Skoug had two and Halle Colby finished with a point.

Osseo-Fairchild trailed McDonell by 15 points with a the 5:57 mark of the second half 57-42, but the Thunder rallied to finish behind by six on the road, the same margin they lost to McDonell by at home in their first meeting. Skoug finished with 15 points to lead her in scoring while Loonstra and Dahl each scored 13. However, not quite the same number of players were able to make the scoring column for O-F against the Macks as they did vs. Black River Falls. Gunderson finished with nine points, Prudlick had eight and Colby finished with four points. McDonell had eight players score and three players in double figures led by Aubrey Dorn's 17 points plus 16 for Marley Hughes and 14 for Emily Cooper. While none of the Macks main triumvirate leads the league in scoring, Hughes does lead the league in assists at nearly seven per game and Dorn is second in rebounding at 10 per contest.

The Thunder will see a little let up in their schedule as they host Stanley-Boyd (4-12) this Thursday beginning at 7:15 p.m. and then play at Eau Claire Regis on Monday, Feb. 6.

Fall Creek (11-5) salvaged an early loss last week to McDonell by stopping Eau Claire Regis (7-10) on Friday, Jan. 27 at home 51-44. FC then picked up a non-conference win 49-29 over Durand-Arkansaw (13-5) on Monday, Jan. 30 in a rescheduled game. FC's defense has been strong in their last two wins and even against McDonell they held the Macks to 52 points. Regis' top scorer and the WCC's leading rebounder Ashley Chilson had 15 points for the Ramblers but no one else was close to double figures.

The Crickets next are at Thorp (2-16) this Thursday, and will take part (along with the Fall Creek boys' hoops team) in the Just A Game Fieldhouse Classic in Wisconsin Dells this Saturday against Pardeeville (14-3). FC is gearing up for a busy push to the end of the regular season starting this week as their final seven ballgames will be played in just 12 days.

Also continuing to win is Augusta. The Beavers improved to 10-7 overall with a 41-33 non-conference triumph at Boyceville (6-12) on Monday. AHS returns to Dairyland Conference action, particularly Large Dairyland Conference action, to close out the regular season starting at Cochrane-Fountain City this Thursday.

Last week Friday was Senior Night for Eleva-Strum (5-12) as they hosted Independence however one senior was unable to take part. The Cardinals top scorer Jaden Bautch was injured early in the first half against Lincoln back on Jan. 24 and thus Central's offense ground to a halt, losing 59-14 to the 16-1 Hornets and 42-19 to the Indees (8-12). Sophomore Lizzie Nordstrom led E-S in scoring with six points on a pair of three pointers. Freshman Aliza Kulig and senior Maddy Bertrang both scored four points each, junior Kassidy Koxlien scored three points and both junior Annika Skoug and sophomore Olivia Spangberg had two points. Amiah Ives and Ahnna Bautch both scored nine points each for Independence. Things won't get any easier this week for Central as they are at No. 1 ranked and unbeaten Blair-Taylor on Thursday, Feb. 2