Saturday night was the Middle Border Conference Girls Basketball main event, and Prescott landed a knockout. Recently jumping back into the Division 3 rankings at 10th in the state, the Cardinals’ smothering defense and high-powered offense were the 1-2 punch. Prescott blew out New Richmond 70-44 in front of an appreciative home crowd.

It was a battle for first place in the Middle Border, and it now belongs to PHS with a 9-0 mark. New Richmond falls to 8-1.

It’s another busy week for the Cardinals, as they play four games in five days: at Somerset Thursday, home against Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau Saturday at 3:30 p.m., home against St. Croix Falls Monday and at Baldwin-Woodville Tuesday. They then get a three-day breather before traveling to Ellsworth Friday, Feb. 14. They finish the regular season at home against Osceola Feb. 18 and at New Richmond Feb. 20. Those Middle Border schedule-makers indeed knew what they were doing by drawing up the rematch at New Richmond for the game of the year.

Round one went all Prescott’s way from the get-go.

The Cardinals were out to an 8-2 lead before the Tigers knew what hit them.

Isabella Lenz faked out a defender, drove and scored to put the Cardinals up 10-4 with 11:42 left in the half.

Nichole Dahlman hit Erin Boatman for a 13-footer in the lane to put Prescott up 12-6. Tori Benck hit a couple free throws, Boatman had a key rebound, and the Cardinals were off to the races.

Lenz stole an inbound pass and took it all the way herself for two. She hit a free-throw-line jumper on the next possession, and the Cardinals led 18-6, forcing a New Richmond timeout.

The Cardinal defense was relentless all game, and the offense was on track. Ashley Rieken pushed the lead to 30-13 with a three-pointer.

By halftime, the lead was 37-19, and the Tigers had no answers for Prescott’s weapons.

Lenz grabbed a rebound, and Sydney Matzek was already on the break. She caught Lenz’s pass over her shoulder and drove for a basket. She was fouled and connected on the free throw. With the Cardinals lead at 44-21, the Tigers were again forced to talk it over on the sidelines.

That talk proved cheap, however, as Matzek returned the favor: Firing a bullet pass to Lenz who scored inside on the next possession.

The Cardinals were led in scoring by Lenz with 28 points, while Nicole Dahlman finished with 16. The pair also led the Cardinals in rebounding. Lenz grabbed 13 and Dahlman snagged eight. Mckenna Johnson grabbed nine rebounds as well. Tori Benck chipped in seven points, three rebounds and a pair of assists.

Prescott 66, Saint Croix Central 42

The Cardinals easily handled Saint Croix Central in a home game Friday night.

Lenz paced a balanced scoring attack with 21 points to lead PHS.

Matzek scored 11, while Benck, Boatman and Johnson had seven points apiece. Brynley Goehring added two points, and Faith Stiles scored one.’Lenz also had five steals, and Dahlman added five, while Johnson had three as Prescott had 22 steals as a team on the night.

Photo byJoseph Back.