Spartans Nip Hawks As Time Expires

Wes Vork-NSO

For Additional Photos Click Here To View Our Photo Gallery

Dec 19

Dwight Cadwell

ESKO – The Nashwauk-Keewatin Spartans senior center Lindsey Kingsbury scored the winning basket as time expired in Saturday’s third place game of the Esko Coach’s Classic to down the Hermantown Hawks 41-39.

Kingsbury’s final basket came after Hermantown’s Jessica Love tied the game with 5 seconds to go. Love hit one of two free throws after being fouled by the Spartans’ Kingsbury. Love’s free throw did tie the game, but two quick passes got the ball in the lane to Kingsbury who scored just as time expired to give the Spartans the two-point win.

Nashwauk-Keewatin came back in the second half after trailing the Hawks 19-12 at halftime. The Spartans used a balanced scoring attack, with nine players scoring in the second half, to overcome the seven point deficit and win by two.

Kingsbury and Emily Bevacqua paced the Spartans with 8 points each on the night. Jonnie Anderson scored 7, Kourtney Krueger added 5, Kiersten Apiel and Elizabeth Sletten both added 4, Lean Fillman finished with 3 and Kelsey Heyblom ended with 2.

Jessica Love and Carmen Bergstedt led the Hawks in scoring with 12 points each. Nicole Niemi and Ally Dieryck both had 4 points, Molly Kolquist added 3, Rachel Hoium and Andréa Enockson each finished with 2 points.

Nashwauk-Keewatin improves to 5-1 on the season and will be in action again on December 28 when they play in the Hibbing Holiday Tournament. The Hawks fall to 5-3 on the season and will play at Cloquet on Tuesday night in a Lake Superior conference match-up.

Dwight Cadwell can be reached at dwight@northlandsportsonline.com