Battling hard against more experienced, the sixth-grade girls fell 23-9 to Le Sueur-Henderson’s seventh-grade team on Thursday.
With her team down 13 to zip, Natalie Flowers (above) snuck in a basket from near the top of the key just before the buzzer for the only Clipper points of the first half.
The Giants, who beat the Clippers 30-2 a week prior, posted the first four points after the break, the second on a steal. Hadley Thompson made the second of two foul shots, and Flowers dropped in a basket from the outside corner for a 17-5 score.
Later, Addison Sandhurst scored, and Evangaline Pearson took a Flowers pass in for a bucket.
The sixth-grade girls will continue to play at the junior-high level when their opponent fields two teams and also compete in Community Education tournaments.
If Mankato Loyola has two teams, the Clippers will next play at home on January 5.
Hadley Thompson breaks down court.
Gretchen Heldberg runs into a LSH defender as she steps into the lane.
Kylie Wobbrock moves toward the bucket while an LSH defender sets up for a block.
Harley Samuelson takes the ball across the arc.