Trailing by two at the break, the JV girls outscored visiting Granada-Huntley-East Chain/Truman/Martin Luther 19-10 in the second half for a 33-25 win on January 9.
The Clippers were coming off of a home loss to Le Sueur-Henderson in a game that featured some of the junior high girls and some of the JV girls. Before that, they fell to USC in Wells.
En route to 10 total points, Brooke Bosse put in three baskets in the first half against GHEC/T/ML. Kaitlyn Flowers added two baskets and a free throw, and Harper Rutz, only playing in the first half, made a basket and a free shot.
The Clippers took the lead early in the second half when Emma Kortuem, who checked in after the break, ran in a layup and Bosse rebounded and scored before assisting Kortuem on another layup that suddenly put the Clippers in front 20-16.
Trailing 26-18 after an Ava Kluntz layup and a pair of Kortuem free baskets and baseline drive for a bucket, the Jaguars went on a seven-point run to pull within a point, 26-25, but Flowers bagged a three to halt the uprising, and it was all Clippers three rest of the way with a pair of Kortuem free shots and a Bosse offensive rebound and basket to seal the triumph.
Flowers and Bosse each had 10 points. Kortuem totaled eight points in one half played. Rutz had three points in one half played. Kluntz chipped in a second-half bucket.
The Clippers made one three and six of 10 free shots. The Jags didn’t score from behind the arc and made three of eight foul shots.
LSH 40, Cleveland 17
As a combo of some junior high girls and some JV girls, the Clippers lost to visiting Le Sueur-Henderson 40-17 on January 7.
While the Clippers only trailed by four at the half, 19-15, a pair of Rutz free throws was all they could muster in the second half.
Flowers put in three baskets for six points. Her sister Natalie Flowers had two baskets for four points. It was the first game the siblings played on the same team.
Rutz made a basket and a free throw in the first half to total five points. Hadley Thompson put in a basket for two points.
The Clippers made three of seven foul shots. The Giants put in four of 13 free throws and two three-point baskets.
USC 39, Cleveland 32
At USC (Wells) on January 6, the Clippers fell 39-32 after tailing by five, 16-11 at the break.
Rutz put in a three and four free throws for seven points in the first half before leaving the game. Bosse added a pair of two-point baskets.
In the second half, Kortuem checked in and sunk a pair of twos and a pair of threes for 10 points. Ceclia Gair and Kiya Sohn each parked a three for a total of three points each. Taylor Wolf chipped in a bucket for two total points, and Bosse added a basket from the floor and a free shot for seven total points.
The Clippers were successful in half of their 10 foul shots. The Rebels had no threes and were nine of 22 from the foul line.
The Clippers took on host Faribault B.A. on January 10 and will travel to Nicollet (today) Thursday.
Above: Emma Kortuem was a spark plug as the Clippers overcame a deficit against GHEC/T/ML in the second half.
