Staff photo by Steve Muscatello Sleepy Eye’s Kadence Hesse (24) takes a shot as New Ulm Cathedral defenders Maddy Gilles (35) and Olivia Macho look on during the second half Monday at CHS.

NEW ULM — Sleepy Eye used a balanced scoring attack to defeat New Ulm Cathedral 78-44 on Monday in a Tomahawk Conference girls’ basketball game.

Kadence Hesse led the Indians with 20 points, 10 rebounds and four assists. Breaunna Mertz had 16 points, 10 rebounds and four assists and Erika Lozano added 12 points and four steals. Kaydince Thoms scored 10 points.

Lily Franta led Cathedral with 19 points and Jenna Hotovec added 8 points.

Sleepy Eye did a good job of passing and moving the ball around to players who got good looks at the basket and took advantage of it. The Indians used a swarming defense, double teaming Cathedral whenever they could. The Indians rebounded well throughout the game, often limiting Cathedral to one shot per possession.

Hotovec hit a 3-pointer early in the second half. Later, Lozano scored to begin a 10-0 Sleepy Eye run. Crystal Hecht and Mertz each had baskets. Hesse scored 6 of the 10 points.

Brooklyn Moldan and Hesse each hit 3-pointers to finish the contest.

Hesse hit a 3-pointer to start an 11-0 run early in the first half. Moldan scored on a layup, Mertz hit two free throws, Hesse scored and Thoms dropped in two free throws.

Franta got the Greyhounds on the board with a fast-break layup which broke the scoring drought. Sleepy Eye had runs of 8-0 and 6-0 towards the end of the first half, that gave the Indians a 46-18 halftime advantage.

Sleepy Eye will host Redwood Valley on Thursday. Cathedral will host Minnesota Valley Lutheran on Thursday.