Staff photo by Steve Muscatello New Ulm’s Sam Knowles (10) goes up for a shot against a pair of Sleepy Eye defenders during the first half Tuesday at CHS.

NEW ULM — Down by three in the second half, the New Ulm Cathedral boys’ basketball team was forced to step up its game against a scrappy Sleepy Eye team.

Kegan Heiderscheidt’s 3-pointer gave the Indians a 33-30 lead with 14:48 left in the game, but the Greyhounds responded. They went on an 8-0 run and held the lead the rest of the way, defeating an improving Sleepy Eye team 64-49 in Tomahawk Conference action on Tuesday.

Heiderscheidt scored 12 points for Sleepy Eye (0-10) and Cathedral improved to 7-2. Sam Knowles led all scorers with 27 points. He also had 11 rebounds, two assists, two steals and two blocks. Jevan Wilfahrt had 14 points, four rebounds and four steals. David Wilfahrt finished with 8 pionts and nine rebounds.

The Indians battled the Greyhounds tough in the first half and the teams were within a few baskets for most of the half. Heiderscheidt gave the Indians an early 7-6 lead but the Greyhounds got baskets from Knowles and John Gillis to make it 19-14.

Erizen Traconis gave the Indians a 26-24 advantage with 1:45 left in the first half, but the Greyhounds cloed out the half with a 4-0 run to take a 28-26 lead into halftime.

Jack Nelson and Heiderscheidt helped the Indians re-take the lead in the second half, but an 8-0 run by the Greyhounds wiped that lead away.

Jevan Wilfahrt hit a couple of 3s and they sandwiched a basket by Knowles, giving Cathedral a 38-33 lead. The lead grew to double digits when David Wilfahrt scored with 8:53 left and the Greyhounds held on for their seventh win of the year.

Cathdral is at Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart on Thursday and Sleepy Eye is at Springfield next Tuesday.