Staff photo by Jeremy Behnke New Ulm’s Brooklyn Lewis goes up for a shot as Hutchinson’s Avery Watzke defends on the play during Monday’s game at New Ulm High School.

NEW ULM — Perhaps the only aspect of the New Um Eagles girls’ basketball team that is lacking is a force inside.

Monday night against Hutchinson, that cost them.

Hutchinson’s Brynn Beffert collected 13 of her 21 points in a three-minute span in the second half as she helped erase a 60-56 lead for a 68-65 Tigers lead as Hutchinson downed New Ulm 80-70 in a nonconference game.

Morgan Hulke led the Eagles (8-8), coming off of the bench to score 29 points.

Daviney Dreckman and Ramsey Hopp each added 13.

“We played really hard tonight — we were the underdogs coming into this game,” New Ulm coach Julie Rogers said. “So to be tied (29-29) at halftime and be so close at the end, it was a close game. I am proud of the girls.”

And it was close considering the stat for the Eagles, who fell behind 11-0 before Brooklyn Lewis got the Eagles on the board.

New Ulm came back to take the lead at 23-21 on a Hulke basket and entered the second half tied.

“They were switching up defenses from zone to man, so we did a nice job of changing the offense,” Rogers said.

The Eagles built a 60-52 lead on a Bryn Nesvold basket before the inside strength of the Tigers — in the form of Beffert — went to work.

After a 3-ball, Beffert scored the next 13 straight points as Hutchinson regained a 72-65 lead.

“She (Beffert) had three fouls in the first half and (Hutchinson) had four fouls called on them in the second half.” Rogers said. “So when we do not go to the free-throw line and put them on the line as much as we did. We need to get our fouls down.

“Our story of the year is our lack of size inside,” Rogers added. “It is not like we have someone coming up that is going to be a tall girl inside. This is what we have — our strengths are quickness, good speed and outside shooting. And we are super young.”