Staff photo by Travis Rosenau New Ulm Cathedral’s Ava Krueger drives to the basket while guarded by Sleepy Eye St. Marys’ Allie Labat during a Tomahawk Conference girls basketball game Monday at Cathedral High School.

By Jeff Meder

Journal Sports Writer

NEW ULM — Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s placed four players in double figures as the Knights defeated New Ulm Cathedral 80-54 on Monday in a Tomahawk Conference girls basketball game.

It was Cathedral’s first conference game of the season.

Liz Schwint led St. Mary’s with 21 points. Allison Labat added 20 points, Natalie Fischer had 19 points and Morgan Mathiowetz scored 12 points.

Cathedral had three players score in double figures. Jenna Hotovec led the Greyhounds with 15 points, Olivia Macho added 11 points and Margo Finstad had 10 points.

Things looked good for Cathedral early in the contest. Fischer scored the Knights’ first points on an inside basket. After a free throw by Maddie Gilles, Hotovec got the ball to Shay Wilfahrt to give the Greyhounds a brief lead. Mathiowetz answered for the Knights to take back the lead at 4-3. Macho’s 3 gave Cathedral a 7-4 advantage.

Later, Schwint tied it at 9-9. Adelinde Hoffmann’s basket gave the Knights back the lead. Hotovec responded for Cathedral with a 3 to make it 12-11 Cathedral. Macho’s 3 made it 15-13 Cathedral before Hotovec’s 3 made it 19-15.

Schwint tied it at 19-19. Macho’s basket regained Cathedral’s lead 21-19 after a St. Mary’s turnover. Labat’s 3 regained the Knights’ lead at 22-21. Schwint’s inside basket gave St. Mary’s a cushion. After that, the Knights kept adding to their lead.

Late in the first half, Fischer scored 7 points for St. Mary’s. She had a basket, a 3-pointer and she chipped in two free throws — all on three consecutive possessions by St. Mary’s. That made it 31-22 for the Knights. Finstad ended the Knight’s run with a 3.

St. Mary’s led 37-27 at halftime.

Early in the second half, Schwint fed the ball to Fischer, who scored on a give-and-go. That made it 44-30 St. Mary’s. Hotovec’s 3 brought Cathedral within 5 points at 46-41. Fischer answered with two free throws and Schwint’s inside basket with a free throw helped St. Mary’s pull away from the Greyhounds.

Late in the second half, Schwint and Mathiowetz reversed roles. Mathiowetz fed the ball to Schwint, who scored and on the next possession, Schwint fed Mathiowetz the ball for another score.

The Knights finished strong, outscoring Cathedral 13-2. Ava Krueger scored Cathedral’s final basket, while Mathiowetz scored the contest’s final basket.

St. Mary’s (3-1, 2-0) will host Waterville-Eysian-Morristown on Tuesday. Cathedral (0-3, 0-1) will play at Minnesota Valley Lutheran on Thursday.