Photo by Brady Dennis New Ulm’s Leah Brustad watches a 3-point shot of hers during a Big South Conference girls basketball game against Tri-City United on Tuesday night at New Ulm High School.

NEW ULM — For over 30 minutes, the New Ulm Eagles and the Tri-City United girls basketball teams were within striking distance of each other.

But a 3 from Maggie Joyce, followed by a 3 from Brooklyn Lewis, gave the Eagles a 60-53 lead as New Ulm went on to a 75-58 win over the Titans Tuesday night in a Big South Conference game.

Lewis led the Eagles (10-4, 6-1) with a game-high 28 points.

Maggie Joyce added 17 and Leah Brustad 15.

Brooklyn Lewis’s 28 points now has her at 1,720 career points — eighth on the City of New Ulm All-Time scoring list and 27 points behind Minnesota Valley Lutheran’s Abbie Riederer’s total of 1,747.

Brooklyn Lewis added seven rebounds, with Brustad ending with six steals. Riley Wilson contributed 8 points and five assists.

Elia Schmiesing led TCU (6-9, 3-4) with 18 points.

“This was a nice win,” New Ulm head coach Mitch Lewis said. “We needed it — it was not pretty — but we got it done.”

The Eagles held a 19-12 lead early before the Titans — coached by former New Ulm coach Julie Rogers — cut the lead to 19-16 and would take a 25-21 lead on the Eagles before New Ulm grabbed a 30-27 lead late in the first half.

But a 3 from Carly Hartwig tied the game at 30-30 after 18 minutes.

It was a first half for the Eagles that coach Lewis described as sloppy.

New Ulm had 11 turnovers and made just six of 18 shots from the field.

“There was not a lot of flow to the game — there were a lot of whistles blown and fouls called, and it was a pretty touchy first half,” he said.

Coach Lewis said that the Titans were hurting the Eagles inside with their two big girls (Elia Schmiesing and Hartwig).

“They were going high-low and we did not have any backside help,” coach Lewis said. “They would overload one side with their guard, so we went to a 2-3 in the second half.”

The Eagles scored the first 8 points of the second half to take a 38-30 lead and held a 49-44 lead on baskets off of Titans turnovers and increased their lead to 52-44 off of baskets from Brooklyn Lewis and Joyce — again off of TCU turnovers.

“We just could not get ahead early,” coach Lewis said. “We had some nice runs but they would come back.”

Coach Lewis said that they did not shoot the greatest.

“But we have not been getting a lot of 3s off at all this year. We hit a few tonight [seven], but we found a way to win tonight — we strapped some things together. Big conference win for us but we have to face them again in a week.”