MVL had previously beaten Sibley East 51-45 on Jan. 27, so the larger margin of victory represented an improvement for the Chargers.

“We were really running the floor well,” MVL’s Ziva Zahrt said. “I think we were able to see each other, and our defense was super aggressive today.”

MVL had an especially strong start to the second half, where they outscored the Wolverines 24-12.

“I think we just wanted to come out with a good start,” MVL head coach Craig Morgan said. “We hadn’t had that in the other games, and then sustain it through the second half.”

Staff photo by Ari Selvey Minnesota Valley Lutheran’s Tori Ringen (5) shoots a layup over Sibley East’s Bridget Biron (10) during a South Central Conference girls basketball game Friday at MVL High School.

Olivia Hammer led the Chargers with 16 points, while Zahrt had 13 points and nine rebounds with two steals. Avery Freier added 11 points, while Violet Hammer had 8 points and three rebounds with five steals.

Ruby Ballalatak had 16 points for the Wolverines, while Clair Bauer, Macey Thoele, Bridget Biron and Bethany Reierson each had 6 points.

The teams traded buckets early before MVL went on a 8-0 run, capped off by a 3 from Olivia Hammer, to take a 12-4 lead. Sibley East fought back to an 18-14 deficit after a pair of 3s from Thoele, but layups from Olivia Hammer, Zahrt and Avery Hahn gave MVL a 24-14 lead once more. Olivia Hammer capped off the half with a 3-pointer to give the Chargers a 29-18 lead.

After the break, Violet Hammer hit a floater for a 31-18 MVL lead, and while Ballalatak hit two layups to keep pace, MVL went on a 6-0 run, with Zahrt scoring 4, to take a 39-25 lead. Bauer hit a 3 and a layup to cut the lead to 40-28, but MVL kept going with a layup from Zahrt and a pair of free throws from Freier for a 44-30 lead as Sibley East called a timeout with 11:11 to play. MVL kept the scoring going with a 10-0 run, led by 4 points each from Freier and Olivia Hammer, to take a 54-30 lead.

“I think we were just getting better at found each other,” Zahrt said. “At the beginning we were trying to rush it a little bit too much. So just working it around and getting it into the middle and kicking it back out, then we were able to get some good shots.”

Staff photo by Ari Selvey Staff photo by Ari Selvey Sibley East’s Bridget Biron (10) finds space to shoot during a South Central Conference girls basketball game against Minnesota Valley Lutheran Friday at MVL High School.

However, the offense dried up somewhat for the Chargers as Sibley East got going. Bailey DeVlaeminck and Biron each hit layups for the Wolverines, then Sibley East went on a 10-0 run, with Ballalatak hitting two 3s to cut the lead to 56-44.

Morgan said in order to be more consistent, the team must get used to executing different concepts in the offense.

“It’s execution on some of the things we have thrown in,” he said. “Once we execute on those things, I think it will come through. There were some times where we called a play that we threw in last week and the week before, and things worked out. It’s just a matter of them continuing to remember it and follow through on it.”

However, MVL settled things down before the end of the game, with Hahn hitting two free throws and Ellie Kaesermann making a shot through a foul to go up 60-44. Ballalatak added one more 3 for Sibley East to end the game.

Morgan said the team has to take that consistency to heart as it looks at the final seven games in the regular season schedule.

“Sometimes we’re inconsistent on things and get a little lax,” he said. “We’re relaxing, so we have to keep that intensity going the whole time.”

MVL (11-8, 4-3) plays Lake Crystal Wellcome Memorial at Minnesota State University on Saturday. Sibley East (7-14, 2-7) plays at Maple River on Saturday.