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NEW ULM -- The New Ulm Eagles girls basketball team broke a three-game losing streak and did it by making shots at the free throw line.
The Eagles made seven of their 10 free throws in the last five minutes of their game -- including Bryn Nesvold making all six of her chances from the charity stripe -- as New Ulm escaped Willmar 69-67 Saturday afternoon in a nonconference game.
Brooklyn Lewis led New Ulm (12-6) with 17 points. Morgan Hulke added 16 points (with four 3s), Nesvold contributed 12 points and Daviney Dreckman ended with 11.
Kendee Salonek led Willmar (4-17) with 15 points.
"I thought that we played well overall," New Ulm Eagles head coach Julie Rogers said. "This was our second game in 24 hours, and Willmar played in Alexandria last night, so I think that everyone was a little tired. And Daviney hurt her ankle Friday -- she was in a cold-water bath this morning trying to see if she could go -- she was not 100 percent but did a nice job."
The Eagles, who host TCU Monday, forced 11 Cardinals turnovers in the first half and scored 11 points off of them to go up 38-27 at halftime.
But Willmar came out in the second half and cut an early 42-30 Eagles lead to 42-41 on an 11-0 run that forced Rogers to call a timeout.
"We went down (early in the second half) and did not run our offense all the way through," Rogers said about the Willmar run. "We took the first quick shot that we saw. And if the shots drop, that is fabulous -- then we can extend that lead. But they did not. When we missed the first couple shots, we probably should have worked the ball around more."
That cold shooting allowed Willmar to take a 45-44 lead, their first lead since being up 12-11 early in the game, on an Allie Rosendahl basket. The teams then exchanged baskets through the second half.
Mackenzie Enter canned a three-pointer for a 62-61 Cardinal lead before the Eagles salted the game away at the charity stripe.
Nesvold made her first two free throws with just over four minutes left in the game before casually sinking two more with just under three minutes remaining for a 66-61 lead.
After Willmar sliced the lead to 66-65, Nesvold found the bottom of the net with her next two free throws. A Lewis free throw with 14 seconds left made it a 69-65 lead.
Willmar's Brielle Ogdahl pulled the Cardinals to within two points, 69-67, with five seconds left. A late, long court desperation shot from the Cardinals fell well short as New Ulm held on for the win.
"It was great to see Bryn make those free throws," Rogers said. "The kids do come in in the morning before school and shoot free throws. We are happy that it paid off. Against Marshall (Friday) we were 4-for- 12 on free throws."