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NORTH BRANCH 
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Hermantown 60, North Branch 51
The Vikings opened against  section foe Hermantown and dropped their first game of the year 60-51 to the Hawks.

Ella Kuhlman led the Vikes with 27 points and six rebounds and Chloe Lattimore had 16 points and five boards.

South St. Paul 70, North Branch 37
The Vikings’ struggled continued as they took on a tough Packer team from South St. Paul.

Kuhlman, who will be a key scoring cog this year, only netted 10 points to go with seven rebounds and four assists. Kate Lattimore had nine points and seven rebounds in the losing effort for NB.

“We struggled early in the game to match their athleticism and quickness,” Head Coach Alison Trampe said as the Lady Vikes found themselves down 40-13 at the break. “We regrouped at halftime, made some adjustments and played them nearly even in the second half, but the halftime deficit was too much to overcome.”

North Branch 67, Duluth Denfeld 36
North Branch got in the win column with a dominating win over the Duluth Denfeld Hunters on Friday, December 2.

The Vikes raced out to a 40-11 lead at halftime, and then went on cruise control in the second half as they kept the Hunters at bay.

Kuhlman scored 24 points and had 12 rebounds and five assists. Johanna Bartkey scored 14 points from her post spot, and Kate Lattimore had 13 points, 11 rebounds and three steals for her first career double-double. Chlow Lattimore had eight points and five boards and Hailey Diaz had a great all around game, scoring eight points, grabbing seven rebounds, four assists and four steals.

“I was very proud of the girls for responding in a positive way after two tough losses earlier in the week,” Trampe said. “We shared the ball really well and had very balanced scoring which was nice to see!”


NORTH BRANCH 
BOYS BASKETBALL
Zimmerman 46, North Branch 41
The Vikes couldn’t get their offense unstuck when they took on the Zimmerman Thunder in their season opener on Thursday, December 1.

Despite only scoring 41 points, the Vikings were in the game the whole way because of their tough defense, which is something Head Coach Todd Dufault wants to build the team on this year.

North Branch 80, Duluth Denfeld 75
An early lead held up for the Vikings, as they had a five point lead at halftime and then played the Hunters even in the second half to hold on for a win on Saturday, December 3 at home.

A pair of underclassmen led the way for the Vikings, with sophomore Tyler Minke scoring 27 points and junior Noah Thorsen netting 22. Junior Brody Beaver chipped in 13 points and senior Carson Klein added 11.

It was enough to hold off a strong effort from Denfeld sophomore Marnaries Ferguson, who scored 29 points and had 10 rebounds, five steals and three assists.

CHISAGO LAKES 
BOYS BASKETBALL
Chisago Lakes 83, Irondale 77
The Wildcats got off to a great start with a season-opening 83-77 win over Irondale on Thursday, December 1. The Knights were 15-12 last year, and it’s the type of early win that helps build CL’s confidence after last year’s tough slate.

Patrick Rowe and Jack Walker combined to be a lethal offensive force. Rowe, who led the ‘Cats in scoring last year, balled out with 32 points, five rebounds, five assists and four steals. Walker scored 22 points, with five three pointers, and added four rebounds.

Owen Larsen had a nice game from the paint with 11 points, eight rebounds and four assists, and Abe Olson and Zander Schmidt each hit some big shots for the ‘Cats in combining for 13 points.

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