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Ella Kuhlman’s assault on the North Branch girls basketball scoring record continued last week as the senior netted a school record 43 points in a 77-65 win over Zimmerman on Tuesday, February 11.

Kuhlman was nine-of-18 from three point land, eight of eight from the charity stripe and 13-of-25 overall.

To boot, she added seven rebounds, two assists and five steals on a night when no other Viking player was in double figures. It was Kuhlman’s sixth game of 30 or more points this season.

She followed that up with a 25 point effort against Princeton on Friday, February 14, but the team success wasn’t there, as the Vikings lost 71-60 to the Tigers.

Kuhlman also had 11 rebounds, five assists and three steals in the game. Jo Bartkey scored 12 points down low, but after building a first half lead, Princeton had a second half surge that was led by Willa Waytashek, Larkin Andickes, Sadie Meyer and Lillian Tidrick, allowing them to erase a six point deficit and turn it into an 11 point win.

CHISAGO LAKES GIRLS

In a not so uncommon theme this year, the NB girls basketball team was the only area hoops squad to get a win last week.

The Wildcat girls team lost a close match up to 4-17 Zimmerman, 61-53, but then was blown out 53-26 at the hands of Cambridge-Isanti.

CHISAGO LAKES BOYS

Ever since their upset win over Princeton on Thursday, February 6, things went backwards for the ‘Cats.

They fell 84-70 to Cambridge-Isanti on Tuesday, February 11, and then dropped two double digit losses in back to back days against Zimmerman and Big Lake. CL lost to Zimmerman 97-64 and then came up short at Big Lake on Friday, February 14 91-79.

NORTH BRANCH BOYS

The Vikings boys’ team also had a brutal week. They fell to small school Pine City 68-51 on Monday, February 10. 

Playing on tired legs, the Vikes then were throttled 76-25 by Zimmerman, who is 16-7 on the year, and then they ended the week with a 102-65 drubbing at the hands of Princeton on Friday, February 14.

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