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Ella Kuhlman is on an absolute heater on the basketball court.

The senior guard is averaging 34.3 points over her last three games and has broken North Branch’s individual game scoring record twice in a week over the past five days. In her most recent game, she also eclipsed the 2,000 point mark in her career, becoming the first girl to do that in North Branch hoops history.

North Branch 58, Cambridge-Isanti 56

Fresh off of North Branch’s first win over Grand Rapids in two decades and Kuhlman putting up a school record 34 points, she came back with another 30 point effort in a two point win over Highway 95 rival Cambridge-Isanti.

Kuhlman hit six three points, including four in the first half, to stake North Branch to a 32-27 lead at the break. Jo Bartkey then went to work in the post for the Vikings, putting together one of her best games of the year. She finished with 15 points and six rebounds as North Branch held off a late charge from the Bluejackets and won 58-56.

Kuhlman added seven assists, four rebounds and three steals to her 30 points and Bella Folkema did a lot of the little things in a great way, grabbing 10 boards to go with four assists and three steals.

North Branch played some extraordinary perimeter defense in the game, limiting C-I to a three-for-18 night from beyond the arc.

North Branch 56, Zimmerman 55

The Vikings followed nearly the same formula in their win over Zimmerman on Thursday, January 9.

Kuhlman’s hot shooting got them a sizable first half lead at 33-21, and then despite a Thunder comeback attempt, North Branch was able to hold on and win a close one.

Kuhlman hit nine three pointers on her way to a school record 39 points – breaking her record of 34 from the Grand Rapids contest. Katelyn Lattimore was the Robin to Kuhlman’s Batman in this one, scoring 12 points for the Vikings as they fended off the Thunder.

The two wins now give North Branch seven victories in their last eight games, and they stand at 4-1 in the Mississippi 8 Conference, good enough for third. 

They’ll find out a lot about where they stand in the upcoming week. The Vikings will travel to unbeaten Monticello on Thursday, January 16 for a big M8C game, and then they’ll go to St. Francis to take on the Saints on Tuesday, January 21. St. Francis is 8-5 on the year, but 4-0 in the conference, so two of the teams NB is chasing will be right in front of them this week.

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