By DALE KUGATH
Sportswriter
NEW RICHLAND – The New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva girls’ basketball team unleashed its offensive firepower before the home-town fans.
The Panthers topped the 90-point mark for the fifth time this season, blasting Tri-City United 94-37 in New Richland Feb. 18.
The victory was the 24th without a loss this season for the defending state champs, who are ranked first in the state. NRHEG has won 54 consecutive games without a loss.
The TCU Titans fell to 8-15 this season.
“The girls played hard and took care of business early,” said NRHEG coach John Schultz. “We knocked down some threes and dominated the boards.”The Panthers, who defeated TCU 83-32 a year ago, raced to a 51-23 advantage at the break.
A 19-2 run to start the second half took away any Titan thoughts of a comeback.
Carlie Wagner continued her phenomenal scoring, exploding for 46 points. She buried three triples in the game.
Jade Schultz nailed five shots behind the arc in a 17 point night.
Marnie “Ice” Wagner chipped in with 10 points, draining a pair of three-pointers.
Gretchen Ramaker added seven points, including NRHEG’s 11th three-pointer of the game. Others: Hannah Lundberg four points, Kelli Harrington four, Maddie Wagner two, Paige Overgaard two, Kayley Camerer two.
Carlie Wagner handed out five assists, one more than Schultz and Marnie Wagner.
NRHEG shot 50 percent from the floor, connecting on half of its 76 shots.
Alyshia Angileno was the lone Titan to reach double digits, scoring 10 points. Maddie Chadderdon chipped in with eight points.
TCU shot just 21 percent from the field, taking 23 fewer shots than the Panthers.
NRHEG dominated the rebounding statistics, holding a 42 to 19 advantage over the Titans.
Schultz led the winners, hauling down 12 rebounds in the game.
Overgaard snared six boards, while the three Wagner sisters grabbed five caroms apiece.
Carlie Wagner paced the Panther defense with four steals. Marnie Wagner came up with three thefts.
Tri-City United was guilty of 22 turnovers, six more than the Panthers.
“Carlie went to the hoop well and Marnie had a nice game,” said Schultz. “Paige and Anna Stork played great team defense.”
Grant Berg’s junior varsity squad, which has lost only twice this season, bounced Tri-City 63-44 in the preliminary game.
NRHEG closed its regular season schedule hosting a 22-3 Fairmont squad Monday.
Section 2AA play will begin Monday. NRHEG will host a first round game against a yet-to-be determined foe, probably Le Sueur-Henderson.
The sub-section semifinals will be at Mankato East next Thursday.