The Fairmont girls basketball team demonstrated why they are ranked 10th in Class 2A as they thumped Blue Earth Area 57-28 in a game played in Fairmont Jan. 30.

Fairmont grabbed the early lead as the Cards’ Ashley Alleven scored nine of her teams’ first 16 points to stake Fairmont to a 16-7 lead.

A 7-0 run by the Bucs closed the gap to two points at 16-14. Morgan Dickman got things going as she drained one from beyond the arc. Jackie Klinkner and Katie Hassing hit back-to-back jumpers, as it looked like the Bucs had grabbed the momentum.

However, the Cards responded by finishing the first half with a 12-2 run – holding the Bucs to only two free throws over the final few minutes of the first half – to go into the locker room leading 28-16.

The Bucs offensive woes continued in the second half as they could manage only 12 points while the Cardinals were putting 29 on the scoreboard.

The conference rivals traded baskets in the early going with each team tallying eight points as Fairmont maintained their 12 point lead at 36-24. That was as close as it would get.

Katelyn Hanson hit a free throw for the Cards with 9:45 left in the game that triggered a 21-4 run to close out the game and give the host team their 29 point win.

Fairmont, who moved to 8-0 in the conference, used their deep lineup to keep constant pressure on the Bucs and come up with 10 steals while also dominating the boards – out rebounding the Bucs 36-18.

Dickman led the Bucs with seven points. BEA made only 10 of 32 shots from the field while hitting on 7 of 20 free throws.

Hayley Pirsig was the leading rebounder for the Bucs, pulling down nine boards.

The loss snapped the Bucs winning streak at five games and left them with a conference record of 5-3, and overall record of 9-7.