Waterville-Elysian-Morristown’s Kylie Dorenkemper sank two free throws with 4.4 seconds left in the game to give her team a 52-50 triumph over host Blue Earth Area in girls basketball action last Tuesday.

Kate Hassing’s two free throws had given BEA a 7-point lead at 49-42 with 2:57 remaining on the clock.

A series of offensive miscues and missed free throws by BEA allowed WEM to put together a game-ending 10-1 run that handed BEA the defeat.

With the score tied at 50, BEA had possession of the ball at midcourt with 12.9 seconds left.

A botched inbounds play resulted in the ball going out of bounds and gave WEM the ball with nine seconds left. They were able to draw a foul that led to the winning free throws.

The non-conference matchup was tight throughout the first half. BEA held the lead only three times but never trailed by more than five points.

Senior Jackie Klinkner, playing her final regular season game at home, collected one of her four assists for the night as she found Haley Pirsig alone under the basket to give BEA the early 2-0 lead.

WEM responded with seven straight points to take a 7-2 lead. Klinkner’s pass to Olivia Skaare – as BEA broke WEM’s press – led to an easy bucket and pulled the the home team to within three points of the lead.

Hassing’s basket off an inbounds play would tie the game at nine and Klinkner’s two free throws put BEA back on top at 11-9. The teams would battle to four more ties in the first half as neither team was able to pull away from the other. WEM would score the final basket of the half to take a 25-24 halftime lead.

WEM opened the second half scoring with a free throw that gave them a 26-24 lead. That lead was quickly erased as Ashley Olson ripped the nets for a 3-pointer to put BEA in front 27-26. Skaare’s basket off an inbounds play and Hayley Pirsig’s two free throws put BEA on top 31-26.

WEM pulled to within one at 31-30 before Olson nailed another three to push BEA’s margin to four points with 11:54 showing on the clock. Pirsig’s putback at the 8:46 mark gave BEA a six-point lead at 40-34 but two quick WEM buckets closed the gap to two points and caused BEA to call a timeout.

Olson and Klinkner combined for BEA’s next seven points, pushing the lead to 47-40 with just under five minutes to go. Three free throws were all the points BEA could manage the rest of the game as their overall record fell to 13-11.

Klinkner finished the game with 13 points, seven rebounds and four assists. Olson matched Klinkner with 13 points, Hassing and Morgan Dickman each contributed seven points and Hassing pulled down seven rebounds.

BEA was 17 of 26 from the free throw line.