Hannah Johnson, left, is fouled while driving to the basket for a layup.

The Blue Earth Area girls basketball team had trouble getting the ball to fall through the hoop when they played host to the St. Peter Saints last Tuesday evening. The Buccaneers shot 31 percent from the field compared to 49 percent for the Saints. The end result was a 60-50 win for St. Peter.

It was clear from the beginning of the contest the Saints’ number one goal was to try and make things as difficult as possible for Caitlin Rorman. Two or three defenders surrounded Rorman every time she got near the basket. The strategy worked early on as the Saints took a 15-4 lead with just over eight minutes remaining in the first half.

Rorman found the going tough inside but was able to find open teammates to pass the ball to. Unfortunately, shot after shot failed to go through the nets for the Bucs.

The Saints took their largest lead of the first half at 23-9 with 5:08 showing on the clock. BEA began to cut into the St. Peter lead and it was Rorman who did the damage. The senior forward scored the Bucs’ final 15 points of the half as BEA cut the margin of their deficit to five points going into the intermission. The Saints led 29-24.

Ta Armstrong scored the opening bucket for the Bucs to start the second half. Following a Saint’s free throw, Armstrong drilled a 3-pointer to bring BEA within one point of the Saints at 30-29.

Bodies hit the floor, above, as Caitlin Rorman attempts to come away with the ball.

St. Peter would not surrender the lead however as they scored the next nine points to go back in front 39-29.

Arika Howard’s jump shot broke the St. Peter run and cut the Buccaneer deficit to eight points. That would be the last points anyone other than Rorman would score for the Bucs.

St. Peter proceeded to build their lead to 14 points, their largest of the night, at 51-37.

Led by Rorman, BEA made one more run. Rorman’s traditional 3-point play followed by a basket got the deficit under double digits with St. Peter holding a 51-42 lead. After the Saints made two free throws, Rorman came down the court and drilled a 3-pointer to bring the Bucs within eight points of the Saints at 53-45.

That would be as close as the Bucs would get and St. Peter took home the 10-point victory.

Rorman finished the night with 38 points, making 13 of 20 from the field including two of three 3-point attempts. She also made 12 of 17 free throw attempts while pulling down four rebounds and recording four steals. Armstrong had six points, five assists and four steals.

Alyssa Ripley recorded four rebounds and Hannah Johnson had three rebounds, three steals and three assists.

The loss dropped the BEA record to 7-6 and 2-3 in the Big South Conference.

Blue Earth played host to New Ulm on Friday, Jan. 18. Results of that contest will be in next week’s edition of the Faribault County Register.