Prep Girls Basketball: Sebeka holds off Menahga in conference battle, 55-47

Menahga, Minn.—Jessica Lillquist posted a game-high 25 points as Sebeka held off Tarah Cleveland and the Menahga Lady Braves 55-47 during Friday’s Park Region Conference battle.

The Lady Trojans wasted little time establishing control as Jasmine Titcomb hit a pair of three-pointers to ignite a 13-3 run at the start of the first half. Lillquist fueled the flames even further with seven points during the first eight minutes to push Sebeka’s lead to 17-6 with 10:11 left before the break.

Cleveland, who entered the contest averaging 27 points per game, had trouble getting going against the stifling Sebeka defense spearheaded by Alicia Boe.

However, the fiesty 5-foot-4 shooting guard kept the Lady Braves within striking distance by drawing the Sebeka defenders and dishing the ball off to an open teammate.

Menahga used a 11-4 run to pull within four points (21-17) as Shelby and Arielle Pihlaja highlighted the short run with three-pointers. Sebeka answered with a free-throw from Titcomb and back-to-back jumpers from Lillquist to increase their lead to 26-17 with 1:09 left.

With 49.9 seconds left in the half, Cleveland hit two free-throws to break the Lady Braves’ all-time scoring record of 1,749 points set by her older sister Erica in 2006.

Brett Brockpahler capped the Lady Trojans’ first-half scoring with a putback and Menahga’s Arielle Pihlaja nailed her second three-pointer of the half as Sebeka carried a six-point lead into the locker room, 28-22.

Both teams traded baskets as Sebeka maintained a four-point lead the majority of the second half. The Lady Trojans went on a 8-2 run behind Lillquist’s three baskets to push their lead back up to 10-points, 50-40, with 6:40 left to play.

Cleveland, who was held to seven points in the first half, erupted for 11 points after Boe got into foul trouble trying to contain the Lady Braves’ offensive weapon.

Alicia Ahlf highlighted Menahga’s last ditch effort with a inside jumper and two free-throws while a free-throw and layup from Cleveland whittled the Lady Trojans’ lead down to five (52-47) with over two minutes remaining.

Unfortunately, Menahga ran out of gas right there as they turned the ball over during their next six possessions. Titcomb hit three free-throws down the stretch to cap the scoring for the Lady Trojans. The junior finished with 12 points for Sebeka.

Menahga ended up shooting 37 percent (15 for 41) in picking up their first loss of the season. Shelby Pihlaja also scored in double figures for the Lady Braves with 10 points. Ahlf finished with seven points and grabbed a team-high six rebounds. Arielle Pihlaja had five points, five rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocked shots.

Boe netted eight points before fouling out with 33 seconds left. Lillquist notched a double-double as she registered 10 boards in the conference win.

Menahga (3-1) will be idle until Thursday, December 15 when they host Wadena-Deer Creek at 7:45 p.m. Sebeka (3-1) will head to Isle on Saturday for a boys-girls doubleheader at 7:30 p.m.

Sebeka at Menahga on December 9
Lady Trojans 55, Lady Braves 47
Sebeka 28 27—55
Menahga 22 25—47
Sebeka
Jasmine Titcomb 12, Katianne Brockpahler 6, Logan Redetzke 2, Alicia Boe 8, Brett Brockpahler 2, Jessica Lillquist 25
Menahga
Shelby Pihlaja 10, Beth Tormanen 3, Arielle Pihlaja 5, Jenny Skoog 2, Tarah Cleveland 18, Maria Tormanen 2, Alicia Ahlf 7