Gilmanton pulls out of Dairyland Conference schedules for Augusta, Eleva-Strum

The Gilmanton high School Girls Basketball Team has canceled the remainder of its varsity schedule and play just JV basketball only for the rest of the season.

This means both Augusta and Eleva-Strum will pick-up byes. AHS was scheduled to play Gilmanton this past Tuesday, Jan. 10 and Central is to play Gilmanton on Jan. 19 in their Dairyland Conference schedule. Both JV games for these dates are still on as of Jan. 12.

The Beavers, 6-5 overall, could use the break as they are riding two-game losing streak after winning four of five. AHS fell to Gilman (8-4) last week Tuesday, Jan. 5 by a 62-50 score at home and fell on Saturday, Jan. 7 at Owen-Withee 56-39. Kennedy and Aubery Korger led AHS in scoring with 15 and 12 points respectively against Gilman while Sam Winsce finished with 11 points. However this could not offset the 30 points scored by the Pirates' Tatum Wier or the 20 points furnished by teammate Danielle Mann. Kennedy Korger scored 22 points to lead Augusta against O-W (5-8) but no one else had more than six points. The Beavers have a key conference match-up this Friday at Lincoln (11-1) and are also on the road Monday at Eau Claire Immanuel Lutheran (3-4) before returning home to face No.1 ranked Blair-Taylor (11-0) next Tuesday, Jan. 17. B-T's Lindsay Steinen recently passed her father as the leading scorer in Trempealeau County boys or girls basketball.

Eleva-Strum broke a six-game losing streak last weekend and went out of state to do so. The Cardinals, along with the Central boys' hoops team, both went to the Target Center in Minneapolis to take on Glenwood City (1-12) last weekend. E-S 's girls won 41-23. The Cardinals were in a close contest with Alma/Pepin (9-4) last week Thursday, Jan. 5 at Pepin, holding a slight lead through the early second half before the Eagles went in front and stayed there led by 15 points from Finley Noll and 12 points from Wallice Helmin. E-S's Jaden Bautch led all scorers with 20 points. Central is 3-8 overall and will look to build a winning streak with winnable upcoming games at home vs. Immanuel on Friday, Jan. 13, Whitehall on Jan. 16 and at Boyceville on Jan. 23.

Dairyland Conference Large Division standings
TEAM CONF. OVERALL
Blair-Taylor 5-0 11-0
Cochrane-Fountain City 5-1 8-6
Augusta 3-2 6-5
Melrose-Mindoro 2-4 5-7
Eleva-Strum 1-4 3-8
Whitehall 0-5 4-8

The first round of West Cloverbelt Conference is in the books with Chippewa Falls McDonell (10-3) well in control of the league at 7-0 after handing No. 10 ranked Cadott (12-1) its first loss of the season on Tuesday, Jan. 10 70-45 in Chippewa Falls. Meanwhile that same night both Fall Creek and Osseo-Fairchild played themselves above the .500 mark both overall and in the league. FC (8-3) routed Stanley-Boyd 59-23 at S-B led by 14 points each from Tori Marten and Jenna Anders and 12 points from Jasmin Heuer. The win was Fall Creek's fourth in a row. Last week the Crickets downed Eau Claire Regis 40-37 on Tuesday, Jan. 3 and crushed Thorp 68-36 at home on Thursday, Jan. 5.

Osseo-Fairchild (7-6) struggled towards the end of the last year but has started the new year with two wins in a row. The Thunder stormed their way over Stanley-Boyd on Thursday, Jan. 3 in a 66-25 win. Ten players scored for OFHS led by Addisyn Koxlien's 15, Madisyn Loonstra's 12, nine points for Rhi Prudlick and eight points each for Josephine Tye and Eleice Dahl. And after an ice-cold shooting percentage in the first half the Thunder used their defense to help them warm up from the field with turnovers converted into points and a 62-43 win over Bloomer at home Tuesday, Jan. 10. O-F outscored the Blackhawks 36-12 in the second half led by 16 points by Taylor Gunderson, 13 from Loonstra, eight from Prudlick and seven points from Halie Colby.

All this sets up the start of the second round of WCC action on Friday, Jan. 13, with Osseo-Fairchild at Fall Creek, 7:15 p.m. It's also the start of a five-game road trip for the Thunder until their next home game Monday, Jan. 30 vs. Tomah. Fall Creek is Altoona next Monday, Jan. 16.

West Cloverbelt Conference Standings
TEAM CONF. OVERALL
Chippewa Falls McDonell 7-0 10-3
Cadott 6-1 12-1
Fall Creek 5-2 8-3
Osseo-Fairchild 4-3 7-6
Bloomer 3-4 3-7
Eau Claire Regis 2-5 6-7
Stanley-Boyd 1-6 3-8
Thorp 0-7 2-12