Girls

In a turnover and foul-filled game, Minneapolis was unable to overcome a large deficit built earlier in the game and lost to Ell-Saline in Brookville, 48-46.

The game was the first of the week in the Tri-County Classic.

The teams combined for 68 turnovers and 42 fouls.

Cameron Cleveland led Minneapolis with 13 points. Raleigh Kramer fueled Ell-Saline (2-0) with a game-high 17.

Minneapolis (1-1) trailed 42-31 at the end of the third quarter. The Lions roared back, though, and started the fourth on an 8-0 run.

The teams went back and forth until the final minute, and Minneapolis even had a few foul shots in the waning moments of the game to tie it up, but the Lions couldn’t convert.

Minneapolis ended the game just 17-37 from the free throw line.

Junior Jordan Peck won the H&R Block of the game.

Freshman Braedee Weatherman was named the Nex-Tech Wireless Player of the Game. Weatherman scored a career-high 10 points and hit 8-9 foul shots.

Boys

History was made Tuesday night. It wasn’t in Minneapolis’s favor.

Ell-Saline snapped a 53-game losing streak in a 49-43 victory over Minneapolis.

Minneapolis (0-2) has now lost its first two games of the season for the first time in four years.

Senior Colton Johnson led the Lions with a double-double, tallying 17 points and 11 rebounds.

Minneapolis started the game well, only allowing four points to the Cardinal offense in the first quarter. At the half, the Lions led 25-20.

Things changed in the second half. The Minneapolis offense suffered from a long drought in the third frame, while Ell-Saline’s offense – and crowd – started to come alive. The Cardinals used the momentum to take a 34-30 advantage into the final eight minutes.

Minneapolis didn’t go down quietly, though. The Lions employed a full-court pressure and yanked the lead back at one point, but that was short-lived. Ell-Saline swung the pendulum back their way, went on a run and retook the lead.

Brogan Rowley, a freshman for Ell-Saline, hit some clutch free throws in the final minute to ice the first home win for Ell-Saline (1-1) in three years.

Minneapolis’s Johnson was named the New-Tech Wireless Player of the Game for his efforts, and he also had three highlight reel blocks to win the H&R Block of the Game as well.

The Lions’ basketball teams are back in action on Thursday in the Tri-County Classic. They’ll host the Bennington Bulldogs. Pregame coverage starts at 5:45 on 92.7 The New Zoo.