Box Score

ABERDEEN, SD – Coming off a split last weekend, the #25 Comets ventured on the road to Presentation College in Aberdeen, SD for their lone game this weekend. Compared to the usual weekend doubleheader, the Comets took advantage of the extra day of preparation and were back with some key players returning to action. 

Early on, both teams were having a hard time getting their shots to go, but the Comets were doing a good job of controlling the ball and getting some defensive stops early in the quarter. Presentation shrunk the lead to two late in the quarter, but Joelle Ertl rattled off a quick five points, including a last second three that helped give the Comets a 5-point lead with a 16-11 advantage.

The two teams were pretty even in the second quarter with each team scoring 19. The Saints tied it up at 19 and 21 apiece, but the Comets kept taking the lead and holding onto a thin one at times. Some sharp 3-point shooting kept the Comets going, five shots from long range were collected by Andi Gayner, Naomi Torgerson, Cyan Hale, Joelle Ertl and Karleigh Weber to close out the half with a 35-30 lead.

The Comets opened it up in the third quarter to take command and put a halt to the Saint offense. It was another big, balanced effort by all the players. The team was back at high capacity with Gayner and Torgerson getting back into action after a length of time away due to illnesses. The Comets outscored the Saints 18-7 in the quarter.  It was a big factor in the flow of the game as the Comets had a 16-point lead with ten minutes to play. The two teams finished it out with each team answering the other's scores, both teams scored 25 points in the final quarter. Ertl, Torgerson and Gayner helped keep the Comet lead intact as they secured the win, 78 to 62 for another key conference victory.

Coach Hutter was feeling good about having a full roster back in action. "It was nice to have our entire team back! They played very well in the second half. Especially the third quarter. We did a decent job rebounding which contributed to our solid defensive effort. Presentation has always been a tough place for us to play. Having four players in double figures shows that we had great balance offensively."

Leading all scorers was Joelle Ertl with 17, followed by Naomi Torgerson with 14, Andi Gayner with twelve and Karliegh Weber with eleven. Gayner earned another double-double on the season by collecting eleven rebounds. Gayner's strong rebounding was a key factor too, the team won the battle of the boards with a 46-36 edge. Torgerson had six assists on the night to lead the team's 22 assists on the night. The Comets shot 40% from the field and went 16 of 42 from behind the arc. Their defense was stingy, keeping the Saints at a 26% field goal rate in the game. 

Next up for the #25 Comets (16-6, 7-4 NSAA) will be a tough battle versus #6 University of Jamestown at Jamestown, ND next Saturday, February 3rd.