SAUK RAPIDS -- Beth Bolte caught fire against Sauk Rapids-Rice on Thursday night, torching the nets for 27 points in Sauk Rapids.
But it wasn’t quite enough, as her Bemidji High School girls basketball team still fell 72-65 to the Storm in spite of Bolte’s Herculean showing.
Bolte was hot from downtown early on, and three 3-pointers helped her score 11 of the team’s first 15 points. She finished with 13 points in the opening half as the Lumberjacks (4-5) jumped ahead 34-29 at the break.
Bolte tallied 12 more points after halftime, but it was Sauk Rapids-Rice (3-9) which controlled the finish. The Storm outscored BHS by a 43-31 margin in the final 18 minutes to snatch away the win.
Alongside Bolte’s offensive production, Kate Hildenbrand pitched in 13 points and Jody Pemberton 12 for Bemidji.
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Mia Roachole (19 points), Grace Roesch (17) and Courtney Paulsen (13) did the heavy lifting for Sauk Rapids-Rice.
The Lumberjacks return to their home court with a 3:30 p.m. tipoff against St. Michael-Albertville on Saturday, Jan. 8, at the BHS Gymnasium.
Sauk Rapids-Rice 72, Bemidji 65
BHS 34 31 -- 65
SRR 29 43 -- 72
BEMIDJI (4-5) -- Bolte 27, Hildenbrand 13, Pemberton 12, M. Bieber 5, Johnson 5, Zetah-Cornelius 2, Milbrandt 1.
SAUK RAPIDS-RICE (3-9) -- Roachole 19, Roesch 17, Paulsen 13, Petermeir 8, Miller 7, Felechle 6, Schloe 2.
