Basketball Recap: Ella Francl Key Part of a Team Effort in Red Hornets Win

After having lost a blowout in their previous game against Archangels Catholic, Heartland Lutheran was happy to have turned things around on Saturday. They came out on top in a nail-biter against the Central Valley Cougars, sneaking past 46-44. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Red Hornets have posted since January 3rd.

Heartland Lutheran's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Ella Francl, who posted four points in addition to 12 boards and five steals. Heartland Lutheran is 5-2 when Francl posts five or more steals, but 3-7 otherwise. The team also got some help courtesy of Abigail Uden, who went 5 of 10 en route to 14 points.

Central Valley's loss came despite a true team effort from the offense, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Bentleigh Dugan, who went 6 for 14 on her way to 21 points. The dominant performance gave Dugan a new career-high in points. Another player making a difference was Lauryn Dusatko, who dropped a double-double on ten points and 11 rebounds.

Heartland Lutheran has been performing well recently as they've won four of their last five contests, which provided a nice bump to their 8-9 record this season. As for Central Valley, they have also been struggling recently as they've lost ten of their last 11 matchups, which put a noticeable dent in their 3-14 record this season.

Heartland Lutheran will be playing at home against Red Cloud at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. As for Central Valley, they will head out to take on Riverside at 7:00 p.m. on Monday.