Basketball Recap: Heron Lake-Okabena/Fulda Comes Up Short

Heron Lake-Okabena/Fulda was not able to break out of their rough patch on Thursday as the team picked up their seventh straight defeat. They took a 68-57 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Edgerton Flying Dutchmen. The Coyotes were given a dose of their own medicine in this game as the Flying Dutchmen apparently hadn't forgotten their loss the last time these teams played back in February of 2024.

Despite the defeat, Heron Lake-Okabena/Fulda saw an underclassman step up: sophomore Bryce Nielsen went 9 for 15 on his way to 19 points and seven rebounds. The dominant performance also gave Nielsen a new career-high in assists (four). Dillon Smith was another key player, putting up 11 points and five assists.

Even though they lost, Heron Lake-Okabena/Fulda was working as a unit and finished the game with 16 assists. That's the most assists they've managed all season.

Heron Lake-Okabena/Fulda's record now sits at 2-8. As for Edgerton, the win got them back to even at 5-5.

Heron Lake-Okabena/Fulda and Edgerton could both be facing uphill battles in their next games considering their disadvantage in the MaxPreps Minnesota Rankings. Heron Lake-Okabena/Fulda (ranked 364th) will meet Russell-Tyler-Ruthton (ranked 95th) at 7:30 p.m. on Sunday. Meanwhile, Edgerton (ranked 244th) will meet Hills-Beaver Creek (ranked 70th) at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday.