Bulldog girls keep the Jug in Carlton with solid team effort

The Battle for the Little Brown Jug is a huge game for the schools of Carlton and Wrenshall. Each year both the girls and boys teams battle for the jug as well as the prestige of holding onto the trophy for another season.

This year's version of the girls' "battle" took place Monday night in Carlton with the Bulldogs handling the Wrens by the score of 57-42.

"It was a good game with a nice crowd, which helped out the atmosphere," said Carlton coach Lucas Beireis. "It is fun to see the gym fill up and get loud and into the game. It's pretty cool to see how important the "jug" game is to both communities."

Those sentiments were echoed by Wrens coach Sheri Nelson.

"This game is a great rivalry game, and a game that the girls always circle on their schedule," Nelson said.

"As someone who is not an alumni of either school, coming into the program, I wasn't sure what to expect. The atmosphere is exciting, and to see both communities and students come out to support their school is awesome. The crowd is loud and even try to be louder than the opposite team. It's just one of the few times we get the opportunity to see the gym fill for a girls game, and in and of itself is great to see."

Carlton zipped out to a nice early lead and was sitting at a comfortable 31-17 by halftime, based on a balanced offensive effort.

"After falling behind at the half we talked in the locker room about not quitting," Nelson said. "We had to overcome some mental mistakes and even the mental mindset that has held us back this season. In the second half, the girls played better defense and were more aggressive and looked for their shots on offense."

While the Wrens were struggling in the first half, the Bulldogs quietly went about their business as nine different players ended up scoring in the game, with three players scoring 10 points each in the game.

"In the second half I gave some opportunities to girls that don't get a bunch of varsity experience," Beireis said. "We also have had problems this year keeping up the same intensity for two halves, especially when we have a comfortable lead going into the half. Instead of being complacent with it, I wanted the girls to come out and play with the same passion and energy as they did in the first half."

In the second half, the Wrens got a strong scoring output from sophomore guard Hailey Tauzell, who finished the night as the leading scorer with 17 points and was the only Wrenshall player in double-digit scoring.

"Tauzell did some cleanup on the offensive boards and found ways to score inside," said Nelson. "She had a few opportunities to drive to the hoop and she hit a three at the buzzer. She played an all-around good game for us."

April Lattu scored nine points on the night for Wrenshall, while Jordyn Seehus and Taylor Bryce each recorded five. Hannah Lattu had four points and Alexis Perry finished with two.

"I thought our team defense took a positive step in the right direction and started really working together," said Nelson. "Offensively, April Lattu hit three 3s, which was great to see. She is a senior and a captain and doesn't get a whole lot of playing time, but she never complains at all. She keeps a positive attitude and truly loves the game."

Leading the scoring charge for Carlton were Kaylee Asleson, Abby Mickle and Jordan Hyry, who all scored 10 points in the game. Both Brynne Mickle and Sam Mattarelli finished with six points; Elizabeth Hey added five points. Alaina Bennett chipped in with four points, and both Nicole Nilsen and Isabella Anderson added three points each.

"We have to make sure we have the whole team going," Beireis saod. "We do not have one player that we can rely on to get us 25 points a night, so we need the entire team to contribute. The girls understand this and move the ball around effectively and look for each other."

The win not only kept the "jug" in Carlton, but also saw the Bulldogs improve their record to 10-5 on the season.

"I'm pretty happy with our current record," Beireis said. "We still have things we need to work on, but I am very proud of the girls for their effort so far this year. They have been coming in every day and are working hard."

The loss drops the Wrens to 1-13 on the season but, as Nelson says, the effort is there from the team.

"I was proud of the girls not quitting," said Nelson. "I commend them for finding their competitive streak and for starting to believe in themselves as a team. It isn't easy when we come into games and get beat each night. Finding the good they can build on is so important, and letting them know that I have faith in them and that they can be better each day."

Up next for Wrenshall will be a Friday night road game in Two Harbors while the Bulldogs play Thursday in Barnum.