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A hometown newspaper with a local office, local owners & lots of local news
Barnum #12 Janaya Jurek takes the ball down the court as she is chased down by Moose Lake #5 Shannon Granquist during Thursday night's matchup between the Bombers and the Rebels in Barnum.
Barnum's Allison Marine gets a hand on the ball to stop a shot attempt from Moose Lake's Lexi Klininski as the Bombers host the Rebels Thursday evening.
Barnum's Rayna Klejeski and Allison Marine combined for 51 points Thursday night as the dynamic duo helped to lead the Bombers to their 21st win of the season, defeating Moose Lake/Willow River 65-31 in girls basketball.
"It's a tough matchup for just about every team, and we had the same problem," said Rebels coach Zak Mathson of Barnum's two tall post players. "We tried to double them when they got down low, but if the double team got there late then they had an easy layup, or Rayna would hit from the outside. They are just a good team with a lot of experience."
Klejeski had 16 points in the first half, including a pair of 3-pointers and Marine finished with 13 in the first half. For the game, the 6-foot-1 Klejeski pumped in 28 points and the 6-foot-4 Marine finished with 23 points.
Knowing they were giving away height in the middle, the Rebels played a 2-3 zone. Still, Barnum was able to move the ball and apply offensive pressure as they took advantage of their height.
"We are lucky to have some great post players," said Barnum head coach Mariah Minkkinen. "When they seal hard they are tough to defend. They have also gotten smarter about kicking it out when they are double or triple teamed."
The guards were also a key part of the Barnum offense.
"Our guards have really improved at being able to move the ball and get the ball inside," Minkkinen said. "We also have great shooters on the perimeter."
Other Barnum scorers included Kendra Jurek with five points and Ella Heaton with four. Jacinda Wright scored three points and Janaya Jurek finished with two.
The Rebels had seven players score and were led by freshman Jenna Beck, who recorded seven points.
"I thought Jenna played well for us," said Mathson. "I think it was her best game of the season."
Moose Lake/Willow River got six points each from Madison Wasche and Madeline Volk, plus five points for Lexi Klininski. Alexys Anderson and Shannon Granquist each finished with three points and Hannah Roach rounded out the scoring with a point.
The loss dropped the Rebels season record to 3-20, while the Bombers improved to an impressive 21-3 with only two games remaining in the regular season.
"We never really focused on our regular season record, to be honest," Minkkinen said. "Our goal heading into this season was to get better from each game so that we can put together a fun playoff run."
Both teams will play their final regular season game of the year Friday, Feb. 24.
