BLOOMING PRAIRIE –The Panthers had no trouble finding their go to player in a 59-55 win over the Awesome Blossoms in a girls basketball game in BP Friday.

For the first eight minutes of the highly anticipated Gopher Conference matchup between number one in the conference, New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva and number two Blooming Prairie it was the Blossoms 8, Panthers 4 but then enters Alyssa Kerkhoff.

Kerkhoff, the sophomore point guard for the undefeated Panthers had been held scoreless for those first eight minutes, going 0-for 3 with the first shot she put up missing the rim by two feet. 

The Blossoms (14-4 overall) knew coming into the game that they were going to have to figure out a way to slow this girl down and it looked like their zone defense was going to hold her. 

Kerkhoff finally hit her first basket as the game clock dropped to under 10 minutes left in the half and for the next 60 seconds it was all Kerkhoff as she then hit a three pointer and with a steal, she put in a lay up to follow, making the game 11- 8 now in favor of the visiting Panthers. 

The game stayed close for the first half with the Blossoms first leading by a spread of four and then later it was the Panthers who grabbed a five point lead to have the Blossoms close the game to within two, making it a 27-25 game at the break, favor Panthers.

Kerkhoff, who scored 26 on the night, quickly shot from behind the 3-point arc to open the second half, extending her teams’ lead 30-25.

For the next five minutes it was the Blossoms’ turn as they held Kerkoff to no points for close to another eight minutes and the Blossoms again were in the lead 37- 34. 

As the game made its way to the final seconds it turned into a back and forth battle between the two very fast paced teams with the lead being exchanged 10 times before the Panthers finally tied it at 53-53.

Kerkhoff hit the free-throws that tied it and then put the Panthers (20-0 overall) in the lead for the final two minutes of the game.

The Blossoms were able to muster one more bucket as senior Kassie Lueth put in BPs’ final points of the night.

But in the end it was the Kerkhoff who put in the final five points.

“I haven’t seen Kerkhoff miss a free throw against us all year,” BP head coach John Worke said. “She went 12 for 12 in the last game and then tonight she hit all four from the line.”

Kerkhoff may get a lot of press but she definitely is not alone and the Blossoms found that out also.

“Their supplemental players really made some big baskets tonight,” Worke said. “They made them at the right time and we just couldn’t get a run in anywhere.”

As for the Awesome Blossoms play against the Panthers, Worke was pleased.

“I was really proud of the teams’ effort tonight as they fought through a lot of down minutes,” Worke said. “They answered NRHEG’s runs very well and when they made a mistake they didn’t get down on themselves.”

Although losing is never fun, the loss in regulation was a very well played game by both teams.

“I feel better about this game,” senior forward Kassie Lueth said. “But it still sucks to lose.”

BP           25  30 – 55

NRHEG  27  32  – 59

NRHEG scoring: Alyssa Kerkhoff 26, Alyssa Hagen 16, Jenna Brekke 7, Kelsey Christensen 6, Krisina Cole 2, Kate Quam 2. Team free-throws 10-18

BP scoring: Marie Morem 14, Kassie Lueth 13, Ashely Hueman 10, Resha Koster 10, Lynnae Nelson 5, Erica Manske 3. Team free-throws  4-9