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Top-ranked Becker pushes forward, blows past No. 10 Big Lake 93-39 in Class 3A matchup

By Ryan Williamson, SportsEngine, 01/26/21, 6:00PM CST

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The Bulldogs’ relentless full-court press and balanced offensive attack proved to be too much for their Mississippi 8 Conference foes.

Becker's Julia Bengtson (20) steals the ball from a Big Lake player in the first half. Bengtson finished with 24 points for the Bulldogs in a 93-39 win on Tuesday night. Photo by Cheryl A. Myers, SportsEngine

Becker's Julia Bengtson (20) steals the ball from a Big Lake player in the first half. Bengtson finished with 24 points for the Bulldogs in a 93-39 win on Tuesday night. Photo by Cheryl A. Myers, SportsEngine

Becker had arguably its most challenging matchup on paper since last season’s state tournament on Tuesday as the Bulldogs faced Mississippi 8 Conference rival Big Lake.

Based on the results from this conference showdown, Becker appeared to be ready to face some of the state’s toughest competition. The Bulldogs handed the Hornets their first loss of the season in a big way as Becker cruised to a 93-39 win at Becker High School.

Prior to this game, both the Bulldogs, ranked No. 1 in Class 3A by Minnesota Basketball News, and No. 10-3A Big Lake sat atop the Mississippi 8 standings at 3-0. Both teams had gotten off to perfect starts with comfortable wins this winter.

Despite the similarities in record, the teams came in with different styles of play. The Hornets entered as a team wanting to slow things down as they averaged 52 points per game in their first three contests. Meanwhile, Becker had tallied at least 93 points in its first three games.

Senior guard Courtney Nuest finished the night with 23 points for the Bulldogs helping Becker, ranked No. 1 in Class 3A, take down No. 10-3A Big Lake in a Mississippi 8 Conference matchup at Becker High School. Photo by Cheryl A. Myers, SportsEngine

Senior guard Courtney Nuest finished the night with 23 points for the Bulldogs helping Becker, ranked No. 1 in Class 3A, take down No. 10-3A Big Lake in a Mississippi 8 Conference matchup at Becker High School. Photo by Cheryl A. Myers, SportsEngine

First Report

If Tuesday’s game against Big Lake was supposed to be one of the toughest tests of the season for Becker, the Bulldogs certainly passed with flying colors.

Going up against the Hornets, ranked No. 10 in Class 3A by Minnesota Basketball News, No. 1-3A Becker made it look easy as the Bulldogs used an aggressive approach on both ends of the floor to stay unbeaten with a 93-39 victory and extend its winning streak to 29 games.

Big Lake (3-1, 3-1) came in without a loss on its record and stuck with Becker (4-0, 4-0) early on and even led 10-8 at one point. However, that lead quickly dissipated as the Bulldogs went on an 18-2 run to push their lead to double digits.

By the end of the first half, Becker’s lead had grown to 24. One player who played a big role was senior guard Julia Bengtson. The Eastern Illinois commit poured in a team-best 19 points in the first half and finished with 24 points. 

Bengtson was just one part of the Bulldogs’ offensive onslaught. Two other Becker players ended up in double figures. Senior guard Courtney Nuest finished with 23 points and senior forward Megan Gamble finished with 10 points and 9 rebounds.

Besides the offensive effort, Becker used a full-court press to wreak havoc on its opponent. The Bulldogs forced 29 turnovers in their winning effort.

Despite trailing by as many as 50 in the second half, Big Lake put up more points (39) than any opponent has against Becker this season. 

Hornet senior guard Mia Huberty was the leading scorer with 12 points. Two of those points came early in the second half and which pushed her over 1,000 points for her varsity career. Senior forward Hailey Millam had the next highest point total with eight in the loss.

Big Lake's Mia Huberty (13) shoots through the hands of Jackie Yoerg (24) and Whitney Shug (21). Huberty led the Hornets in scoring with 12 points and surpassed 1,000 career points early in the second half. Photo by Cheryl A. Myers, SportsEngine

Big Lake's Mia Huberty (13) shoots through the hands of Jackie Yoerg (24) and Whitney Shug (21). Huberty led the Hornets in scoring with 12 points and surpassed 1,000 career points early in the second half. Photo by Cheryl A. Myers, SportsEngine

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