Lady Jays stay hot on the court; men fall by five points

The No. 1-rated Minnesota West Lady Jay basketball team won its seventh straight game Wednesday night, topping host St. Cloud Tech 68-53.

Rhea Tucker led the way for the Lady Jays with 24 points, while Sadie Krahling contributed 13 points and Casey Miller added 12. Katrina Schutz chipped in with a game-high 12 rebounds and Maddie Kamm had eight rebounds and six steals as Minnesota West improved to 15-7 overall and 7-0 in MCAC South action.

The Lady Jays won despite a tough shooting night, as they made just 34 percent of their field goal attempts. They did, however, beat St. Cloud Tech 40-32 on the boards and turned the ball over just nine times on the night.

In the men's game, it was the Cyclones defeating the Bluejays 84-79, dropping No. 13 Minnesota West to 19-7 overall and 5-5 in MCAC South play.

Five players scored in double figures for the Bluejays on the night. Zackery Rygg led the way with 17 points and Zach Hayenga had 14, Keion Irvin 13, and Karasharo Ojulo and Henry Counsel 10 each. Ojulo had a game-high 11 rebounds. St. Cloud Tech got a boost by making 12 3-point shots compared to four for the Bluejays.

Minnesota West's basketball teams play both at Rochester on Saturday. The Lady Jays have a showdown with the No. 2 Yellow Jackets at 1 p.m., and the men's matchup will follow.