On Thursday, December 12, 2024, the Alma-Pepin Eagles boys’ basketball team faced off against the Whitehall Norsemen where the Alma Pepin Eagles came out on top, beating the Norsemen 59-57.
In the first half, the score went back and forth fluctuating between the two teams. The Norsemen scored the first points, but then the Eagles answered back, keeping the lead until about 9 minutes left in the first half. However, the Eagles got in early foul trouble, causing two starters to ride the bench most of the first half. Whitehall’s tough defense allowed them to stay in the game even though most of their shots weren’t falling. Toward the end of the first half, Norsemen number four, Bo Killian, hit some clutch free throws, allowing the score to be Eagles 24 and Whitehall 29 at the end of the half.
Starting the second half, Whitehall was leading with seven points putting the Eagles’ fans on the edge of their seats. With 11 minutes left, the Eagles made a comeback, making the score 32-33 with Whitehall on top. The Norsemen had a quick response making a tough three-pointer creating a bigger lead of 32-36. A couple of plays and baskets later, Breckin Hullopeter made a tough lay-up to tie the game. Whitehall, undiscouraged from the first half and still wanting to take the conference win, took the lead again by six points with 7 minutes left. Owen Post, making some difficult shots and fancy ball handling, helped the Eagles back in the game, cutting the deficit to just three points.
For the final few minutes, the score continued to alternate between the two teams, making the game very intense. With 34 seconds left, the Eagles led 56-55. The Norsemen had no other choice but to foul, allowing the Eagles to get on the line multiple times. The Eagles made some huge free throws which won them the game. The final score was 59-55. Trenton Krzoska stated, “We all worked well together as a team which helped us stay in the second half to secure the victory.” Congratulations to the Eagles for securing their second conference win.