.”A great basketball game,” said Battle Lake Head Coach C.J. Peeters.  “Both teams competed hard.  Adjustments and runs all night.  I am so proud of both teams as they provided a fun night of hoops.  We executed down the stretch, knocked down free throws at the end and got the rebounds we needed.”

Riley Leabo led Battle Lake with 18 points.  VanErp added 15 and Drew Johnson contributed a dozen.

Leaders for HLA were Thomas Zwiers (22 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists), Sam Brumfield (11 points, 4 rebounds) and Evan Gould (10 points, 5 assists).

"Battle Lake played a great game start to finish," said Hillcrest Head Coach Ryan Garvin. "Coach Peeters has them playing at a high level at the right time.  I'm proud of how our guys battled back tonight after a rough first half. Unfortunately, we gave away a lot of offensive opportunities tonight because of our passing. But credit to the Battlers for their defensive intensity and pressure. They got us to play their game and their pace."

Battle Lake (5-10 overall, 3-5 LEC) will play at Ashby on Friday night.

Hillcrest (6-11 overall, 3-5 LEC) will host Brandon-Evansville on Friday night.