The Vikings led by 7 with under a minute to play in the game, however, Hillcrest seventh-grader Elsa Retzlaff hit two of her 4 3’s in the final minute to cut the lead to one.  Korf went to the line with 1.6 seconds left and drained a pair of free throws to increase the Vikings lead to 3.  A half court desperation shot by Hillcrest fell short and Pelican Rapids picked up the win.

Ellie Welch joined Korf in double figures with 15 points and also pulled down 6 rebounds.  Hazel Haugrud had a team high 12 rebounds and contributed 5 points.  Kelsey Isaman had 9 boards and Anna Roisum chipped in with 6 points and led the team with 4 assists.

Retzlaff led the Comets with 19 points and 7 rebounds.  Ruby Peterson added 11 points and Ella Knutson finished with 8 points, 8 rebounds and 2 assists.  Maddie Ballweg had 6 points, 6 rebounds and a pair of assists, and Madi Foss led Hillcrest with 11 rebounds.

“The girls played really hard tonight, but give credit to Pelican Rapids, they executed down the stretch and hit their free throws,” said Hillcrest Head Coach Hannah Clark. “Elsa played a really good game tonight, providing a big spark for us off the bench and leading us on the offensive end.” 

Hillcrest will close out their pre-Christmas schedule with a home game against Norman County East/Ulen-Hitterdal on Tuesday night.

Pelican Rapids has a road game against Heart O’ Lakes Conference opponent DGF on Thursday.