For the third consecutive season, the #8 ranked Algona Bulldog girls basketball team saw their season come to an end one game short of state, this year falling 61-53 to the #12 ranked Spirit Lake Indians on Saturday night in Algona in the class 3A – region 8 championship game.
In a back and forth game that saw multiple lead changes and neither team keep momentum for too long, the final outcome would come down to some big shots in the fourth quarter, and Spirit Lake’s ability to answer back after made buckets by Algona.
The fourth quarter began with the Indians holding a 42-40 lead over the Bulldogs, which became a five point lead when Abby Scott buried a corner three on Spirit Lake’s first possession of the fourth. The back and forth nature of the game began to take full effect as the ensuing Algona possession saw Bella Jo Dunning’s offensive rebound lead to a three pointer by Hayden McLauglin, making the score 45-43 Indians. By the 6:34 mark of the fourth, Algona would push their way in front. Dunning hit the first of two three throws, then a jump ball after the missed second gave the Bulldogs possession. Hayden Kuhlmann took advantage with a drive to the bucket and a layup to put Algona up 46-45, and give the Bulldogs a brief 6-0 scoring run.
Following the Kuhlmann layup, Scott would get lost in Bulldog defense on the next Spirit Lake possession, hitting a wide-open three from the right corner to swing the lead back to Spirit Lake 48-46. Scott would finish with eight points, six of which came in the fourth quarter.
A Reese Keenan mid-range jumper on the next Spirit Lake possession pushed the Indians lead to four, before another drive and score by Kuhlmann on Algona’s next possession cut the lead back to two. Back on the other end of the court, Keenan delivered what felt like the most important shot of the game, getting a friendly rubber rim bounce on a three point shot to give the Indians a 53-48 advantage. It was just Keenan’s third made three pointer of the season in nine attempts.
Algona turned to fouling over the final two minutes, as the Indians missed four three throws in that time to leave the door open for the Bulldogs, but Algona also missed three free throws in the fourth, and were never able to retake the lead.
Algona Head Coach Noel McLaughin says with the focus on getting to host a regional final after being on the road the previous two seasons, it was tough to see the game slip away.
The game was a back and forth affair from the start. Kuhlmann engineered a pair of drives to the bucket through traffic as Algona took an early 6-0 lead. A couple of threes from the parking lot by Claire Turner to start the Spirit Lake scoring were only interrupted by Dunning putting back her own miss, as Algona took a 10-6 lead at the 3:34 mark of the first. Spirit Lake controlled the remainder of the quarter, leading 19-13 at the end of one.
Algona turned the pace of the game in their favor in the second quarter, outscoring the Indians 16-8 to go up 29-27 heading into halftime.
In the third, Algona pushed their lead to 33-29, before a couple of buckets, including a three pointer from the right wing, several feet behind the arc, by Turner brought the Indians in front 34-33.
A couple of possessions later, Kuhlmann split two defenders in the lane for another layup to briefly put Algona back up by one, but Turner would answer with an and-one to put the Indians in front by two. The third quarter would feature three lead changes.
Turner finished the night leading all scorers with 28 points.
Coach McLaughlin says fighting to the end is what his team does, but ultimately Claire Turner was too much to overcome.
Hayden McLaughlin paced Algona with 18 points, converting 7 of 11 shots from the field, including three out of five three pointers. Dunning, filling in for the injured Paige Schmitt in the Algona starting lineup, put up a stat line of nine points, six rebounds, and six assists. Kuhlmann scored 13, while Maya Lentz chipped in nine points off the bench.
Coach McLaughlin says the attention paid to the Algona seniors opened up opportunities for the sophomore McLaughlin.
Spirit Lake would keep Algona’s two healthy senior starters bottled up, as Lauren McGlaughlin was held to two points on 1/9 shooting, while Casey VanOtterloo finished with three points.
Coach McLaughin felt Spirit Lake’s focus on stopping Lauren McLaughlin made things tough for the Algona offense.
The Indians created an advantage at the foul line and in the rebounding battle, taking 20 free throws to Algona’s 13, and outrebounding the Bulldogs 35-19.
Spirit Lake improves their record to 17-7, advancing to state for the first time since 2015 and sixth time in program history, coming just one year after falling one game short of state, losing 57-38 last season to Estherville Lincoln Central in the regional final.
Algona ends the season with a 20-4 overall record, with the season coming to an end in the regional championship for the third season in a row after falling 82-40 against Estherville Lincoln Central in 2023 and 45-41 to Des Moines Christian in 2024.
Coach McLaughlin says his graduating seniors came into the program as freshmen expecting to win games.
Spirit Lake will be the seventh seed at the class 3A state tournament, as the Indians take on second seeded Wahlert Catholic on Monday night at 8:30 P.M.
