Huskies’ historic season comes to an end

Owatonna girls’ basketball saw its historic 2024-25 season that included a 17-game win streak and a top finish in the Big Nine Conference come to an end in Rochester last weekend after losing 54-45 to No. 2 Rochester Mayo.

The No. 6 Huskies entered the game with a 1-1 record against the Spartans, but found themselves trailing early and often.

Rochester Mayo was able to jump out to a 29-21 lead at halftime, largely controlling the pace of the game and denying the Huskies quality looks in the post.

Owatonna adjusted its offense to put up more three-point attempts than normal, but the shots just wouldn’t fall as the Huskies finished 4-19 from beyond the arch.

The second half saw Rochester Mayo build an 11-point lead and hold it for nearly the entirety of the second half before the Huskies mounted a late comeback effort.

Owatonna managed to get the score inside of 10 points, but had to begin fouling to stop the Spartans from running out the clock.

Unfortunately for Owatonna, Rochester Mayo was able to keep its distance on the scoreboard by nailing its free throw attempts to put the game away.

The loss officially ended the Huskies’ 2024-25 season.

Days prior, Owatonna traveled to No. 3 Lakeville South where the team earned a statement upset win.

The Huskies looked sharp early jumping out to a double-digit lead in the opening minutes thanks to some stellar ball movement.

The No. 6 Huskies were seen as an underdog on paper, but proved their seed didn’t define their skill.

Owatonna led by eight points at halftime but had to pull out a gutsy four-point win at 42-38 after the game was tied 38-38 with 1:45 remaining.

The Huskies second-half chances took a blow when senior forward Ava Olson fouled out of the game late, giving the Cougars a slight edge in the post.

However, Owatonna rallied together to hit some critical free throws and keep the Cougars off the board when it mattered most.

Forward Jersey Coleman came in clutch for the Huskies with a team-high 12 points to go with five rebounds and one assists.

Player Stats

vs. Rochester Mayo

                  P    R    A

Klecker       12   2    1

Pool           12   2    0

Stevens      8    0    1

Shornock    4    7    1

Coleman     4    5    1

Leckner       3    6    4

Olson         2    8    0

Fisher         0    3    1

Langlois      0    1    0