Jordan Bridges 14 points
Last season Farmington opened and closed its season with lopsided losses to Owatonna. Tuesday night, Dec. 1, in Owatonna, the Tigers got a little revenge.
Taylor Meyer combined for 32 points on 12 of 22 shooting to lead the Tigers to a 53-45 non-conference victory over the Huskies who had scored a 16-point win over Eagan in their season opener.
The victory also carried Section 1AA significance as Farmington and Owatonna figure to be among the top teams in the post-season tournament.
"This was a huge win for us," coach Jason Berg said. "Owatonna was probably the section favorite so to go to their place and win gives us an inside track for a top two seed."
The Tigers used solid defense and rebounding to build a 25-17 halftime lead.
"They have three girls who can shoot the three," Berg said, "and we held them to just two in the first half. We also took care of the ball with only five turnovers in the half."
Farmington kept its lead until six minutes remained when two free throws gave Owatonna a two-point edge at 40-38. The visitors responded with a 10-2 run to regain control only to have Owatonna make it a one possession game at 48-45.
That's when Meyer came up with the big play of the night. The 5-10 junior put back a missed free throw by Paige Steele with 1:05 remaining and was fouled. Her three-point play gave the Tigers a six-point edge and all but closed the door on the Huskies hopes.
Meyer not only led the Tigers in scoring with 18 points but also pulled down a team-high 13 rebounds for a statistical double-double. Bridges had 14 points, hitting five of 11 shots from the floor.
Guard Isis Alexander helped support the inside work of Meyer and Bridges with eight points, including a couple of clutch jumpers during the closing run.
Jamie Kenealy dished out a team-high four assists and Steele added three. Bridges came up with three steals.
The Tigers will be looking for another victory against Section 1AA competition Friday, Dec. 3, when they travel to Rochester for a game with Rochester John Marshall.
