Comets (finally) soar past Black Hawk

Albany ends Black Hawk’s 65-game Six Rivers win streak, 0-for-32 series drought

Albany celebrates beating Black Hawk in girls basketball for the first time since 2007. The Comets upended the Warriors 57-36 on Jan. 25. For Black Hawk, it was the program’s first Six Rivers East Conference loss since 2016, a span of 65 games. - photo by By Thomas Gunnell

s012922_Albany-celly — Albany celebrates beating Black Hawk in girls basketball for the first time since 2007. The Comets upended the Warriors 57-36 on Jan. 25. For Black Hawk, it was the program’s first Six Rivers East Conference loss since 2016, a span of 65 games. - photo by By Thomas Gunnell

ALBANY — The hot-shooting Albany Comets used a strong overall performance to end Black Hawk’s 65-game Six Rivers East winning streak and tighten things up atop the conference standings.

The 57-36 victory also allowed the Comets (13-4 overall, 6-1 Six Rivers East) to snap a 32-game losing streak against the Warriors (11-5, 7-1) dating back to a 52-42 win over Black Hawk on Jan. 19, 2007.

Albany used 3s by Brianna Dahl, Payton Wachholz and McKenna Broughton to shoot out to a 15-11 lead on Black Hawk. After a 3 by Tatum Baumgartner brought the Warriors back within one at 15-14, the Comets charged off on a 9-0 run to open up a double-digit lead at 24-14. The Warriors got within seven twice on 3s by Tara Wellnitz and Kendra Haldiman, but the Comets struck right back with 3s by Wachholz and Dahl to maintain their double digit lead.

Dahl scored 14 points in the first half and Wachholz added nine on three 3s to put Albany in front 35-23 at the intermission.

The Comets opened the second half with a 12-6 run to go on top by 18 at 47-29 with just over 12 minutes left. Dahl and Wachholz swished treys during the run.

Albany senior Brianna Dahl launches a 3-pointer in the first half. Dahl, the Comets all-time leading scorer, finished the night with a game-high 21 points. - photo by By Thomas Gunnell

s012922_Brianna-Dahl — Albany senior Brianna Dahl launches a 3-pointer in the first half. Dahl, the Comets all-time leading scorer, finished the night with a game-high 21 points. - photo by By Thomas Gunnell

Wellnitz got herself into foul trouble by getting her third and fourth fouls a short time apart and had to go to the bench for awhile with 10 minutes to go. She returned when the Albany lead extended to 52-33 but soon fouled out.

Baumgartner ended a near six-minute scoring slump with a 3 with just over three minutes remaining to make it 54-36. Albany added free throws down the stretch after each team cleared their benches to pull away for a 57-36 win.

It was Black Hawk’s first conference loss since falling to Barneveld, 70-29, on Feb. 12, 2016.

Dahl had a double-double with 21 points and 10 rebounds. Wachholz finished with 12 points on four 3s and Alana Durtschi netted 10 along with a team-high six assists.

Wellnitz was lone Warrior in double figures with 12 points. Raylin Peterson chipped in with nine points, four rebounds, two assists and two steals, while Baumgartmer tallied eight points, two assists and three steals for Black Hawk.

Black Hawk’s Kendra Haldiman gets her shot blocked by Albany’s Gracie Freitag in the second half of their game Jan. 25. - photo by By Thomas Gunnell

s012922_haldiman — Black Hawk’s Kendra Haldiman gets her shot blocked by Albany’s Gracie Freitag in the second half of their game Jan. 25. - photo by By Thomas Gunnell

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