Eagles basketball begins the new year

ST. JOHN - The St. John-Endicott/LaCrosse (SJEL) Eagles boys and girls basketball team opened 2025 with games against the Valley Christian Panthers, Tekoa-Rosalia Timberwolves and Dayton Bulldogs.

The boys fell to Valley Christian, 52-42, and went on to defeat the Timberwolves, 67-40, and the Bulldogs, 61-52. The girls fell against the Panthers, 56-17, the Timberwolves, 64-13, and Dayton, 60-13.

Boys win 2, lose 1

Against the Panthers on Thursday, Jan. 2, it was a slow game to start as Valley Christian reached seven points to end the first quarter and the Eagles scored two.

At halftime the Panthers led, 20-9. The Eagles started the second half making gains as they scored 17 points in the third quarter to the Panthers' 14. SJEL kept pace in the final quarter, scoring 16 points with Valley Christian scoring 18, but the deficit was too much and the Panthers won the game.

Against the Timberwolves on Friday, Jan. 3, the Eagles flew to a 22-9 lead to end the first quarter. Tekoa-Rosalia gained a few points back, scoring 11 points in the second while holding SJEL to nine. At halftime, the Eagles led, 29-20.

The Eagles increased their lead in the third quarter, scoring 17 points with the Timberwolves scoring 12. The fourth quarter was SJEL's best defensively, holding Tekoa-Rosalia to eight points while the Eagles offense notched 21 to get the win.

Against Dayton on Saturday, Jan. 4, the Eagles gained a slight 17-14 lead to end the first quarter. At halftime, SJEL led 31-25. The Eagles increased their lead in the third quarter, scoring 16 points with Dayting notching 12. In the final frame, Dayton gained a point back, scoring 15 points with SJEL adding 14 to the scoreboard for the win.

Bear Brewer was a scoring machine, leading the Eagles with 29 points on 11 field goals, three of them 3-pointers, and shooting 4-for-7 from the free-throw line. Brewer added four rebounds, seven steals and four assists on the night.

Brody Fleming scored 14 points for the Eagles on five field goals (two 3-pointers) and hitting two free throws. Ty Pierson scored six points, hitting two 3-pointers.

Girls go winless

For the game against Valley Christian on Thursday, the Panthers pounced to a 21-5 lead to end the first quarter. By halftime, Valley Christian led, 37-7, and built a 48-12 lead at the end of the third quarter.

With SJEL scoring five points in the final frame and the Panthers scoring 8, Valley Christian came away with the win.

Against Tekoa-Rosalia on Friday, the Timberwolves took an 18-4 lead to end the first quarter and were ahead 32-8 at halftime. At the end of the third quarter, the Timberwolves led 50-10. With SJEL scoring three points in the fourth quarter and Tekoa-Rosalia scoring 14, the Timberwolves won the game.

Playing their third game in three days, the Eagles took on the Dayton Bulldogs on Saturday.

The Bulldogs led 22-2 at the end of the first quarter and held a 33-6 lead at halftime. SJEL scored two points in the third and improved to scoring five points in the fourth, while Dayton scored 11 in the third and 16 in the fourth.

Loren Loomis led the Eagles scoring five points, with Catalina Torres and Chloe Waddel each scoring four. SJEL went 5-for-10 at the free-throw line for 50% at the line.

Next up for the Eagles will be to take on the Pomeroy Pirates in away games on Friday, Jan. 10. The girls game will begin at 5:30 p.m. with the boys game to follow at 7 p.m.

SJEL will then return home the next day, Saturday, Jan. 11, against the Oakesdale Nighthawks in LaCrosse. The girls will start at 4 p.m. and the boys will start at 5:30 p.m.