Photo by Brennen Rupp Marshall’s Lenei Estrada shoots a jumper during their game against Waseca on Saturday. The Tigers fell to the Bluejays 60-52.

MARSHALL – The first five minutes of the second half proved to be the difference in the game between the Marshall Tigers and 10th-ranked Waseca on Saturday. At the half the Tigers trailed the Bluejays 30-25 and had the ball to start the second half. The Tigers were unable to get a look at the basket and the Bluejays promptly went on a 17-4 run to open up a 47-29 lead. The 18-point deficit was too much to overcome for the Tigers as they fell to Waseca, 60-52.

“The difference was the first five minutes of the second half,” Marshall coach Dan Westby said. “We just came out flat on both ends of the floor. That was the difference. Waseca is a very good team. I thought they did a good job of putting the ball on the floor and getting to the basket. There was just a stretch there in the second half where we didn’t do a good enough job of taking that away.”

Westby said the opening possession of the second half may have played a role in how the first five minutes of the second half played out.

“We got the ball to start the half and we didn’t even get a shot,” Westby said. “I think that weighed on us a little bit. I think that got us down a little bit. I thought Waseca just did a good job of getting to the basket and we didn’t defend it like we needed to.”

In the game’s opening minutes it was the Tigers that set the tone. Waseca scored on the opening possession, but the Tigers answered by scoring six unanswered points to go up 6-2.

“That’s something we had talked a lot about,” Westby said. “That’s something we haven’t seen a lot from our team. It was good to see us get out to a quick start. Hopefully that will continue now.”

The Bluejays finally got on the board again after going scoreless for nearly four minutes to make it a 6-5 game. With the game tied at 7-7, Lenei Estrada got one to go down to give the Tigers a 9-7 lead. An Estrada three-pointer put Marshall up 12-9.

A pair of Paige Andries free throws tied the game back up at 14. An Emily Meier free throw put Marshall up 15-14.

With the Tigers trailing 23-17, Jordyn Hilgemann knocked down a 3-pointer to trim the lead to 23-20 before Emily Meier scored five straight points for the Tigers to make it a 27-25 Waseca lead. The Bluejays knocked down a 3-pointer right before time expired to take a 30-25 lead into the locker room.

Waseca scored the first four points of the second half, before Hilgemann scored for the Tigers to make it a 34-27 game. Another Hilgemann basket made it 36-29. That’s when the Bluejays went on an 11-0 run to take a 47-29 lead.

Kaia Sueker then got hot from beyond the arc. The junior guard knocked down three straight three-pointers to keep the Tigers within striking distance at 52-38.

An Andries basket made it a 52-40 game. Hilgemann put one in to make it a 54-44 game. Another Hilgemann basket got the Tigers back under single digits at 56-48. Unfortunately for the Tigers, eight points would be as close as they would get.

“I thought our kids did a great job of battling,” Westby said. “They fought hard. We were able to knock down some baskets at critical times.”

Hilgemann finished the game with 19 points. Emily Meier finished with 10 points and five rebounds. Sueker scored nine points and Estrada finished with eight points.

The loss snaps Marshall’s seven-game winning streak and brings their record to 13-4 overall. They’ll look to start a new winning streak on Tuesday against Redwood Valley.

“We have two road games this week,” Westby said. “We can’t afford to come out flat in either one of those games.

Waseca 30 30-60

Marshall 25 27-52

SCORING: Marshall 19-45, 42 percent (Hilgemann 9-19, 0-0 19; E. Meier 3-7, 4-6 10; Sueker 3-7, 0-0 9; Estrada 3-10, 1-2 8; Andries 1-1, 2-4 4; H. Meier 0-0, 2-2 2).

3-POINT FGS: Marshall 5-17, 29 percent (Sueker 3; Estrada, Hilgemann 1).

REBOUNDS: Marshall 13 (E. Meier 5; Hilgemann, Sueker 3).

ASSISTS: Marshall 13 (Estrada 4; Hilgemann 3; Sueker 2).

STEALS: Marshall 7 (E. Meier, Estrada 2).

BLOCKS: Marshall none.

FOULS: Marshall 17.

TURNOVERS: Marshall 11.