—Photo by Tom Vogt St. Edmond’s Leah Neverman fights for a loose ball with Southeast Valley’s Haylee Welter in the Gael gym on Tuesday.

The Southeast Valley girls have shown a knack for finding ways to win here early in the season.

Behind strong fourth quarters from juniors Chloe Hicks and Emily Jaeschke, the Jaguars rallied to remain unbeaten Tuesday night, topping St. Edmond, 42-38.

Hicks finished with a team-high 11 points, while Jaeschke added 10, six of which came in the final eight minutes.

“In every game this year, I’ve been able to look at the girls during a timeout, ask them to execute and they have done it,” Southeast Valley head coach Kevin Mills said. “We’ve had that one big moment during each game and I’m so proud of them for that. We are learning from our mistakes and getting better.”

Jaeschke knocked down four free throws in the final two minutes as the Jaguars (4-0 overall) completed a rally after being down by as many as 10. Jaeschke also led the team with 10 rebounds, with Hicks grabbing six.

“Emily is a very coachable kid,” Mills said. “She is quiet, but very competitive. She might not show a lot of emotion on her face during the game, but she will battle.”

For the Gaels (0-3), Leah Neverman had 14 points with 15 rebounds and five blocked shots. All of those were career-highs for the junior.

Cambrie McBride added 12 points, seven rebounds and six steals, sinking three 3-pointers.

“It’s a growing process,” SEHS head coach Steve Neuberger said. “We haven’t been in a lot of close games or situations this year, but I feel like the girls really learned a lot about themselves.”

St. Edmond raced out of the gates, scoring 14 of the first 18 points to build a 10-point lead. The Jaguars, though, closed the quarter on a 6-0 spurt and continued to chip away at the deficit.

Hicks and Haylee Welter each hit triples in the second, with Welter’s 3-pointer giving Southeast Valley its first lead.

A putback basket by Neverman kick-started a 7-0 burst for the Gaels, who held a 24-20 lead at the break. Neverman had 10 in the opening half and McBride nine.

“Cambrie played aggressive and really put us on her back for a while there,” Neuberger said. “Leah also played really well. She battled some foul trouble, but was big on the glass and knocked down some shots.”

Southeast Valley went ahead for good with just over two minutes to go on a basket from Hicks, sealing the win at the line. The Jaguars were 13-for-21 at the charity stripe compared to 4 of 6 by the Gaels.

All four of Southeast Valley’s wins this year have been by single digits, as they have topped Ogden, Madrid, West Bend-Mallard and St. Edmond.

“We’ve really benefited from being in those close games,” Mills said. “We are learning from our mistakes and not repeating them.”

Next action for the Jaguars will be a trip to Emmetsburg on Friday, with the Gaels heading to Webster City that same night.

SOUTHEAST VALLEY 42, ST. EDMOND 38

Southeast Valley — Chloe Hicks 3-16 3-4 11, Jaynie Ferrari 0-7 0-0 0, Viatris Scott 1-4 1-2 3, Emily Jaeschke 1-6 8-11 10, Emily Hemmested 4-7 0-0 8, Shelby Mills 2-5 0-2 4, Haylee Welter 1-4 1-2 4, Allison Bethel 1-1 0-0 2, Sydney Carlson 0-2 0-0 0. Totals: 13-52 13-21 42.

St. Edmond — Avery Galles 0-4 0-0 0, Cambrie McBride 4-14 0-0 12, Emma Neverman 2-7 0-0 4, Leah Neverman 6-9 2-3 14, Gracie Harvey 1-6 2-3 4, Katie Flaherty 1-1 0-0 2, Emma Alstott 1-1 0-0 2. Totals: 15-42 4-6 38.

Quarter scores: St. Edmond led 14-10, 24-20, 29-28. Three-point goals: Southeast Valley 3-17 (Hicks 2, Welter), St. Edmond 3-13 (McBride 3). Total rebounds: Southeast Valley 29, St. Edmond 39. Steals: Southeast Valley 11, St. Edmond 8. Blocked shots: St. Edmond 6. Turnovers: Southeast Valley 18, St. Edmond 25.