—Messenger photo by Britt Kudla Humboldt’s Jori Hajek goes to the basket against St. Edmond’s Katie Flaherty Friday night. For more photos, visit CU at messengernews.net

The Humboldt girls used a big fourth quarter to reach the .500 mark on the season here Friday night, downing St. Edmond 53-38.

Jori Hajek scored 14, Mady Lange added 13 and Kendal Clark chipped in nine for the Wildcats (4-4 overall, 2-3 in North Central Conference).

For the Gaels (0-7, 0-5), Cambrie McBride had a game-high 15 points and Leah Neverman added 11 points with 12 rebounds, three blocks and three steals.

“This is always a tough place to play,” Humboldt head coach Rodd Mooney said. “Long Christmas breaks, you never know what the team will look like coming out of that. I thought we had some good practices over Christmas.

“It’s always good to get a conference win and I thought the girls responded to the challenges we gave them in the huddles.”

The Wildcats scored the first seven points of the evening, and led by 14 early in the second period before St. Edmond would cut the deficit to five.

“We just couldn’t get over the hump,” SEHS head coach Steve Neuberger said. “We tried to do some different things to take advantage of our strengths, but credit Humboldt because they were able to counter us.”

Neverman scored the first nine points for the Gaels to open the second half, and McBride knocked down a 3-pointer to make it a 31-26 deficit. However, Lange hit a bucket at the buzzer that kick-started a run that gave Humboldt a 15-point cushion with three minutes to go.

Hajek, Lange and Clark combined for 23 points in the second half, as Clark also grabbed nine rebounds. Hajek recorded six of the 12 team steals for the Wildcats.

“We moved the ball better,” Mooney said. “Once we did that and started probing the zone, we started finding easier looks. On defense, we just wanted to be solid and limit their second-chance points.”

Neverman had her third double-double of the season and fourth game with double-digit rebounds.

Humboldt has a three-game week ahead, starting Monday at Garner-Hayfield/Ventura. The Gaels head to Clarion-Goldfield/Dows next Friday night.

HUMBOLDT 53, ST. EDMOND 38

Humboldt — Jori Hajek 6-16 1-3 14, Bae Arnold 2-8 1-2 6, Jayda Hoefer 2-5 0-0 5, Mady Lange 5-11 3-6 13, Kendal Clark 4-7 1-2 9, Lily Groat 2-2 1-2 6, Marissa Kaufman 0-0 0-0 0, Joie Smith 0-2 0-0 0, Emily Zaugg 0-0 0-0 0, Emily Knight 0-0 0-0 0, Kaylee Shaner 0-1 0-0 0, Deni McDaniel 0-1 0-0 0. Totals: 21-53 7-15 53.

St. Edmond — Avery Galles 0-0 0-0 0, Kelli Kersten 2-2 0-0 4, Cambrie McBride 6-14 2-4 15, Leah Neverman 4-6 2-2 11, Gracie Harvey 1-4 2-2 5, Katie Flaherty 1-3 0-1 2, Aubrey Bemrich 0-1 1-2 1, Emma Neverman 0-0 0-0 0, Emma Alstott 0-1 0-0 0. Totals: 14-31 7-13 38.

Quarter scores: Humboldt led 14-7, 25-17, 39-28. Three-point goals: Humboldt 4-15 (Hajek, Arnold, Hoefer, Groat); St. Edmond 3-7 (McBride, L. Neverman, Harvey). Total rebounds: Humboldt 24, St. Edmond 27. Steals: Humboldt 12, St. Edmond 6. Blocked shots: Humboldt 2, St. Edmond 3. Turnovers: Humboldt 13, St. Edmond 29.