HAMPTON — One night after taking a nasty fall and leaving the game early, Hunter Horn returned to the court and helped the eighth-ranked (Class 1A) St. Edmond boys post a convincing 72-43 victory over Hampton-Dumont/CAL here Friday night.

Horn, who scored 22 to lead the Gaels, suffered an ankle injury Thursday in a win over West Bend-Mallard.

“I was pretty shocked that we had him out there,” SEHS head coach Adolph Kochendorfer said. “In my mind, we were already preparing to play without him, but his dad (Iowa Central head trainer Guy Horn) worked on the ankle and got the bruising out and the swelling down. He taped him up and we ran him through drills to make sure he wasn’t hurting.”

St. Edmond (15-2 overall, 9-2 in North Central Conference) raced out to an early 17-6 lead. Jakob Koopman added 18 points and Jack McElroy 11 for the Gaels, who have won nine in a row.

“Jakob and Jack really had great games,” Kochendorfer said. “Hunter did a tremendous job rebounding and Jack had a bunch of assists.

“I thought Carson (Bargfrede) came in and really defended Brady Harr (Hampton-Dumont/CAL’s leading scorer) well in the second half.”

After the Bulldogs (3-13, 1-9) cut the deficit down to 13 at the break, St. Edmond outscored them in the third, 20-8.

“We talk about how important those first few minutes in the second half are,” Kochendorfer said. “We’ve done a great job lately of controlling that.”

The Gaels host Humboldt on Tuesday, head to Pocahontas Area on Thursday and are back home to face No. 1 (3A) Clear Lake next Friday.

ST. EDMOND 72,

HAMPTON-DUMONT/CAL 43

St. Edmond — Andrew Clavey 6, Jakob Koopman 18, Jack McElroy 11, Grant Galles 3, Ty Mericle 5, Jackson Calvert 2, Thomas Ehn 2, Hunter Horn 22, Carson Bargfrede 1, Jacob Nieland 2.

Hampton-Dumont/CAL — Horton 8, Hayden Kem 2, Caden Woods 10, Hunter Riecken 2, Wyatt Dean 3, Brady Harr 18.

Quarter scores: St. Edmond led 17-6, 35-22, 55-30.