CLEAR LAKE — The St. Edmond boys showed they can play with anybody here Friday night.

But a tough stretch in the fourth quarter allowed second-ranked (Class 3A) Clear Lake to deal the No. 1 (1A) Gaels their first loss of the season, 62-48.

The Lions (7-0 overall, 4-0 in North Central Conference) held St. Edmond (7-1, 5-1) without a point for a four-minute stretch of the final period, using a 10-0 run to take control of a game that was tied at 43-all with 6:40 to play.

“We competed, we just didn’t come out ready in the third quarter,” SEHS head coach Adolph Kochendorfer said. “We knew they would throw a press on us and we didn’t handle it well, but you don’t learn how to react in those situations until you are in them.

“This was a good game for us that showed what we need to eliminate to get better.”

Hunter Horn scored 21 points to lead the Gaels, including eight consecutive at one point in the third quarter. Carson Bargfrede added nine and Grant Galles eight.

St. Edmond took a 27-24 lead at the half, as Clear Lake came out of the break on an 11-0 run to go up by eight. The Gaels would answer back, cutting the deficit down to 43-38 after a three-point play by Galles.

Koopman put St. Edmond up 43-41 with a three-point play of his own to start the scoring in the fourth, but a second technical foul called on the Gaels led to a five-point swing and turned the momentum.

“We saw the kind of physical play that we’ll see in the postseason,” Kochendorfer said. “We’ve got to clean up our mistakes and we will. These kids know what they need to do to get better.”

For the Lions, Jaxson McIntire scored 15, Carson Riser had 13 and Trevor Theobald chipped in 12.

Up next for St. Edmond will be a pair of home non-conference games against Eagle Grove on Monday and Manson Northwest Webster on Thursday.

CLEAR LAKE 62, ST. EDMOND 48

St. Edmond — Hunter Horn 21, Carson Bargfrede 9, Grant Galles 8, Jack McElroy 5, Jakob Koopman 5.

Clear Lake — Jaxson McIntire 15, Carson Riser 13, Trevor Theobald 12, Coby Orte 6, Bradyn Watkins 4, Gage Larson 3, Dylan Plagge 3.

Quarter scores: St. Edmond led 16-14, 27-24; Clear Lake led 43-38.