Behind another strong performance from its eighth-grade guard, the Alden-Conger girls’ basketball team improved to 2-1 with a 58-34 win Friday at Madelia.

Erika Bute led the Knights with 27 points, nine rebounds, two assists, four steals and a block.

“She does a lot of everything,” said Alden-Conger head coach Jenny Hovendick. “She’s a very good 3-point shooter. Madelia played zone, and she took advantage of it. She was good in transition and at the free-throw line. She’ll even post up given the opportunity.”

On the season, Bute is averaging 24 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. She has been a sharpshooter from behind the arc, connecting on 10-of-22 attempts.

Senior forward Cassie Gilster added 17 points and was 4-of-6 from 3-point range.

Through the first three games, senior center Liesel Theusch leads the Knights in the paint with an average of nine rebounds per game. She had two points and three rebounds against Madelia.

After a 58-37 loss against Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton in its season opener, Alden-Conger won its next two games by a combined 42 points.

“We’ve been getting better at executing offensively,” Hovendick said. “It’s not like we’ve changed what we’re doing. We’re just making better choices, using better passing and shooting the ball better.”

Look for results from Alden-Conger’s game Saturday against Blooming Prairie in Monday’s Tribune.

Next, the Knights will host Mankato Loyola at 7:30 p.m. Thursday. The Crusaders (3-0 overall) qualified for the state tournament and posted a 28-4 overall record last season.