The Northwood-Kensett and Lake Mills girls’ basketball teams squared off in a Top of Iowa Conference battle Saturday afternoon in Northwood.

Despite trailing by a small margin at halftime, the Bulldogs came back to top the Vikings in a one-point thriller, 41-40.

Lake Mills struggled offensively in the first half, scoring just 12 points and turning the ball over 11 times. Northwood-Kensett jumped out to a lead in the first half, thanks in large part to sharing of the ball.

Six Vikings scored in the first half, none of them scoring more than four points. The Vikings went to the halftime break with a 18-12 lead over the Bulldogs.

Both offenses picked up in the second half of play, however, and leading the charge was Lake Mills senior Hannah Hanson, who picked up nine points in the half.

The run was just enough to push the Bulldogs past the Vikings, grabbing their sixth win of the season. The Bulldogs were led by Hanson with 13 points, with junior Jessa Gasteiger not far behind with nine. Junior Kate Groe and sophomore Taylor Ingledue also made a big contribution to the win, combing for 18 rebounds.

The Bulldogs move up to 6-9 on the season and will play again Friday, when they travel to Garner-Hayfield/Ventura to take on the 7-8 Cardinals.

The Vikings were led by senior Laura Hopperstand and junior Lindsey Davidson, who each had 10 points. Junior Clara Davidson was right behind with nine points. The Vikings are now 3-12 on the season and will be back on the court Thursday when they host the 5-9 Panthers of Central Springs.