Knights Girls Basketball Cruises to Win, Raises Thousands on Coaches vs. Cancer Night

Consider Coaches vs. Cancer Night a success on all levels for the 10th-ranked St. Michael-Albertville girls' basketball team. 

Coach Kent Hamre's team dominated from start to finish against the Monticello Magic, who are ranked No. 8 in Class 3A, one class lower than the Knights. 

Senior Natalie VanWyhe led the Knights with 18 points, six assists, six steals and a handful of rebounds as the STMA girls trailed only once in a 64-51 win. 

Mackenzie Bebo added 15 and had three blocks. Erin Autio scored 11 and pulled down rebounds. 

But it was a bigger number - nearly $4,000 - that mattered to Hamre and the Knights. 

" [We raised] $3956.80 for the Juntunen and Purohit families. [STMA Middle School West students] Aly and Tyler took part in the pregame line-ups, drew the winning raffle and 50/50 tickets at halftime, and participated in a prayer with the players and coaches from both teams after the game, " Hamre reported Tuesday. 

The Knights girls have participated in the Coaches vs. Cancer campaign for the last three seasons. Last year, the team dedicated its home game vs. Buffalo to sophomore Luke Letellier, mere days before he lost his fight with the disease. 

"Both families [Tuesday] were very appreciative of all the support that was shown for them and the awareness raised for childhood cancer," Hamre wrote in a release to Patch. "In this past 3 years we have raised and donated $10,196.91 to four local families affected by this devastating disease! The support of this community is truly amazing." 

The Knights, now 13-3 overall, have won six straight. They travel to Big Lake Friday night for a Mississippi 8 Conference tilt.