Watertown-Mayer has had to fight the flu bug the past couple weeks, so with a shorthanded bench and winded starting lineup, the Royals’ first loss of the season, against Orono on Dec. 10, was one they took on the chin.

“We had about half the team with (the flu) and we ended up breaking down from there,” Watertown-Mayer’s Claire Killian said. 

The Royals were faced with another test of their roster's fitness against a Hutchinson team that had put up  80 and 98 points in its last two games. 

Watertown-Mayer managed to hold the Tigers at bay for the first half, but the gap started closing in the second. After Hutchinson pulled within two points with eight minutes remaining, it was time for a gut check for the Royals, who responded by going on a 15-2 run to clinch a 67-50 win. 

“When the game got close we fought through the nervousness and attacked the basket at the end and did a nice job finishing even though a lot of the kids were running on empty,” Royals coach John Rosholt said. 

Killian was crucial for the Royals, ranked No. 9 in Class 2A by Minnesota Basketball News, as she scored 11 of her 27 points in the final five minutes. 

The Nebraska-Omaha commit found herself in foul trouble just two minutes into the second half, but never turned down her tenacious play. 

Killian and Monika Czinano, who finished with 17 for the Royals (5-1), proved to be dominant forces on the glass while Watertown-Mayer’s perimeter defense kept the No. 1-3A Tigers (4-2) uneasy around the arc. 

“A huge part of a team win is how we communicate with one-another and make sure we have eachother’s backs,” Killian said.

After bouncing back from the No. 8-3A Spartans with a win against a different highly-ranked Wright County Conference opponent, Killian said that Tuesday’s win is a launchpad for what’s to come.

"We’re on an uphill climb right now. The confidence from this game is going to help us a lot and if we can keep pushing each other and keep working towards where we need to be, we can be a great team,” Killian said.

Claire Killian posted a season-high 27 points to propel Watertown-Mayer to a 67-50 win over Wright County Conference foe Hutchinson Tuesday night at Watertown-Mayer High School.

Killian scored 11 points in a 15-2 run in the final five minutes of the game to ensure victory for the Royals (5-1), who are ranked No. 9 in Class 2A by Minnesota Basketball News.

Gabby Hahn had a team-high 13 points for No. 1-3A Hutchinson (4-2).