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New Ulm knocks off Fairmont in Big South Conference play

By Kassondra Burtis, SportsEngine, 02/09/17, 7:00AM CST

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Meleah Reinhart, the state's leading scorer, recorded 30 points in the Eagles' 51-45 win.



New Ulm's Meleah Reinhart (1) looks for an angle against Fairmont's Lexi Lunn (3). Reinhart, the state's leading scorer, had 30 points in a 51-45 victory Thursday night. Photo by Greg Abel, Greg Abel Photography



Entering the 2013-2014 girls basketball season, then-freshman Meleah Reinhart didn’t know what to expect; the Eagles hadn’t recorded a win in the previous two seasons. Fast forward three years, and the senior now leads the state in scoring on a 19-4 team eyeing a post-season run.

“That first win my freshman year was probably my favorite basketball memory because it changed the program for us,” Reinhart said. 

Reinhart has scored 648 points this season, almost 100 more than the state’s second-leading scorer, and averages 28.2 points per game. She has scored a season-high 40 points in two games this season – in an 82-74 win over St. Peter on Dec. 3, and in a 74-62 loss to Waseca one month later. On Thursday night, she led New Ulm to a 51-45 Big South Conference win over Fairmont, scoring 30 points.

Reinhart attributes her success to the seemingly never-ending basketball workouts. “I play AAU in the summer and we have a summer league for our team,” Reinhart said. “There’s no offseason for us, really.”

Head coach Dan Reinhart, who is also Meleah’s father, knows it’s something special to have the state’s leading scorer on his team. Balancing the coach/father relationship isn’t always easy, but Coach Reinhart said that the basketball talk doesn’t happen at home unless Meleah asks to go to the gym – which is often. Having coached his daughter in traveling leagues since kindergarten, Coach Reinhart has been able to watch Meleah’s growth firsthand, not only in games but in practices as well.

“For her first couple years of her career she was a driver, an attacker,” Coach Reinhart said. “She’s really improved her ability to shoot and she’s stepped up this year in scoring. It’s nice as a coach to have a player who you can count of for 25 or 30 points.”

Meleah knows that it’s special to have spent so many years playing for her father. “My dad has for sure been my biggest inspiration,” Meleah said. “I used to hang out in the gym back when he coached for St. James. He’s pushed me to be my best and is hardest on me, but it only makes me better.”

While leading the state in scoring can come with its share of pressure on game nights, Reinhart accepts the challenge and enjoys being someone her team can count on. “It’s been a big step up from last year, and knowing that I can step on the floor and be able to score that much for the team, it just feels awesome,” Meleah said.

Meleah has committed to playing basketball at Southwest Minnesota State in Marshall and is excited for the opportunity to add value to the team right away.

Despite the dedication to basketball, Meleah knows how to keep things light. Coach Reinhart pointed Meleah out as the best prankster on the team.

“The best prank is where we get a teammate on the floor of the bus and we spray water on their face,” Reinhart said. “That’s pretty much one of the best ones. That, and holding them down so they can’t get up. It’s just funny.”


First Report

New Ulm (19-4, 10-2) rode senior Meleah Reinhart’s 30 points to a 51-45 win over Fairmont (9-12, 6-9) in a Big South Conference matchup in Fairmont on Thursday evening. 

Reinhart is the state’s leading scorer and entered the game with an average of 28.1 points per game and 618 points overall. The Eagles started the game third in the conference standings with a 9-2 record, three games back from the lead. Reinhart scored 17 of her points in the first half, leading New Ulm into the second half up 31-24.

Brenna Cutler led the offense for Fairmont, scoring 11 points. Abby Dewitt and Claire Cutler each added eight.

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