Junior guard Tori Wortz led Hutchinson with 12 points in a 50-36 loss to Orono on the road. Photo by Rick Orndorf

While the Orono girls' basketball team is known for its high-level play, it was a halftime event on Tuesday night that Spartans coach Ellen Wiese hoped would show something different about her program.

"We have high aspirations for what we want to do basketball-wise," Wiese said. "I hope somebody is noticing what amazing young women they are."

The halftime event was a Unified Sports basketball game, one of many events organized by a student-run group and sponsored by Special Olympics that helps kids with disabilities compete in athletics.

Orono High School was recently featured on the Special Olympics Minnesota Facebook page for its work in promoting Unified Sports. Many of the Spartans' basketball players are coaches for various Unified teams, including senior Danielle Jorgenson.

"The Unified program is a huge deal at our school," Jorgenson said. "Hannah (Striggow) and I coach for our team. It's such a blast."

During halftime it was Unified Navy versus Unified White, and the crowd roared whenever a basket was scored, even adding groans as shots went a tad short or long.

Wiese said the Spartans insisted they leave the locker room early to catch the remaining minutes of the halftime game.

"You can't coach that," Wiese said.

Jorgenson was driven to be a part of Unified Sports after working with a special needs student at her old school, Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Community, and her leadership with the group parallels what she does on the court for Orono.

"I ask an awful lot of her," Wiese said. 

Jorgenson, who's affectionately called "Dolly" by her team, has surpassed 1,000 career points and holds the program's steals record as the regular season winds down in her senior year.

Having already committed to Cornell, where Jorgenson intends to study biomedical engineering, she has two goals left to accomplish before her high school career is over.

"Getting back to the state tournament and getting to that championship game," Jorgenson said. "It's been our goal all season."

Following a 50-36 win over Hutchinson Tuesday, when Jorgenson had 14 points, Dolly lingered on the court to greet a pair of fifth graders who wore shirts that said "Dolly's number one fans."

"She's that good of a person," Wiese said.

First Report

Junior guard Tori Andrew led Orono with 16 points as the Spartans picked up a 50-36 home win over Wright County Conference foe Hutchinson on Tuesday night.

Orono (21-3, 9-0), ranked No. 1 in Class 3A by Minnesota Basketball News, also received 14 points from senior and Cornell commit Danielle Jorgenson. 

The Spartans led 24-14 at the half, but the No. 4-3A Tigers (18-4, 5-3) clawed their way back and came within three points with 7:11 to play, but Orono closed out the game on a 17-6 run to pick up the victory.

Junior guard Tori Wortz led Hutchinson with 12 points.

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