For just the second time this season, and the first time in 2026, the Ellsworth girls’ basketball team was back in the friendly confines of the Bearcat gymnasium Jan. 8, as they played host to the Republic County Buffaloes.

Republic County scored first in the contest, claiming an early 3-0 lead, but found that Ellsworth would match their 3 with a 3-ball of their own as senior Lainey Peschka connected from outside the arc as the shot clock sounded to tie the game at 3-3. Republic County then followed up with a power move to the basket, reclaiming the lead at 5-3.

After coming up empty on their next three possessions, sophomore Kinley Place grabbed a defensive rebound and found Peschka for another 3-pointer, giving the Bearcats their first lead of the game and igniting a 7-0 run.

The Buffaloes, however, managed one more 3-pointer before the opening quarter came to a close with a 10-8 Ellsworth lead.

The Bearcats started the scoring right away in the second quarter as senior Josie Kueser scored on Ellsworth’s first possession, marking the beginning of an 8-0 Bearcat run as Ellsworth outscored Republic County 12-7 in the second period to take a 22-15 lead into the locker room at halftime.

The Bearcats came out strong in the second half, using runs of 6-0 and 7-0 to outscore Republic County 23-11 in the third quarter to take a 45-26 advantage, and their biggest lead so far, into the fourth and final frame.

Ellsworth also outscored Republic County in the fourth quarter 14-5 as the Bearcat reserves closed out the game and preserved the 59-31 victory.

Peschka led the Bearcat scorers with 15 points, followed by senior Lexi Moore with 9 points, while seniors Elyse Haxton and Kelli Rodriguez each added 7 points to their resumes.

With the win over Republic County, the Bearcats advance their record to 5-2 overall, including a 3-1 NCAA league record.

They travel to Beloit Jan. 13 before hosting Sacred Heart Jan. 16.