Staff photo by Travis Rosenau Minnesota Valley Lutheran’s Avery Hahn (21) goes up for a layup during a nonconference girls basketball game against Mankato Loyola on Tuesday at MVL’s Storm Fieldhouse.

NEW ULM — After five wins over the last two seasons combined for the Minnesota Valley Lutheran girls basketball team, most people likely didn’t have a 5-0 start to the 2024-25 season for the Chargers girls on their bingo cards.

But behind sophomore forwards Ziva Zahrt and Avery Hahn, the Chargers hit that 5-0 start to the new season on Tuesday night with a 51-46 nonconference win over the Mankato Loyola Crusaders at Storm Fieldhouse.

Zahrt finished with a team-high 16 points to go with eight rebounds and four steals, while Hahn added 12 points, 10 rebounds and two steals.

MVL, which trailed by as much as 9 in the second half, started a comeback that was spearheaded by Zahrt, who hit two free throws before scoring on a bucket inside and an elbow jumper to bring the Chargers within 2, 41-39.

“We have really good chemistry, so that really helps,” Zahrt said. “And just doing our best to just post up, it really helps, too, just trying to help our guards because there’s like a tower of trees. So we have to kind of just help out as best as we can and try not to get in their way, too.”

After Zahrt’s big plays, it was Hahn’s turn. After grabbing an offensive rebound, Hahn went back up with it and converted on her shot while drawing a foul, tying the game and giving MVL the chance to take the lead at the foul line. Hahn sank her free throw, putting MVL up 41-40 with 4:17 to play.

“I was really just like, ‘We really need these points but I can’t just be crazy about it,'” Hahn said of her lead-taking free throw. “I was just thinking of my basics and how I would shoot in practice, how I would do this if there was no one in the gym.”

Hahn continued making plays after that moments later. Natalie Matzke found Hahn with a bounce pass under the hoop, who then scored again inside for a 44-41 MVL lead.

The Chargers were then dealt a tough blow as their starting point guard Avery Freier, who finished with 10 points, seven assists and four rebounds, fouled out with 3:10 left to play. Not quick to panic, Matzke split the defense for a driving layup and her first basket of the game to put MVL up 46-41.

Sammy Kann, who led Loyola with 17 points, scored inside to get Loyola back on the board, but Hahn converted another and-one to put MVL up 49-43. Kann hit another 3, but the Crusaders were forced to foul Jess Meunier with 2.6 seconds left.

Meunier, who was left out of the scoring column to this point, calmly sank both free throws and sealed the Chargers’ win.

“I think any coach is going to be secretly nervous in those situations, but they continue to show me that they’re ready for these big moments,” MVL head coach Hailey Santos said. “Beyond impressed, especially with the sophomore class’s ability to step up and be big contributors to varsity games that really matter down at the end of the game. … Ziva and Avery [Hahn] did a great job on the boards in the final minutes of the game, Jess Meunier hitting those free throws at the end and stepping up in a big way offensively.

“They’re so composed in that no point are they ever panicked. They know that we have work to do, but we’ve really been emphasizing one possession at a time. I think we were down by 9 at one point and that was the biggest deficit, just telling them, ‘Don’t get overwhelmed by that amount and make it bit by bit,’ and the girls really got it done on the defensive end today and turned it into points on the other end.”

The Chargers never trailed by more than 7 in the first half and cut their deficit to 24-23 after Freier found Olivia Hammer for an open 3. Hammer finished with 8 points.

Loyola got a quick bucket back after the 3 to lead 26-23 at halftime.

Maddie Huiras added 14 points for Loyola.

Hahn said she’s happy to start the year out 5-0 and that the young Chargers, who feature eight sophomores on varsity, have leaned on each other well so far.

“I’m really excited about it,” Hahn said. “I think we work really good together, too. Especially since we’re so young, it’s nice that we’re starting higher up so that we can work together and work on our chemistry through all the years and seasons. I like how we stay composed and calm and it’s like we help each other out, too. So when someone’s doing bad, we’ll balance each other out.”

The Chargers now prepare for New Ulm Cathedral at 6 p.m. on Friday, while Loyola (3-3) hosts Madelia at 7 p.m. Friday.