Getting an opportunity to play at the Target Center in Minneapolis -- the home of the Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx -- was already going to be a fun opportunity for the Osakis girls basketball team on Jan. 8.
The Silverstreaks added to that by winning a tight 43-40 final over Melrose and seeing senior guard Alexis Johanson score her 1,000th career point.
“This is a great accomplishment for her and pretty cool that she was able to do this at the Target Center,” Osakis head coach Pat Kalpin said.
Johanson had 16 points to go with 5 rebounds, 3 steals and 6 defensive deflections. Tessa Stanek and Mara VanNyhuis also had 9 points each.
“This was a really fun experience for the team,” Kalpin said. “Getting to play a game there is a great opportunity for our school and community. Being able to pull out a win was a tough task versus a gritty Melrose team. In the first half, we weren't able to get into any offensive rhythm. Melrose does a nice job of closing down the passing lanes and taking away the driving lanes. They forced us into taking some tough shots and forcing too many first-half turnovers. Defensively, we struggled to take away the middle drives, which gave them too many easy scoring opportunities.”
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Melrose (1-10) held a 26-16 lead at halftime and extended that lead to 14 midway through the second half.
“We made some defensive adjustments, were able to get some stops and then get some key buckets during this run to get back into the game,” Kalpin said. “We were down 38-34 with 4 minutes left. A runner in the paint by Alexis Johanson pulled us within two with approximately 3 minutes left.”
The Silverstreaks (7-3) got a defensive stop and a bucket by Stanek to tie the game at 38. Melrose responded with a basket on its next possession to lead 40-38, but Carlee Muenzhuber tied it back up for Osakis with a baseline jump shot with less than a minute left.
“We had a great defensive possession and a big steal by Mara VanNyhuis, which led to a 2-on-1 break where she hit Tessa Stanek for a basket where she was also fouled,” Kalpin said. “(Stanek) made the free throw to put us up 3 with 17 seconds left. We ended the game with an Alexis Johanson steal to seal the win. This was a hard-fought game, where we took our only lead with 17 seconds left. The girls didn't give up and played hard right to the end.”
OSAKIS 16 27 - 43
MELROSE 26 14 - 40
TOTALS - OSAKIS - FG - 17-49; Three-point FG - 2-13; FT - 7-12; Rebounds - 27; Assists - 9; Deflections - 18; Steals - 10; Turnovers - 15; MELROSE - FG - 17-45; Three-point FG - 1-15; FT - 5-9; Rebounds - 34; Assists - 12; Turnovers - 23
OSAKIS - Tessa Stanek - 9 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 5 deflections, 1 steal; Lexi Spychalla - 1 rebound, 1 assist, 1 deflection, 1 steal; Mara VanNyhuis - 9 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals; Alexis Johanson - 16 points, 5 rebounds, 6 deflections, 3 steals; Lexi Klimek - 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 deflection; Hayleigh Niehoff - 2 points, 2 rebounds; Carlee Muenzhuber - 4 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 4 deflections, 1 steal; Kiley Kranz - 3 points, 3 rebounds, 1 deflection, 1 steal
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MELROSE SCORING - Avery Van Beck - 2; Brooke Finken - 4; Kaydence Bertram - 4; Jazmin Finken - 2; Ria Nelson - 6; Madi Stusse - 5; Paige Gruber - 17