UPSALA — The Osakis girls basketball team improved to 5-0 in the Prairie Conference and 10-4 overall after rolling over Upsala (6-9, 2-3 Prairie) in a 53-32 game on Thursday.
The Silverstreaks led 23-14 at the halftime break and continued to play well defensively. They outscored the Cardinals 30-18 over the final 18 minutes.
“I was really pleased with our defensive effort, making Upsala work hard for their shots,” Osakis head coach Pat Kalpin said. “We were able to contest shots and defend drives well. The little things we've been working on are starting to carry over into the games. Offensively, we were able to move the ball and get good shots versus an aggressive defense.”
Senior guards Alexis Johanson and Tessa Stanek both finished in double figures scoring as Johanson had 19 and Stanek finished with 12.
“The girls are learning to take what the defense gives instead of forcing things,” Kalpin said. “The basketball instinct of this group is improving daily with every practice and game. There are still and always will be things to work on, but we are making strides in the right direction. If we can continue this trend, we potentially could be playing our best basketball at the end of the season.
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“Individually, Alexis Johanson had a solid game scoring 19 points. She was able to get to the basket and play aggressively on both ends of the court. Mara VanNyhuis had a great defensive game, defending Upsala's leading scorer and holding her to 3 points. She also led us with 11 rebounds in the game."
Osakis hosts a Class AA program in Minnewaska tonight, Friday, at 7:15 with the Lakers coming to Osakis with an 8-6 record after beating Morris Area-Chokio-Alberta (5-9) 53-51 on Thursday.
UPSALA 14 18 - 32
OSAKIS 23 30 - 53
OSAKIS TOTALS - FG - 18-46; Three-point FG - 2-11; FT - 15-24; Rebounds - 27; Steals - 18; Turnovers - 14
OSAKIS - Tessa Stanek - 12 points, 3 rebounds, 2 steals; Mara VanNyhuis - 8 points, 11 rebounds, 2 steals; Alexis Johanson - 19 points, 7 rebounds, 3 steals; Hayleigh Niehoff - 8 points, 5 steals; Madeline Anderson - 2 steals; Carlee Muenzhuber - 1 point, 1 rebound, 2 steals; Taylor Dirkes - 2 points; Madi Collins - 1 point, 5 rebounds, 2 steals; Kiley Kranz - 2 points
Brandon-Evansville holds down LPGE
LONG PRAIRIE — Brandon-Evansville relied on a good defensive effort in beating Long Prairie-Grey Eagle in a 41-32 game on Thursday.
The Chargers got back to .500 with the win at 6-6, while the Thunder fell to 1-13.
“It was a physical game where we struggled to score for the majority of the game, but made some big plays down the stretch to earn a hard-fought road victory,” B-E head coach Zach Traphagen said. “Our three senior girls really stepped up for us. The final 5 minutes of the game came down to us securing rebounds and making free throws, and we did a very good job in both those aspects. Very proud of the resiliency our girls showed.”
The Chargers shot 41% overall. Olivia Otto had 18 points, and Kiley Lund added 12.
Brandon-Evansville hosts Hillcrest Lutheran Academy (4-6) in Evansville tonight, Friday, at 7:15.
LPGE 17 15 - 32
B-E 12 29 - 41
B-E TOTALS - FG - 13-31; Three-point FG - 2-9; FT - 13-22; Assists - 9; Blocks - 2; Rebounds - 23; Steals - 11; Deflections - 7; Turnovers - 22
B-E - Grace Otto - 4 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 deflection; Koep - 1 rebound; Olivia Otto - 18 points, 4 rebounds, 4 steals, 2 deflections; Sydney Schaefer - 5 points, 1 assist, 2 blocks, 4 rebounds; Kaytlyn Pattrin - 5 points, 4 assists, 4 rebounds; EmmaLee Brethorst - 1 point, 1 steal; Kylee Dingwall - 3 assists, 3 rebounds, 2 steals; Madison Anderson - 1 rebound, 1 deflection; Kiley Lund - 12 points, 1 assist, 2 rebounds, 2 steals, 2 deflections
Scores from Jan. 20, 2022
(Stats not yet available)
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Parkers Prairie (6-4) 47, Verndale (4-9) 41
Minnewaska (8-6) 53, Morris Area-Chokio-Alberta (5-9) 51
