OSAKIS — The Osakis boys basketball team ran its winning streak to seven games by beating Upsala 61-33 on Tuesday.
The Silverstreaks (11-2) continue to dominate the Prairie Conference as they ran their record to 3-0 in league play. Osakis shot 52% from the field against the Cardinals (6-6).
“Great team defense in the second half allowed us to pull ahead for the win,” Osakis head coach Matt Hoelscher said. “Stewart (Jones) did an excellent job guarding (Upsala senior guard Levi) Lampert. (Carter) Watnaas was tremendous around the rim as he protected the basket and cleaned up the boards. Bauer (Klimek) shot well in the second half. Kyle (Mages) played great on both ends of the floor and Drew (Imdieke) did multiple things that make our team run smoothly, and Isaac (Maddock) and Mekai (Hoelscher) hit shots when they were open.”
Kyle Mages and Klimek both had a team-high 15 points. Imdieke added 7 assists, and Watnaas grabbed 15 rebounds to go with his 7 points. .
“We clamped down on their back cuts and forced them to make outside shots. That allowed us to get out in transition, which saved us tonight. Upsala guarded us well in the half court, but our speed and athleticism eventually got us easier looks at the rim.”
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Depth has guided Osakis all season long, and Hoelscher again liked the way all of his guys are finding ways to contribute.
"Grant (Mages) gave us great minutes as he’s starting to get back into the swing of things after being out last year with an injury," Hoelscher said. "He’s moving better and starting to grasp our schemes, which makes him tough to guard and he gives us another weapon out there defensively thanks to his size and athleticism. Brady (Mages) was able to use his size to grab big rebounds for us and get some tough baskets around the rim. He got into foul trouble and sat most of the game, but it’s great to have a guy like Carter who can fill that role when needed."
Osakis plays at Long Prairie-Grey Eagle (2-10) on Friday night at 7:15.
