The Minnewaska Area boys basketball team had a pair of tough games last week.  The Lakers fell to 0-6 overall, losing at home to Morris Area-CA last Monday night, 69-31, and also losing at Paynesville Area, last Tuesday, 69-30.  Hunter Kloos led the Lakers during the loss to Morris with 15 points, while Tenzin Dahl had 11 points and eight rebounds to lead Minnewaska against Paynesville.

The 31 and 30 points scored were season lows for the Lakers, who were also set to play at BBE, Thursday, but that game was postponed due to Tuesday, Jan. 17 due to weather.

Minnewaska was set to close out the 2022 portion of its schedule at the Howard Lake-WW Holiday Tourney, Dec. 28-29.  The next home game is set for Saturday, Jan. 7 against Pipestone.

Morris Area 69, Waska 31

The Lakers were never in the game against Morris Area-CA last Tuesday night.  Minnewaska Area didn’t score its first points until 4:10 had passed in the game.  Hunter Kloos’ 3-pointer cut an early deficit to 9-3, but the Lakers didn’t score again for 3:22 when Tenzin Dahl’s two free-throws made the score 14-5.

Morris Area led 23-7 with 6:25 left in the first half when Kloos hit another 3-pointer.  Kloos had six more points the rest of the first half and had 15 points for the game, but no other Laker had more than four.

Morris Area ended the first half with a 40-16 lead and then outscored the Lakers 29-15 in the second half to complete the dominating win.

Kloos had two rebounds and three steals to go along with his 15 points, while PJ Johnson added four points and five boards, and Blake Andreas, Alex Panitzke, PJ Johnson, James Ward, Dylan Alexander and Tenzin Dahl each had two points.

The Lakers shot a dismal 22 percent from the field (11-for-50), including 3-of-21 from three-point range.  Minnewaska Area was also 6-of-7 from the line.

Ninth-grader Riley Asmus led the Tigers with 17 points.  Three Tigers scored in double figures and 10 players in all had at least one point for Morris Area.

Paynesville 69, Waska 30

In a game eerily similar to the loss to Morris Area two nights earlier, the Lakers fell to 0-6 with a 69-30 loss at Paynesville Area, Thursday.  The Lakers trailed 40-15 at halftime before the Bulldogs outscored the Lakers 29-15 in the second half for a 69-30 non-conference win.

Those numbers were almost exactly the same as the loss to the Tigers, who beat the Lakers 69-31.

Tenzin Dahl and Hunter Kloos combined for 21 points and 13 rebounds to lead the Lakers against Paynesville.  Dahl had game-highs of 11 points and eight rebounds, while Kloos added 10 points, five rebounds, two assists, five steals and two blocked shots.  The Lakers shot 25 percent from the field (11-for-44), including just 3-of-22 from long range.  Minnewaska Area, which turned the ball over 27 times, also was 5-of-10 from the charity stripe.

Morris Area 69, Waska 31

Morris-CA 40 29 — 69

Waska (0-5) 16 15 — 31

WASKA stats: 11-50 FG (3-21 3pt); 6-7 FT; 6 assists; 21 rebounds; 8 steals; 14 fouls; 14 turnovers . . . Scoring:   Hunter Kloos 15, PJ Johnson 4, Blake Andreas 2, Alex Panitzke 2, PJ Johnson 2, James Ward 2, Dylan Alexander 2, Tenzin Dahl 2 . . . Rebounding:  Johnson 5, Dahl 4, Alexander 3, Panitzke 2, Ward 2, Kloos 2, Ryland Martin 2 . . . Assists:  Alexander 2 . . . Steals:  Kloos 3, Panitzke 2

MORRIS stats:  Scoring:   Riley Asmus 17, Tyler Berlinger 11, Drew Huebner 10 . . . Other stats not available

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at Paynes 69, Waska 30

Waska (0-6) 15 15 — 30

Paynesville 40 29 — 69

WASKA stats: 11-44 FG (3-22 3pt); 5-10 FT; 26 rebounds; 6 assists; 12 steals; 12 fouls; 27 turnovers . . . Scoring:   Tenzin Dahl 11, Hunter Kloos 10, Ryland Martin 5, PJ Johnson 2, Alex Panitzke 2 . . . Rebounding:  Dahl 8, Kloos 5, Johnson 5, Dylan Alexander 3, Panitzke 2. . . Assists:  Alexander 2, Kloos 2 . . . Steals:  Panitzke 5, Kloos 5

PAYNES stats:   Scoring:   Brayden Pung 25, Max Athmann 11, Izaak Schultz 8 . . . Other stats not available

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