A three-game week turned into one game for the Minnewaska Area girls basketball team last week due to weather.  The Lakers were set to at NLS last Tuesday and at Morris Area-CA, Friday, but both of those game were postponed due to weather. 

The only game the Lakers were able to get in was a game against Breckenridge during the Cobber Invitational at Concordia College, Saturday morning.  Minnewaska Area trailed in that game at halftime, 35-32, before the Cowboys went on to earn a 62-56 non-conference win.

After the loss to Breckenridge, the Lakers are 0-3 in the WCC and 0-5 overall.

The new dates for the postponed games are Jan. 16 for the NLS game and this Thursday, Dec. 22 for the Morris Area game.  The Lakers are also set to host Paynesville, Tuesday (tomorrow) before getting ready for the SMSU Tourney, set for Tuesday, Dec. 27.

Breckenridge 62, Lakers 56

The Lakers came oh so close to earning their first victory of the season, but Breckenridge was able to hold off Minnewaska Area for a 62-56 victory, Saturday morning at Concordia College in Moorhead.

The Lakers, who had three players score in double figures, trailed 35-32 after a high-scoring first half before being outscored 27-24 in the second half.

Megan Thorfinnson had 16 points, two steals and three blocked shots to lead the Lakers, who shot 26 percent from the field (17-for-64), including 5-of-18 on three-pointers.

Sydney Dahl added 15 points, five boards and  four blocked shots, while Brooke Kolstoe had 12 points and five boards for Minnewaska Area, which was 17-for-22 from the line for almost a third of its total points.

The Lakers had seven players hit the scoring column as Leslie Murken had a pair of three-pointers on the way to six points, Alia Randt had a good all-around game with three points, three boards and three steals, and Avery Fier and Jayda Kolstoe both scored two points with Fier also blocking three shots.

Other Laker basketball notes

Members of this year’s varsity Lakers’ girls basketball team are seniors Olivia Bleick, Mikalyn Andreas, Brooke Kolstoe and Leslie Murken; juniors Jenna Drewes and Avery Fier; sophomores Sydney Dahl, Megan Thorfinnson, Amber Peabody, Lauren Stryhn and Addyson Kath (injured to start season), and ninth-graders Lauryn Ankeny, Olivia Danielson (injured), Jayda Kolstoe, Kendall Danielson and Alia Randt.

Helping out Schiffler with coaching duties this year are Emily Roering, Makenzie Larsen, Josh Greene, Linda Mills (8th grade) and Gabe Eisenbacher (7th grade).

•  Montevideo won last year’s WCC title, winning its first-ever WCC girls’ title in school history with an 11-1 league mark, followed by Sauk Centre (9-3), BOLD (8-4), Minnewaska Area (7-4), Morris Area-CA (4-8), Melrose Area (2-10) and Benson (0-11). 

•  Last year, the Lakers had three All-Conference players in Maddie Thorfinnson, Addy Randt and Brooke Kolstoe, while Addy Kath was on the honorable mention team.  Kath is injured this winter. 

•  Members of the JV team for 2022-23 are junior Jenna Drewes, sophomores Lauren Stryhn and Amber Peabody; and ninth-graders Lauryn Ankeny, Alia Randt, Kendall Danielson and Jayda Kolstoe, and members of the C-squad team are ninth-graders Aubrey Stark, Phemi Oeltjen and Carly Jergenson, and eighth-graders Haillie Schulz and Eliana Marthaler.

•  In addition, members of this year’s junior high teams are eighth-graders Jazlyn Fleury, Claira Frey, Leah Greseth, Meadow Gullickson, Rachel Rankin, Evelyn Recker and Norah VanZee, and seventh-graders Sydney Ankeny, Molly Cassidy, Sadie Daniels, Berlynn Green, Miranda Grossman, Hannah Hoeper, Michaela Johnson, Ella Larson, Mileigh Lundebrek, Lillie Ogdahl and Peyton Sundheim.

Through the early part of the season, Sauk Centre and BOLD are 2-0 in the WCC, while Montevideo is 1-0 and Morris Area and West Central Area are both 1-1.

Breckenridge 62, Waska 56

Minnewaska (0-5) 32 24 — 56

Breckenridge 35 27 — 62

WASKA stats:  17-64 FG (5-18 3pt); 17-22 FT; 17 rebounds; 9 steals; 0 assists; 18 fouls; 7 turnovers; 10 blocked shots . . . Scoring:  Megan Thorfinnson 16, Sydney Dahl 15, Brooke Kolstoe 12, Leslie Murken 6, Alia Randt 3, Avery Fier 2, Jayda Kolstoe 2 . . . Rebounding:  Dahl 5, B. Kolstoe 5, Randt 3 . . . Assists:  None Steals:  Randt 3, Thorfinnson 2. . . Blocks:  Dahl 4, Thorfinnson 3, Fier 3

BRECKEN stats:  Stats not available

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