Home cooking suits the Minnewaska Area girls basketball team just fine as the Lakers had three home games last week, going 2-1 with wins over Eden Valley-Watkins last Monday night (52-42) and Melrose Area, Friday (36-28) sandwiched around a 55-41 loss to Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa last Tuesday.

The Lakers, who improved to 3-8 overall and 2-3 in the WCC, have another three-game week this week, but this time, all three games are on the road.

Minnewaska is set to play at NLS, Monday, Jan. 16, at Barnesville, Tuesday (tomorrow), and at Litchfield in a makeup game, Saturday.

Minnewaska 52, EVW 42

Despite going 1-of-18 from three-point range, not scoring for the first 5:06 of the game and having six players fail to score from the field, the Minnewaska Area girls basketball team earned a 52-42 victory over EVW last Monday at home.

Sydney Dahl, Megan Thorfinnson and Jayda Kolstoe did most of the damage for the Lakers, combining for 44 points, 16 rebounds and nine steals.

EVW led early 6-0, 9-2 and 14-7, but a three-point play by Thorfinnson, a shot inside by Dahl, a steal and free-throw by Lauryn Ankeny and a putback off an offensive rebound by Kolstoe brought the Lakers to within 16-12 with 6:41 left in the first half.

Minnewaska outscored the Eagles 10-4 the rest of the first half as Thorfinnson had a layup and two free-throws, Dahl made a nice driving layup and Brooke Kolstoe went 4-for-4 from the line to give Minnewaska a 22-20 lead going into halftime.

The Lakers combined their surge early in the second half as Brooke Kolstoe’s two free-throws with 11:08 left in the game gave Minnewaska a 39-27 lead and ended a 27-11 run by the Lakers that essentially proved to be the difference in the game.

EVW battled back, getting to within six points (48-42) with 2:45 left in the game, but the Eagles would not score again while Dahl and Jayda Kolstoe scored baskets for the Lakers in the final few minutes for the final margin.

“Definitely a slow start to the game and we need to work on that, coming out with a little more intensity,” coach Sidney Schiffler said.  “It’s when we turn our defense up a notch that we play our game.”

The Lakers shot 28 percent from the field (17-for-60), but were only 1-of-18 from three-point range.  Dahl, who had her best game of the season, ended with a double-double of 21 points, 11 rebounds, four steals and a blocked shot.  She was 8-of-18 from the field.

Thorfinnson had a great all-around game with 11 points, two assists and five steals, while Jayda Kolstoe gave the Lakers a big lift with 11 points and four rebounds, going 5-of-9 from the field.

“Sydney and Jayda are hard workers on the court, which is why they are successful,” coach Schiffler said.  “They play tough defensively and communicate so well with their teammates.  That leads to their offense; taking smart shots and allowing their game to become more dynamic.”

Minnewaska Area had 10 players attempt at least one 3-pointer, but Dahl went 1-for-3 from long range for the only made three-pointer of the game for the winners.

The Lakers, who were 17-of-27 from the line, also got eight points (8-of-10 from the line), seven rebounds and four steals from Brooke Kolstoe, who battled foul trouble all game, while Lauryn Ankeny had one point, two rebounds and a steal while giving the Lakers a big lift on defense late in the first half.

Minnewaska turned the ball over 13 times, but the Lakers also had 16 steals and dominated the boards with 29 rebounds.

BBE 55, Minnewaska 41

The Lakers scored a season-low 41 points during a 55-41 home loss to Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa last Tuesday night.  Minnewaska Area, which scored a season-high 60 points during a recent win over WCA, has been held to point totals in the 40s for five of its first 10 games.

The Lakers, who were led by Sydney Dahl’s 14 points, six rebounds and three blocked shots and 12 points and two rebounds by Megan Thorfinnson, trailed 34-20 at halftime.  

Both teams added 21 more points in the second half as the Lakers could get no closer.

Minnewaska Area shot 22 percent from the field (13-for-57), including just 4-of-19 from long range, and were only 11-of-22 from the free-throw line.

Abby Berge had 28 points for the Jaguars, who improved to 6-2 for the season.

Brooke Kolstoe added eight points and five rebounds for the Lakers, while Leslie Murken hit a three-pointer for three points, Avery Fier had two points and three steals and Olivia Bleick and Lauryn Ankeny both had one point with Ankeny also recording three steals.

Waska 36, Melrose 28

The Lakers had another tough shooting night, making just 10-of-50 shots from the field, but Minnewaska Area found a way to still earn a 36-28 victory over Melrose Area, Thursday night in the third of three home games for the week.

Megan Thorfinnson, who had 12 points, three rebounds and four steals to lead the Lakers, was the only Minnewaska player to score in double figures.

The Lakers made a third of their points from the line where they were 12-of-22, and Minnewaska added 12 more points from long range, going 4-of-16 on three-pointers.

The Lakers led 15-12 at halftime before going on to outscore the visitors 21-16 in the second half to earn their third win in the last four games.

Jayda Kolstoe added seven points, three rebounds, two assists and three steals for Waska, while Lauryn Ankeny had five points, two assists, three boards and three steals, Brooke Kolstoe had four points, three rebounds, two blocked shots and five steals and Leslie Murken had a three-pointer for three points.

Also scoring for Minnewaska, which has held its last six opponents to under 60 points, were Alia Randt and Avery Fier with two points each and Sydney Dahl with one point, two blocked shots, a game-high 12 rebounds and four of her team’s 20 steals on the night.

at Waska 52, EV-Wat 42

EV-Watkins 20 22 — 42

Minnewaska (2-7) 22 30 — 52

WASKA stats:  17-60 FG (1-18 3pt); 17-27 FT; 3 assists; 29 rebounds; 16 steals; 17 fouls; 13 turnovers . . . Scoring:  Sydney Dahl 21, Megan Thorfinnson 11, Jayda Kolstoe 11, Brooke Kolstoe 8, Lauryn Ankeny 1. . . Rebounding:  Dahl 11, B. Kolstoe 7, J. Kolstoe 4, Leslie Murken 3, Ankeny 2 . . . Assists:  Thorfinnson 2 . . . Steals:  Thorfinnson 5, Dahl 4, B. Kolstoe 4 . . . Blocked shots:  Thorfinnson 2, Dahl 1

EVW stats:  Stats not available

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BBE 55, at Minnewaska 41

BBE (6-2) 34 21 — 55

Minnewaska (2-8) 20 21 — 41

WASKA stats:  13-57 FG (4-19 3pt); 11-22 FT; 5 assists; 20 rebounds; 10 steals; 17 fouls; 14 turnovers . . . Scoring:  Sydney Dahl 14, Megan Thorfinnson 12, Brooke Kolstoe 8, Leslie Murken 3, Avery Fier 2, Olivia Blieck 1, Lauryn Ankeny 1 . . . Rebounding:  Dahl 6, B. Kolstoe 5, Alia Randt 3, Thorfinnson 2 . . . Assists:  B. Kolstoe 2. . . Steals:  Ankeny 3, Fier 3 . . . Blocks:  Dahl 3

BBE stats:  Scoring:  Abby Berge 28, Harley Roering 13, Allison Dingmann 10 . . . Rebounding:  Berge 12 . . . Other stats not available

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at Waska 36, Melrose 28

Melrose 12 16 — 28

Minnewaska (3-8) 15 21 — 36

WASKA stats:  10-50 FG (4-16 3pt); 12-22 FT; 7 assists; 28 rebounds; 20 steals; 14 fouls; 19 turnovers . . . Scoring:  Megan Thorfinnson 12, Jayda Kolstoe 7, Lauryn Ankeny 5, Brooke Kolstoe 4, Leslie Murken 3, Avery Fier 2, Alia Randt 2, Sydney Dahl 1 . . . Rebounding:  Dahl 12, J. Kolstoe 3, Thorfinnson 3, B. Kolstoe 3, Ankeny 3, Randt 3 . . . Assists:  J. Kolstoe 2, Ankeny 2. . . Steals:  B. Kolstoe 5, Thorfinnson 4, Dahl 4, J. Kolstoe 3, Ankeny 3 . . . Blocks:  Dahl 2, B. Kolstoe 2

MEL stats:  Stats not available

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