O’Neil and Erickson lead C-squad boys in scoring
Sports | Published on March 20, 2023 at 2:44pm CDT
The Minnewaska Area C-squad boys basketball team finished the 2022-23 season with a 9-14 overall record. According to head coach Brian Walker, the team played its best basketball at the end of the season, going 7-7 over its last 14 games after starting out the season 2-7.
“These players have a bright future ahead of them if they continue to work hard to improve their skills in the offseason,” coach Walker said. “Thanks to the parents for supporting your son during the season by attending the games and cheering them on.”
Overall, the team scored 802 points for an average of 34.9 points per game while giving up 898 points, or 39 points per game. The Lakers went 127-for-221 from the line (58 percent) and made 60 three-pointers this season.
The team had a high season total of 52 points during a 52-35 win over Redwood Valley and a low of 15 points during a 51-15 loss to Paynesville.
Tristan O’Neil was the top scorer for the team, scoring 283 points (12.9 average) over 22 games, while Conner Erickson had 173 points (8.7 points per game), Drew Bleick scored 86 (3.7 ppg) and Riley Week had 70 points (3 ppg).
The rest of the team included Caleb Kath (40 points, 2.2 ppg), Ben Johnson (37 points, 1.9 ppg), Marshall Kopp (36 points, 2 ppg), AJ Svec (23 points, 1 ppg), Oliver VanderHagen (15 points, .8 ppg), Ike Spychalla (12 points, .6 ppg), Mason Danielson (11 points, .5 ppg) and Carter Huckle (6 points, .3 ppg).
The top free-throw shooters were (at least 10 attempts) O’Neil (64-for-102, 63 percent), Erickson (15-for-26, 58 percent), Week (14-for-20, 70 percent), Bleick (8-of-10, 80 percent), Kath (7-of-11, 64 percent), Kopp (7-of-13, 54 percent) and Svec (6-of-10, 60 percent), while the top three 3-point shooters for the season were O’Neil (made 16), Erickson (14) and Bleick (14).
“This group of players really showed much improvement from the beginning of the season to the end which is something to be proud of,” coach Walker said. “Continue your support of them and the entire Laker basketball program. Go Lakers.”
