The Minnewaska Area girls basketball team opened up the 2023-24 season with a pair of wins.  

The Lakers, who lost their first seven games last year against state-ranked teams, won at Lac qui Parle Valley last Tuesday night, 64-31, and also topped BOLD in the home and conference opener, Thursday, 64-39.

“It was such a fun win last night, especially since it was against a strong BOLD team,” coach Sidney Barker said.  “We had multiple girls come through for us, including starters and players coming off the bench, and we are happy coaches right now.”

The Lakers went 12-13 overall last winter, including a 6-6 mark in the WCC to place fourth of eight teams.  The Lakers were 0-7 to start out the season, but then went 12-5 over their next 17 games before losing to West Central Area in the section opener, 74-59. 

This week, the Lakers are set to host Montevideo, Tuesday (tomorrow) before playing at Sauk Centre, Thursday.

Minnewaska 64, LQP 31

The Lakers topped Lac qui Parle in the season opener last Tuesday at LQP Valley High School, 64-31.

Juniors Megan Thorfinnson and Sydney Dahl, and sophomore Lauryn Ankeny paced the Lakers to the season-opening win, combining for 50 points.

The Lakers won despite shooting 32 percent from the field (25-of-78) and 38 percent from the line (7-of-18).

Thorfinnson had a game-high 22 points along with three rebounds, four assists and six steals.  She was 9-of-17 from the field and hit three of her team’s seven 3-pointers.

Dahl added 17 points, four boards, three assists and two steals while going 7-of-12 from the field.

Ankeny chipped in with 11 points, four rebounds, five steals and two assists, while sophomore Olivia Danielson added five points, three steals and two blocked shots for the Lakers.

Minnewaska, which led 33-15 at halftime, recorded 24 steals during the game and had 20 assists on its 25 made field goals.

The Lakers had eight total players hit the scoring column as senior Avery Fier had three points and three steals, sophomore Jayda Kolstoe had two points and three boards, junior Addy Kath had two points, three assists and three boards, and sophomore Alia Randt had two points, three assists and three steals.

Waska 64, BOLD 39 

The Lakers turned a close 47-39 game into a 64-39 rout with a late 17-0 run during a win over BOLD in the conference opener, Thursday at Minnewaska Area High School.

The Lakers led for most of the game, building leads of 18-9 and 25-19 early before settling for a 30-21 lead at halftime.

Neither team could connect early in the second half, but BOLD hit a 3-pointer early to cut the Laker lead to 30-24.  Addy Kath hit a shot inside and Lauryn Ankeny scored six-straight points to build the lead back up to 38-24, but BOLD went on a 9-2 run of its own to get back to within seven at 40-33.

Ankeny scored again to give her 10-straight points for her team and put Minnewaska up 42-33 with about eight minutes left in the game.

Alia Randt hit a 3-pointer and Kath scored again inside to  keep the Lakers up 47-39 with 5:38 left in the game.

Little did anyone guess the Warriors would not score again.

On the other hand, the Lakers suddenly got hot again as Megan Thorfinnson hit a 3-pointer, Sydney Dahl scored inside and Kath grabbed an offensive rebound and the Lakers were up 57-39 and BOLD could do nothing but watch the Lakers go on to the 25-point win.

It was a balanced effort for the Lakers as Ankeny had 15 points, five rebounds and a school-record 12 steals (old record was 10), Kath had 14 points, eight boards, four steals and two blocked shots, Dahl had 12 points, four assists and four blocks, and Thorfinnson added 10 points, five assists and two steals.

Randt chipped in with six points, two rebounds and two assists, while Jayda Kolstoe had four points and Olivia Danielson had three.

The Lakers shot 46 percent from the field, including 57 percent (20-of-35) on two-point field goals.

Minnewaska 64, at LQP 31

Waska (1-0) 33 31 — 64

LQP Valley (0-2) 15 16 — 31

WASKA stats:  25-78 FG (7-24 3pt); 7-18 FT; 20 assists; 24 rebounds; 24 steals; 18 turnovers . . . Scoring:  Megan Thorfinnson 22, Sydney Dahl 17, Lauryn Ankeny 11, Olivia Danielson 5, Avery Fier 3, Alia Randt 2, Addy Kath 2, Jayda Kolstoe 2 . . . Rebounding:  Dahl 4, Ankeny 4, Kath 3, Thorfinnson 3, Kolstoe 3, O. Danielson 2, Randt 2, Kendall Danielson 2, Amber Peabody 1 . . Assists:  Thorfinnson 4, Dahl 3, Randt 3, Kath 3, Ankeny 2, O. Danielson 2, Kolstoe 2, K. Danielson 1 . . . Steals:  Thorfinnson 6, Ankeny 5, O. Danielson 3, Fier 3, Randt 3, Kath 2, Dahl 2 . . . Blocks:  O. Danielson 2, Fier 1, Randt 1, Dahl 1

LQP stats:   Stats not available

——————————–

at Waska 64, BOLD 39

BOLD (1-3) 21 18 — 39

Waska (2-0) 30 34 — 64

WASKA stats:  27-58 FG (7-23 3pt); 3-11 FT; 12 assists; 9 blocks; 24 rebounds; 19 steals; 11 fouls; 14 turnovers . . . Scoring:  Lauryn Ankeny 15, Addy Kath 14, Sydney Dahl 12, Megan Thorfinnson 10, Alia Randt 6, Jayda Kolstoe 4, Olivia Danielson 3 . . . Rebounding:  Kath 8, Ankeny 5, Randt 2, Avery Fier 2, Danielson 2, Dahl 2, Thorfinnson 2

. . . Assists:  Thorfinnson 5, Dahl 4, Randt 2 . . . Steals:  Ankeny 12, Kath 4, Thorfinnson 2 . . . Blocks:  Dahl 4, Kath 2

BOLD stats:   Scoring:  Lainey Braulick 14, Rylee Boen 12, Kenna Henriksen 5, Kenzie Visser 5, Layla Pfarr 3 . . . Other stats not available

Check out more photos in our photo gallery!