The Minnewaska Area boys basketball team is in a mid-season slump, dropping its third-straight game with a 64-50 loss at home to BOLD, Friday night.

The loss, which dropped the Lakers’ season record to 7-7 and conference mark to 1-4, was also the sixth in the last eight games for Minnewaska Area.

So far this season, the Lakers have scored 60 or more points seven times, winning all seven, and scored below 60 points seven times, losing all seven.

The Lakers have three games scheduled this week beginning with a game at Sauk Centre, Tuesday (tomorrow) and continuing with a game at EV-Watkins, Friday and a game at home versus Hancock, Saturday.

Montevideo currently leads the WCC with a 5-0 conference mark followed by BOLD (4-2), WCA (3-2), Sauk Centre (3-2), Morris Area-CA (3-3), Melrose Area (2-4), Minnewaska Area (1-4) and Benson (0-4).

BOLD 64, Minnewaska 50

The Lakers fell behind early, 18-4, but stayed close with the Warriors the rest of the way, eventually losing 64-50.  Minnewaska, which dropped to 7-7 overall, did get to within eight points in the second half, but couldn’t get any closer.

“We fell behind by as many as 16 points in the first six minutes of the game as BOLD couldn’t miss a shot to start and we couldn’t buy a bucket,” coach Zach Traphagen said  “From that point on, it was an even game.”

Tenzin Dahl and Connor Frey led the Laker offense with 14 points each.  Dahl was 7-of-14 from the field on the way to a double-double of 14 points and 12 rebounds, along with two assists and two steals, while Frey was 4-of-10 on three-pointers on the way to 14 points and two steals.

Adding nine points and six boards was Marc Gruber, while Kaiden Harvey had six points and five rebounds and Luke Danielson had five points and four boards.

The Lakers shot 36 percent from the field (21-for-57), including 6-of-22 from long range.  Minnewaska Area was also 2-of-6 from the line, while the Warriors were 0-of-1.

“We made a little adjustment at halftime defensively and that slowed them down a bit,” Traphagen said.  “However, we just had too many turnovers and empty possessions offensively to really complete the comeback.

“I’m proud of how our guys competed when we got down early.  We never quit fighting; just need to pick ourselves back up and keep working hard to go get the next game against Sauk Centre.”

Also scoring for the Lakers were Owen Muelebroeck with two points and five rebounds, while Levi Johnson added five assists and Zach Palmer had four assists, three rebounds and three steals.

BOLD made 12 three-pointers for the game and were led by Jack Gross’ 25 points and eight rebounds.  Will Penkert added 19 points, hitting five 3-pointers.

•  This year’s Minnewaska Area boys basketball roster includes seniors Carter Meyer, Zach Palmer, Levi Johnson, Connor Frey, Jacob Mrnak, Caden Larson, Tenzin Dahl, Ian Mills, Kaiden Harvey, Owen Meulebroeck and Chase Wacker; and juniors Tristan O’Neil, Marc Gruber, Luke Danielson, Riley Week, Drew Bleick, Connor Erickson and Oliver VanDerHagen.

BOLD 64, at Waska 50

BOLD 39 25 — 64

Minnewaska (7-7) 28 22 — 50

WASKA stats:  21-57 FG (6-22 3pt); 2-6 FT; 15 assists; 37 rebounds; 8 steals; 8 fouls; 22 turnovers . . . Scoring:   Tenzin Dahl 14, Connor Frey 14, Marc Gruber 9, Kaiden Harvey 6, Luke Danielson 5, Owen Muelebroeck 2 . . . Rebounding:  Dahl 12, Gruber 6, Harvey 5, Meulebroeck 5, Danielson 4, Zach Palmer 3, Tristan O’Neil 2 . . . Assists:  Levi Johnson 5, Palmer 4, Dahl 2 . . . Steals:  Palmer 3, Frey 2, Dahl 2

BOLD stats:   26-60 FG (12-31 3pt); 0-1 FT; 26 rebounds; 12 fouls; 16 turnovers . . .  Other stats NA

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