Lakeville North girls hold two-game lead in SSC
Evidently, Lakeville South learned a lot in the six weeks between its two boys basketball games against Farmington.
When the teams first met Dec. 19, things got ugly in a hurry for South, which lost 87-47. In the Feb. 2 rematch, the Cougars were ready. After trailing by double digits in the second half they stormed back and won 72-70 on Ryan Johnson’s three-point play with 4.7 seconds remaining.
“What was different? We knew we had to defend a lot better than we did the first time,” Cougars coach Joe Janquart said. “The first game, they also out-rebounded us by 30-plus. They still out-rebounded us in the second game, but we did better than the first game.
“You’re going to get a very physical game against Farmington, and you have to understand that going in. I think we did a much better job of matching up against them.”
The Feb. 2 victory, as well as a 50-44 victory at Eagan on Tuesday, kept Lakeville South in the South Suburban Conference race. After Tuesday’s games, Shakopee and Lakeville North were tied for first in the league at 9-2, with Lakeville South and Farmington tied for third at 8-3. Lakeville South has games remaining against Lakeville North (Tuesday, Feb. 13, at North) and Shakopee (Feb. 23 at home).
The Cougars battled back in the second half and pulled within 70-67 in the final 30 seconds. Senior guard Ryan Johnson drove to the basket for a layup that cut the Farmington lead to a point. Junior forward Hudson Greene then intercepted a pass in the backcourt and South called timeout with 9.6 seconds left.
South got the ball to Johnson again, and he got to the rim again, this time scoring and getting fouled. He completed the three-point play with a free throw. Farmington’s last-second shot to tie the game bounced off the backboard and rim.
On the last South possession, “Ryan had a few different options,” Janquart said. “But we thought if we got him the ball he would either score or get fouled. Good things happen when Ryan Johnson has the ball, and he made some phenomenal plays at the end.”
Johnson, one of three South players averaging at least 12 points, had a game-high 24 against Farmington. Keaton Ressler (15), DaMarcus Burks (13) and Carter Wilson (11) also scored in double figures for the Cougars, 13-6 overall and ranked 12th in Class 4A. Brandon Hrncir had 17 points and Nik Domier 13 for sixth-ranked Farmington, 14-5 overall.
Lakeville South has won five of its last six games, and eight of its last nine have been decided by six points or fewer. The value of learning how to execute at the end of close games is not lost on the Cougars with the playoffs starting in about a month.
“The playoffs are about half-court defense and executing (offensively) in the half-court,” Janquart said. “You need defense, rebounding and effort, and we’re getting better in all those areas.”
Boys basketball notes
• Farmington trounced Eastview 73-34 on Tuesday as Brandon Hrncir, a senior forward, scored 22 points. Jonathan Mekonnen and Nolan Segner scored 10 points each for Eastview, 2-9 in the South Suburban and 3-14 overall.
• Burnsville won its first conference game of the season Tuesday, edging Prior Lake 75-73 at home. Junior guard Soren Leafblad scored 26 points for the Blaze, who also got 18 from Leul Samuel and 12 from Collin Heckman. Burnsville is 1-10 in conference play and 3-16 overall.
• Lakeville North defeated Rosemount 85-60 to remain tied for first in the conference. Jack Robison scored 22 points, Matt Drake 16 and Riley Grossman 12 for the seventh-ranked Panthers, (9-2, 14-5). Bennett Arlandson had 13 points, Jordon Vanwinkle 11 and Kyson Leenderts 10 for Rosemount (3-8, 6-12).
Girls basketball
Lakeville North has a two-game lead in the South Suburban Conference after defeating Rosemount 56-52 on Tuesday. Center Trinity Wilson had 16 points and guard Gabby Betton 15 for the Panthers, who are 11-1 in the league and 17-4 overall. Seventh-ranked Lakeville North avenged its only conference loss; the Panthers fell to ninth-ranked Rosemount 77-69 on Jan. 9.
Amisha Ramlall had 20 points and Avery Moeller 13 for Rosemount (8-4, 15-6). The Irish dropped into a tie for third place in the SSC with Prior Lake.
Eastview is second in the conference after defeating Farmington 75-59 on Tuesday. The 11th-ranked Lightning (9-3, 16-5) were led by junior guard Myah Maull, who scored 25 points. Carly Olson had 14 for Farmington (0-12, 3-16).
Eagan defeated Lakeville South 56-43 on Tuesday as the Wildcats improved to 5-7 in the conference and the Cougars dropped to 7-5. Ava Ligtenberg and Maya Meisinger scored 10 points each for Eagan, and Drew Buslee and Jocelyn McClary scored nine apiece. Danielle Coleman had 15 points and Finley Ohnstad 13 for Lakeville South.
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