OAK PARK HEIGHTS — After climbing up to third in the program’s all-time scoring list earlier this season, Amy Thompson delivered the two highest-scoring games in Stillwater girls basketball history while leading the Ponies to victories over Rogers and Forest Lake.
The University of South Florida recruit broke the team’s single-game scoring record with 48 points in a lop-sided victory over Forest Lake on Feb. 1 and followed with a 44-point effort in Stillwater’s 69-47 nonconference win over Rogers on Saturday, Feb. 3 at Stillwater Area High School.
The previous school record was held by Sara Scalia, who scored 39 points against Forest Lake during the 2017-18 season on the way to becoming the program’s career scoring leader with 2,610 points. Thompson has scored 1,707 career points to rank behind only Sara Scalia and Alexis Pratt (1,989).
Thompson hit 8 of 17 attempts from three-point range and made 8 of 13 two-point field goal attempts against the Royals (4-18).
“She played really well that game,” Ponies coach Tim Peper said. “She shot really well from the three-point line and from the floor overall. Rogers was definitely doing what they could to take her away, but the game just flowed more and she was able to get lost in the flow and other kids would find her and she would make the shot.”
Rogers pulled within nine points in the second half after the Ponies built a 39-22 halftime lead, but never seriously threatened.
Just three players scored for the Ponies (10-4 SEC, 15-6), who also received 13 points from Liana Buckhalton and 12 from Annika Peper.
Rogers 22 25 — 47
Stillwater 39 30 — 69
Rogers (pts): Adison Allard 6, Brooke Brattensborg 3, Gwyneth Strassburg 13, Allison Mauss 4, Chloe Netzinger 9, Kinnley Colligan 7 and Kayla Collier 7.
Stillwater: Liana Buckhalton 13, Annika Peper 12 and Amy Thompson 44.
Stillwater 80, Forest Lake 50
At Forest Lake, a red-hot shooting performance from Amy Thompson landed her in the record book with 48 points and the Ponies pulled away for an 8-50 Suburban East Conference victory over the Rangers on Thursday, Feb. 1 at Forest Lake High School.
Thompson made 11 of 14 two-point field goals and connected on 7 of 13 attempts from beyond the arc to pace the Ponies, who also received 18 points from Liana Buckhalton and 10 from Annika Peper.
“When you score that much you’re going to have to get shots, but she made a high volume of shots so she was super efficient,” Ponies coach Tim Peper said of Thompson, who is averaging 26.1 points per game this season.
Thompson scored 31 points by halftime as the Ponies built a 49-29 lead.
“When she starts out like that it’s like this could be the night,” Peper said. “Then we just tried to run some things to get her the ball in the second half. She hardly missed a shot in the second half.”
The coach said he was not surprised that Thompson broke the single-game scoring record.
“I felt like it was a matter of time because she does have the ability to make really tough shots,” Peper said. “(Forest Lake) was trying to take away shots and trying to not let her but she was still able to find shots and she has really improved on her ability to get to the basket over the last couple of years. That adds the extra weapon she needs to be efficient and effective.”
There were other higlights for the Ponies, who received 10 rebounds from Annika Peper and a team-high six assists from Lucci deLeon.
“There’s really good cohesion on the team right now and genuine excitement for each other and celebrating the successes that people are receiving individually and receiving collectively as a team,” Peper said.
Cassidy Pitzl led the Rangers (7-7 SEC, 10-10) with 16 points.
Stillwater 49 31 — 80
Forest Lake 29 21 — 50
Stillwater (pts): Liana Buckhalton 18, Annika Peper 10, Amy Thompson 48 and Addison Bergstad 4.
Forest Lake: Kendal Damon 2, Amelia Espelien 6, Lauren Syring 2, Hailey Dereu 13, Liv Fearing 11 and Cassidy Pitzl 16.
Stillwater girls basketball all-time scoring leaders
Player Points
Sara Scalia 2,610
Alexis Pratt 1,989
*Amy Thompson 1,707
Amber Scalia 1,442
Alena Martens 1,258
Lexi Karlen 1,184
Melissa Braaten 897
Carolyn Frisk 890
Teri Hill 886
Liza Karlen 882
* active
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