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Chisago Lakes 62

Big Lake 49

Some believe that the scouting report when facing the Chisago Lakes boys basketball team is to stop David Olson. If you do that, you stop the Wildcats. The teams that have lived by that philosophy continue to die.

The latest example of this happened last Tuesday. Although Olson got his share, scoring for 18 points in the game, the senior was held without a field goal in the first half and held to six points through three quarters. Instead, the rest of Chisago’s weapons fired, including an inside game where the ‘Cats got 25 of their 62 points from their top three post players. In short, when trying to silence the Wildcat roar, the defensive game-plan is going to have to include more than one item.

In the first quarter against the Hornets, Cameron Lallier and Blane Maher were The players who did most of the damage, mainly with their defense and the intensity they brought the court, helping Chisago build a 12-9 lead after one quarter of play. In all, five players scored for the Wildcats, but Olson wasn’t one of them. No, his outburst had yet to come.

Helped by an aggressive attack to the basket, the Wildcats held onto a slim lead in the second on the heels of eight free throws as Chisago outscored Big Lake 16-15 over the final eight minutes of the first half. Sophomore Zach Sill led the Wildcats this time by scoring four points in the quarter while Lallier and Olson each scored three. This time, a total of six different players scored points in the second for Chisago, helping them to a 28-24 lead at the half.

“Cameron brought us a lot of energy. He had a really nice game,” said Herb Jangor, Chisago Lakes head boys basketball coach. “Blane also had a heck of a game. He only scored two points but he did everything else. He just had a monster game in terms of the energy he brought to the floor. Those guys got us going and the rest of the team did a nice job filling in.”

As Jangor explains it, although they were in front the entire way, Chisago couldn’t get the knock-out punch, that is until the second half. Leading by four in the third, the Wildcats went right back to work inside, scoring 12 more points in the quarter- nine of which came from inside the paint. After scoring six points in the first half, Lallier struck for five in the third while Levi Secord and Trevor Johnson each added two. The other three points in the quarter came from Olson who buried a three-pointer, accounting for his first field goal of the game.

“They really went after David, both their players and their fans, and David did an excellent job keeping his composure,” remarked Jangor. “He had an off night and the rest of the kids really stepped up. Zach Sill, Levi Secord. Our inside guys did a nice job. We couldn’t throw the knock-out punch in that game until the fourth. That’s when we put it away.”

They certainly did, and they did it from the free throw line, canning 11 of 11 free throws in the quarter to go along with two field goals from Secord and three from Olson. Olson nailed five free throws en route to 12 points in the fourth. Mike Tschida, Sill, and Lallier also tickled the twine, giving Chisago more than enough firepower to wrap up a 62-49 win.

“That was our key, being able to hit our free throws, especially in the fourth,” mentioned Jangor. “We got to the line by using our height advantage and being smart with the basketball.”

For the game, Chisago shot 38 free throws, connecting on 23 of them.

Olson led things with 18 points in the game while Lallier scored 13 and Sill and Secord each added eight. In addition, Maher finished the game with 10 rebounds, five steals, and three assists.

The win improved the Wildcats overall record to 13-2 and their conference mark to 7-2.

Note:

Last Friday’s game with Foley was postponed due to the weather. The game will be made-up on February 8th in Lindstrom. Varsity will play at 7:30 p.m. at Ward gymnasium. JV plays at 6:00 p.m.

Chisago Lakes 62

Big Lake 49

1 2 3 4 F

Big Lake 9 15 9 16 49

Chisago Lakes 12 16 12 22 62

Scoring-

Olson 18, Lallier 13, Secord 8, Sill 8, Tschida 7, Johnson 4, Maher 2, Collins 2.

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