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“It was like night and day,” said Chisago Lakes head coach Herb Jangor. He was referring to the way his team played its two games in the Chisago Lakes Invitational Tournament December 29 and 30.

Esko 49, Chisago Lakes 40

Zach Sill scored the first points of the game on a put-back. The 2-0 lead was the only one the Wildcats had for the game.

From that point, there were few first half highlights for Chisago. Troy Aadland’s free throw at the 11:20 mark was the only offense the ‘Cats could manage over the next eight minutes. By then, the Eskomos had built a 15-3 lead.

The rest of the half was punctuated by frequent Chisago turnovers and timeouts. The Esko lead grew to 16 (26-10) with 1:55 to go. The last two minutes offered little for the local fans to cheer about. The half ended with a Chris Golv free throw and a 29-13 Eskomo advantage.

The Wildcats used defense to get them going in the second half. The aggressive play on the defensive end led to more opportunities on offense. Trevor Johnson had a clean block in the first minute of the period. The Wildcats cut into the lead when Johnson completed a three point play a minute later.

The score stood at 31-18 after Golv scored on a nice feed from Blane Maher with 15:10 remaining. Chisago cut the lead to six (31-25) on a Tyler Bouwens to Johnson basket with 13:20 on the clock.

Esko called a time-out. Whatever Esko coach Mike Devney told his squad during the next minute seemed to work. Over the next two minutes, the Eskomos outscored the Wildcats 7-0. With 11:30 left, his team had a 38-25 lead.

The Wildcats fought back over the next seven minutes. On a Johnson put-back with 4:16 left, the ‘Cats had closed the gap to four (40-36). Chisago was unable to narrow the margin as they were forced to foul in the last few minutes. Esko responded to the pressure and converted seven free throws in the last minute of the game.

“It was the same old story,” said Jangor. “You can’t expect to win when you only play half the game. When you score thirteen points in a half, you’re not gonna’ beat anyone.”

Scoring Summary

Chisago Lakes 13 27 40

Esko 29 20 49

Troy Aadland.............................1

Chris Golv..................................1

Trevor Johnson.........................15

Taylor Jones...............................3

Jason Kellum.............................6

Blane Maher..............................4

Andy Olness..............................2

Zach Sill....................................8

Total............................40

Wildcats 79, Minnehaha Acad. 59

The Chisago Lakes boys’ basketball team had averaged less than 41 points per game over the last four games.

“As individuals, we’re not a very good offensive team,” said coach Herb Jangor. “As a team, we’re a very good offensive team.”

Jangor and his coaching staff have told their players all season that there are cetrain things they need to do on offense to have a chance to win. They’ve emphasized that they have to use “The System.” That system includes swinging the ball to utilize the whole court, making the extra pass in order to get a better shot, being patient and, at the same time, attacking the basket and getting at least 10 points on fast breaks.

Friday, January 30, the Wildcats did all of those things. They led to 79 points against Minnehaha Academy team that Jangor described as, “A pretty good defensive team.”

Jangor credited several factors for the team’s success. “This was Maher’s first start after returning from an injury. He brought the intensity and leadership we needed. Blane does all the little things and the kids follow him. Chris Golv did a great job running the show and pushing the ball and Trevor (Johnson) dominated inside,” Jangor said.

“We did all the right things. It all clicked and, hopefully, it will continue. We’ll see if what we’ve been preaching has finally kicked in,” Jangor commented.

Scoring Summary

Chisago Lakes 44 35 79

Minnehaha 32 27 59

Troy Aadland.............................1

Tyler Bouwens...........................9

Chris Golv..................................9

Bian Jennissen...........................6

Trevor Johnson.........................20

Scott Leigh................................1

Jason Kellum............................14

Blane Maher..............................6

Andy Olness..............................9

Zach Sill....................................4

Total............................79

The Wildcats were scheduled to host Becker January 3 and travel to St. Francis Friday, Jannuary 6.

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