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Chisago Lakes 79, North Branch 71

No matter the records the past few years, the North Branch and Chisago Lakes boys basketball teams have had competitive games, and their match up on Friday, January 5 at North Branch was no different.

But, the Wildcats, behind Patrick Rowe’s big game, won to improve their record to 7-3 on the season while North Branch dropped their sixth straight game after a promising 4-0 start to the year.

The two teams have a very different build to them this year. North Branch is built a bit more balanced, with Brody Beaver, Tyler Minke, Owen Link and Noah Thorsen all taking turns being top dog at different times this year, and the others filling valuable supporting roles. Minke leads them in scoring with 21.3 points per game, Beaver scores almost 17 per contest, and Thorsen and Link average 12.4 points and 9.5 points respectively.

Chisago Lakes, while featuring some depth, has been heavily reliant on star guard Patrick Rowe. The senior averages 32.4 points per game this year and hit that mark against the Vikings to help propel the ‘Cats to the win.

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