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Chisago Lakes wasted little time asserting dominance on Thursday, December 18, rolling to a 75-24 win over North Branch in a Highway 95 rivalry matchup on December 18. The Wildcats used nasty defensive pressure and balanced scoring to put the game away early and cruise to the decisive victory.

The Wildcats set the tone from the opening tip, forcing turnovers and turning defense into offense. They built a commanding 43-17 halftime lead as North Branch struggled to handle the pressure and find open looks. The Vikings managed just eight field goals for the game and were never able to generate consistent momentum.

CL’s Makenna Thorsen led all scorers with 21 points, attacking the basket and drawing fouls throughout the night. She finished 8-for-17 from the field and went 5-of-8 at the free-throw line, providing steady offense as the Wildcats continued to widen the gap over NB.

Madison Eagle delivered a strong all-around performance, recording a double-double with 14 points and 14 rebounds. Eagle controlled the paint on both ends and added three blocks, anchoring a Chisago Lakes defense that limited second-chance opportunities and kept North Branch off balance. It was a refreshing match up for Eagle and the ‘Cats, as they are usually the undersized team, but playing a very small NB school, that wasn’t the case.

Autumn Lukkason made the most of her minutes for the ‘Cats, scoring 10 points in just 12 minutes of action. She knocked down both of her three-point attempts and added three steals. Kayla Larsen chipped in eight points while also recording six steals and three assists, and Annika Smith added seven points and seven rebounds as the Wildcats spread the scoring around.

Defense was the difference for Chisago Lakes, which forced 31 turnovers and had 21 steals. The Wildcats consistently disrupted North Branch’s offensive sets and capitalized in transition. Chisago Lakes also moved the ball effectively, finishing with 17 assists and getting contributions up and down the lineup, with 11 players scoring.

North Branch was led by Sophia Petersen, who scored 12 points and grabbed five rebounds. Carolyn Lombard, Alyssa Rediske and Ainslee Hunter each scored three points for the Vikings. North Branch shot 8-for-47 from the field and 3-for-18 from beyond the arc, while going 5-of-14 at the free-throw line.

Chisago Lakes continued its strong play after halftime, outscoring North Branch 32-7 in the second half to put the game far out of reach. 

The ‘Cats, who are now 4-4 traveled to Cambridge-Isanti earlier this week before taking nearly two weeks off for Christmas break. They’ll come out of the long layoff with an away game against Proctor on Friday, January 2.

North Branch fell to 0-8 on the year, and they unfrotunately havent been competitive in any of the contests. They took on Hinckley-Finlaysaon early this week before their own two week Christmas break. They’ll come out of it with a Tuesday, January 6 match up with Cambridge-Isanti at home.

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