Apple Valley 1/12
Cam Stout #24
Defensive pressure, rim pressure, and a winning streak extended to 7 games: Prior Lake 65, Apple Valley 48
APPLE VALLEY, Minn. — January 12, 2026
The Prior Lake Lakers packed their defense and a whole lot of toughness for a conference showdown against crosstown foe Apple Valley—and left with a convincing 65–48 victory that stretched their winning streak to seven. One year after the teams split their season series, this one belonged to the Lakers, who checked every pregame box: paint touches for great looks, team defense on Apple Valley’s stars, and just enough ball security to let their defensive pressure cook.
The Premise: Stars vs. Scheme
Apple Valley leans on two dangerous seniors—Camare Young and Trey Parker—and the Eagles’ athletic, aggressive defense can turn games chaotic in a hurry. Prior Lake’s stated keys were simple and specific: move the ball to earn layups and rhythm threes, defend Young and Parker collectively, and limit turnovers.
The Laker starting five of Kolby Thompson, Max Dubore, Cole Brinkman, Kobby Sam‑Brew,and Colten Gunderson set that tone from the jump.
A Fast Start (With Bumps)
The opening possessions hinted at the night’s theme—turnovers on both sides—before the Lakers settled in. A gorgeous Sam‑Brew dime to Gunderson for a layup put Prior Lake on the board, Sam‑Brew knifed in for two more, and Gunderson added another finish for an early 6–1 edge. After a Parker triple trimmed it to 6–4, Thompson detonated from deep: an NBA‑range three, then another from way out to balloon the lead to 12–4.
For the first six minutes, the Lakers’ swarming, switching perimeter defense smothered the Eagles—no clean catch‑and‑shoots, no straight‑line drives. When Apple Valley finally broke through with a cut for two, Drew Brinkman answered with a three to make it 15–8. The half turned into a back‑and‑forth grind: the Eagles stole two buckets to close to three, Sam‑Brew spun in traffic for a needed answer, and the Laker pressure kept nudging momentum back to the navy and gold.
The sequence of the half belonged to the effort plays: after a miss, Gunderson worked the offensive glass, forced a bailout pass, and Cole Brinkman turned the turnover into an easy layup—timeout Eagles. Two more Sam‑Brew finishes stretched it to nine before Young replied with four straight. Then Dubore took his turn: a slip‑cut layup off a Thompson assist, a perimeter steal into a solo finish, and a late free throw sent Prior Lake to the locker room up 32–22 to complete a low scoring, sloppy first half.
First‑half summary? Defense—good. Layups—good. Turnovers—bad. The Lakers had the right blueprint and a double‑digit cushion; they just needed cleaner execution to close.
A Dunk, a Burst, and a Stranglehold
The second half opened with fireworks: Sam‑Brew back‑door cut, two‑hand dunk—message delivered. Apple Valley flashed a zone; the Lakers cracked it for a layup, banged in a post‑up bucket, and dropped a mid‑range to stretch the lead to 15 in a blink, forcing an early timeout. A timely Eagles three steadied things, but Prior Lake kept forcing turnovers and stacking paint touches.
The middle stretch wasn’t art—missed shots and free throws on both sides—but the Lakers guarded and protected a 10‑point cushion. With seven minutes left, the Eagles tried to trap Thompson in the frontcourt. Bad idea. He slipped a pass to a cutting Gunderson for two, then Gunderson blocked a shot on the other end that sparked a Cole Brinkman transition triple—suddenly the lead was 17. From there it hovered around 15, Apple Valley tossed in a pair of late threes to cut it to 11, and the Lakers slammed the door with a 7–0 closing run behind Thompson and Gunderson at the stripe.
The Difference: Elite Defense & Ownership of the Glass
This was a statement on the defensive end of the floor. The Lakers held the athletic Eagles to 48, never letting Apple Valley establish rim pressure, which unlocked aggressive, connected perimeter coverage all night. Sam‑Brew and Ian Wang were outstanding on Young, denying easy shots and drives without requiring help defense. Since their 1–4 start, Prior Lake has held opponents under 54 points in seven straight - elite AAAA‑level defense built on length, communication, and disciplined rotations.
On the glass, the Lakers dominated 40–24. Gunderson set the tone with 9 boards, Sam‑Brew added 7, and overall team rebounding kept Eagle second chances to a minimum.
Numbers to Know
Final: Prior Lake 65, Apple Valley 48
Scoring: Thompson 19, Sam‑Brew 14, Gunderson 13
Rebounding: Lakers 40–24 (Gunderson 9, Sam‑Brew 7)
Playmaking: 13 assists (Thompson 4, Dubore 3)
Ball Security: 20 turnovers (the one blemish that kept Apple Valley within shouting distance)
Takeaways: A boatload of steals—Sam‑Brew 5, Dubore 3, with multiple Lakers at 2
Shooting: Below season averages and only one triple after halftime, but enough layups and free throws (10/15 in 2H) to finish it
Around the Program
9A: 71–66 (win)
9B: 47–11 (win)
B Squad: 52–28 (win)
JV: 71–29 (win…and still undefeated!!!)
What’s Next
The streak is real, and the schedule doesn’t slow down. The Lakers return home Thursday, January 15 to host Eagan, a Wildcats squad that started 8–0 before hitting turbulence. Expect Prior Lake to keep the pressure defense humming while re‑centering the shot diet—chasing win No. 8 in a row with the conference race heating up.