Chanhassen 12/22

Dec 22

Lakers Roll Into the Holidays With a Statement Win Over Chanhassen

CHANHASSEN, Minn. — December 22
The Prior Lake Lakers packed some early holiday spirit—and a whole lot of firepower—into their pre‑break road trip Monday night, delivering a dominant 85–43 win over the Chanhassen Storm. Coming off their best performance of the season at Farmington, the Lakers were out to prove that momentum wasn’t a fluke. Mission accomplished.

A Sizeable Challenge? No Problem.

With starters Colten Gunderson, Kobby Sam‑Brew, Cole Brinkman, Max Dubore, and Kolby Thompson on the floor, it didn’t take long to realize the Storm had brought length, height, and physicality. Chanhassen used that size to build a quick 13–7 lead, attacking the rim and finishing inside.

But Prior Lake didn’t blink.

The Lakers chipped away until a smooth up‑and‑under from Woeser Jenpa gave Prior Lake its first lead of the night at 18–17. Even as inconsistency crept in—like a missed rotation after a Jenpa three that handed the Storm a layup and forced a timeout—the Lakers kept attacking downhill and knocking down rhythm threes.

A First‑Half Finish Worth Framing

Few plays captured the night better than the final sequence of the first half.

Trey Theis tied up the Storm for a jump ball, then moments later took the inbound, turned the corner, and delivered a gorgeous drive‑and‑dish to Sam‑Brew for a layup with under two seconds left. The bench erupted, and the Lakers stormed into halftime with a 40–33 lead and full control of the game’s energy.

The Second‑Half Avalanche

If the first half showed flashes, the second half showed fury.

Prior Lake opened with a beautifully executed set that freed Thompson for a clean three—splash. Then Thompson found Gunderson for a finish inside. Suddenly it was a 9–0 run, a 47–33 lead, and a Chanhassen timeout desperately trying to slow the Laker surge.

No such luck.

What followed was the most complete defensive half the Lakers have produced all season. On‑ball pressure smothered ball handlers, passing lanes vanished, and hurried decisions turned into turnovers—and turnovers turned into layups and threes on the other end. Prior Lake’s lead ballooned to 15, then 20, then 25 as the Storm offense dissolved under blue‑and‑gold pressure.

From the final possession of the first half to the final horn, Prior Lake outscored Chanhassen 47–10. Yes, you read that right.

Bench Brilliance

The story of the night? Depth. Relentless, joyful, difference‑making depth.

Theis, Jenpa, and Erik Post all reached double figures, bringing scoring, ball movement, toughness, and defensive havoc every time they touched the floor. The entire bench unit made life miserable for Chanhassen, completely changing the game’s tempo and tone.

Sharing Is Winning

For the second straight game, Prior Lake topped 20 assists, a testament to crisp ball movement and decisive reads. Thompson, Dubore, and Loehlein each tallied four helpers, while Theis led the way with five—another example of the balance the Lakers showcased all night.

Stat Leaders

· Scoring:

Sam‑Brew — 16
Jenpa — 14
Theis — 14
Thompson — 13 (including four threes)
Post — 11

· Rebounding:

Theis — 6 (a force on the glass)
Gunderson — 4

· Assists:

Theis — 5
Thompson, Dubore, Loehlein — 4 each

Program‑Wide Results

JV: Held off a late Storm rally to remain undefeated.
9A: Fell 52–61 in a competitive battle.
9B: Rolled to a 56–41 victory.

What’s Next

With momentum building and a newfound offensive rhythm, Prior Lake now heads into the holiday break riding high. But there’s no time to get comfortable—two games await at the Shakopee Holiday Tournament on December 29 and 30, beginning with a 4:30 p.m. matchup against Chaska on December 29.

If the Lakers bring the same balance, energy, and defensive tenacity they showed in Chanhassen, they’ll be a handful for anybody as conference play heats up.

Logan Wang