Chaska 12/29

Dec 29

Lakers Live for the Late-Game Lights: Prior Lake 67, Chaska 64

SHAKOPEE, Minn. — Holiday hoops, high drama. Prior Lake headed into the first Holiday Invitational at Shakopee looking to stack momentum against a fellow Section 2AAAA contender, and Monday’s matchup delivered exactly that: a gritty, resilient, and downright fun 67–64 win over the Chaska Hawks. The showdown doubled as game one of the two-day event (Shakopee Holiday Tournament) with the Chaska opener on December 29.

The Setup: Familiar Foes, Fresh Stakes

Both programs arrived with legitimate section-title aspirations and a desire to bank confidence before the calendar flips. Prior Lake had edged Chaska in a preseason Breakdown game, so this one carried a whiff of unfinished business. Chaska—young, long, athletic—came in built around stellar point guard Tyler Forrest, with shooters dotting the arc and slashers who live at the rim. The Lakers countered with a starting five of Kolby Thompson, Max Dubore, Cole Brinkman, Kobby Sam‑Brew, and Colten Gunderson—a group looking to find offensive rhythm and defensive pressure.

First Half: Punch, Counterpunch, and a Late Hawks Surge

The opening minutes were messy on both sides—turnovers, rushed looks, nerves. Chaska grabbed an early 4–0 edge with inside finishes against smaller defenders before Cole Brinkman splashed a corner three to steady Prior Lake. The teams traded buckets for the next five minutes, but back-to-back Hawks threes pushed the margin to 14–7 and swung momentum their way.

Cue the first highlight: Gunderson chased down a Chaska fast break and pinned a layup off the glass—an energizing block that reset Prior Lake’s swagger. The Lakers knocked down a pair of threes to nibble the deficit, only to see Chaska’s offensive rebounding and timely triples keep the lead at five with six to play.

Then came a Laker burst. Thompson nailed a three and cashed a transition layup off a steal; Sam‑Brew added a bucket, and suddenly it was 28–28 with just under four. But Forrest had counters of his own: a downhill finish, a free throw, and a kickout dime for an open three—fueling a 7–0 Hawks run to 34–28. Chaska tacked on two more buckets (including an and‑1) plus two free throws to stretch it to 11. Prior Lake trimmed with two free throws late, heading to halftime down 32–41.

Second Half: Brinkman’s Burst, Dubore’s Calm, and Thompson’s Timely Fire

The restart mirrored the first: tight defenses, forced shots, empty trips. Brinkman broke the stalemate with back-to-back threes to slice the gap to four just under the 15-minute mark. Chaska cooled from deep throughout the middle of the half, and the Lakers kept chipping—winning possessions, stacking stops, and getting just enough downhill paint touches.

With 9:19 left, Dubore stepped to the line and nudged Prior Lake in front for the first time, a cool moment in a tightrope stretch. The Hawks answered with a three and two free throws to regain control, but the Lakers refused to blink. Thompson fired back, drilling a clutch three to flip it to 56–55 with 4:44 on the clock.

Chaska responded with a layup; the Lakers matched—Woeser Jenpa knifed to the rim for two, Gunderson followed with another finish, and the edge stretched to three. Turnovers popped up for both teams, and the Hawks trimmed the lead at the stripe to one with 2:45 remaining.

Jenpa floated into a smooth pull-up to restore the three-point cushion, only for Chaska to answer with an and‑1 floater and knot it 62–62 at 1:30. On the ensuing inbound, Chaska fouled Sam‑Brew, and Kobby calmly buried both free throws—clutch. The Hawks punched back with a putback layup to square it at 64–64.

Then came the shot. With 19 seconds left, Jenpa took the wing, rose over a closing defender, and splashed a deep three that turned the bench into a holiday celebration. The Lakers got the stop they needed to close; ballgame: Prior Lake 67, Chaska 64.

Box Score Highlights

Scoring leaders: Thompson 13, Gunderson 12, Brinkman 11
Glass work: Gunderson 9 rebounds; Jenpa chipped 4; multiple Lakers at 3
Table‑setting: Gunderson 5 assists; Dubore 4; Brinkman 3

What We Learned

This wasn’t art gallery offense, but it was winning basketball. Down double digits, Prior Lake stayed present, trimmed possessions, and seized momentum when Chaska’s threes cooled. Timely buckets from Brinkman and Jenpa were lifelines, and Thompson’s overall shooting was pure octane. The finish—Sam‑Brew’s pressure free throws and Jenpa’s dagger—showed poise you want in March.

Big-picture take: Chaska’s legit. Expect more of them when the Section 2AAAA bracket gets real. For the Lakers, the checklist remains: reduce turnovers, find cohesive offense to produce clean looks every trip, and get more physical and vocal on defense and on the glass. Stack those habits, and the streak keeps rolling.

Around the Program: Five-Game Sweep!

A banner day across levels:

9A: 73–41 (win)
9B: 76–48 (win)
B Squad: 49–46 (win)
JV: 91–53 (win)
That’s a 5–0 sweep over Chaska—momentum you love to carry into the new year.

Next Up

The Lakers run it back tomorrow (Dec. 30) against Shakopee—game two of the holiday set at Shakopee High School and a chance to cement this December surge.

Logan Wang