Eastview 1/22
Jaden Colonna #34
Lakers Turn Up the Heat in a Frozen Gym: Prior Lake 91, Eastview 53
January 22, 2026 — APPLE VALLEY, Minn.
On a night when the temperature outside threatened frostbite, the Prior Lake Lakers brought enough heat inside Eastview High School to melt the Midwest.
Riding a nine‑game winning streak and sitting atop the SSC, the Lakers rolled into town looking every bit like one of the hottest teams in Minnesota. Eastview, athletic and hungry despite a tough season, was hoping to spring an upset—but the Lakers never let this one breathe.
From the opening tip, Prior Lake lit the gym on fire.
A Blizzard Outside, a Firestorm Inside
Starters Kolby Thompson, Max Dubore, Cole Brinkman, Kobby Sam‑Brew, and Colten Gunderson wasted zero time letting Eastview know what kind of night this would be.
Brinkman knocked down a free throw.
Sam‑Brew sliced in for a layup.
Dubore cashed a breakaway.
Then Thompson picked a pocket and stepped into a transition three.
8–0.
The Lightning hadn’t even found their footing before the storm hit.
Eastview tried to stop the bleeding with a timeout, then hit a three out of it—but the Lakers simply piled on eight more points, turning the game into a fast‑moving avalanche. Just minutes in, it was 16–3, and Prior Lake had built the kind of start that road teams dream of.
Control, Composure, and a Whole Lot of Buckets
The rest of the first half played out with a familiar rhythm: Eastview battling, Prior Lake answering, and the lead holding comfortably in double digits.
The Lakers found scoring from everywhere—threes, rim attacks, early offense, and their patented mix of ball movement and physicality. Defensively, they were sharp, making life difficult on Eastview’s best athletes.
Late in the half, another Laker burst pushed the lead to 20, threatening to blow the doors off the gym, but the Lightning scraped together a few late buckets—including a buzzer‑beating three—to go into the break with a bit of hope.
Halftime score: Prior Lake 50, Eastview 36.
Comfortable, but far from done.
The Second‑Half Surge: Lakers Hit Another Gear
Five minutes into the second half, Eastview’s hope evaporated.
The teams traded baskets early, but the Lakers simply made more of theirs. The lead pushed back to 20, and from there, Prior Lake never looked back.
The run became a wave.
The wave became a tsunami.
20‑point lead.
25.
30.
40.
Everything was working:
The defense locked down, blowing up ball screens and denying paint touches.
The threes started falling like snowflakes.
Depth and physicality overwhelmed Eastview’s rotations.
Fresh legs brought fresh energy with every substitution.
By the time the final horn sounded, the scoreboard read:
Prior Lake 91, Eastview 53.
A 38‑point conference road win. Pure domination.
A Team Growing Before Our Eyes
This game showed just how far the Lakers have come in recent weeks.
Cleaner offense? Absolutely.
Sharper ball movement? On full display.
More confident, aggressive defense? The second‑half clamps were undeniable.
Inside and perimeter balance? Eastview had no answers.
Even better, the Lakers took care of the ball, finishing with a 24:11 assist‑to‑turnover ratio—their best in weeks. The result? More possessions, more rhythm, more shots, and more buckets.
And the scary part:
There’s still room to get better.
If this group continues adding physicality, speed, and urgency to their already‑dangerous offense and suffocating defense, they’ll have a chance to beat any team in AAAA basketball—home or away.
Stat Leaders
Scoring
Thompson — 16
Jenpa — 15
Sam‑Brew — 13
Rebounding
Trey Theis — 7
Gunderson — 6
Sam‑Brew — 5
Assists
Dubore — 8
Thompson — 5
Sam‑Brew — 2
A balanced, disciplined, lethal offensive showing—exactly what you want on the road.
Around the Program
9A: 70–76 loss
9B: 63–46 win
B Squad: 49–75 loss
JV: 59–43 win
Final Word
The Lakers are now winners of ten straight and sit firmly atop the South Suburban Conference. They’re rolling, improving, and showing the kind of identity that makes February basketball very, very interesting.
If Thursday night was any indication, Prior Lake’s best basketball may still be ahead.