Lakeville South 1/6

Jan 6

Lakers Make a Statement: Blow Past Lakeville South to Open 2026

PRIOR LAKE, Minn. — January 6, 2026

The Prior Lake Lakers kicked off the new year in style, hosting the Lakeville South Cougars and putting on a show that left no doubt: this team is rolling, and the SSC title runs through Prior Lake.

Riding a four-game road winning streak, the Lakers came in hot, looking to keep the momentum going against a Cougars squad loaded with seniors and sitting at 7-1 with impressive wins over Farmington and Edina. With size, skill, and experience at every position, the Cougars looked to be a tough matchup and a great test of how the Lakers would enter the heart of their conference schedule.

The Lakers, meanwhile, had questions: Could they find offensive rhythm after some holiday struggles? Would they keep turnovers down and play a full 36 minutes of consistent basketball?

First Half: Lakers Unleash the Offense

To open the game, the Lakers ran out a lineup of Kolby Thompson, Max Dubore, Cole Brinkman, Kobby Sam-Brew, and Colten Gunderson.

The game started fast—South struck first with a drive-and-kick three, but the Lakers answered right back with a quick inbound and a Thompson layup. The teams traded buckets to a 7-7 tie, but the Lakers looked comfortable, getting the shots they wanted inside and out. While the game was tied, it had the feel of something big for the Lakers.

Then the floodgates opened.

Gunderson powered inside.
Dubore sliced through five defenders for a layup.
A Laker steal turned into another layup, and suddenly it was 15-7 Lakers, forcing South to call an early timeout.

The energy and physicality were all Lakers. Sam-Brew hit a fadeaway from midrange, the Lakers forced another steal and layup, and the lead grew to 19-7. South was reeling.

Colin Johnson tried to stop the bleeding for the Cougars with an and-1, but baskets were rare for South. Over an eight-minute stretch in the middle of the first half, they managed just two, while the Lakers built a 26-14 lead.

Would South claw back before halftime? Not a chance. The Lakers kept answering every Cougar bucket, and when Ian Wang splashed a three to make it 39-19, the lead ballooned to 20.

Gunderson capped another run with a thunderous dunk—his 18th point of the half!—and the Lakers were rolling. South tried everything: traps, zones, but nothing could slow the Lakers down. The defense was relentless, making every Cougar shot a struggle.

A late first-half sequence summed up the night: Lakers pressured South into a deep, desperate fadeaway miss, grabbed the rebound, pushed the pace, and Erik Post finished with a tough and-1 layup. More points for Prior Lake, more questions for South.

Halftime score: 53-19 Lakers. A game that started 7-7 was blown wide open by physical defense, dominant inside play, sharp shooting, and a full-team effort.

Second Half: Lakers Keep the Pedal Down

Any hope of a Cougar comeback was dashed immediately—Thompson stole the ball and scored a layup on South’s first possession. Three minutes in, the lead was 61-21, and the Lakers Live announcers were running out of superlatives.

South never found momentum. The Lakers slowed things down, worked the clock, and took the looks South gave them. The lead hovered near 40 for most of the half, and as the clock dipped under 10 minutes, it grew to 73-29.

Both teams emptied the benches late, giving younger players valuable varsity minutes. South found a few buckets at the end, but the final score—79-40 Lakers—said it all.

Team Stats and Standouts

Gunderson led all scorers with 21 points (18 in the first half, 9/9 in the game).
Sam-Brew and Dubore each had 12.
Thompson added 10.
Trey Theis and Sam-Brew led the boards with 7 rebounds apiece (with 3 of Theis’ rebounds on the offensive end, resulting in extra possessions for the Lakers).
The Lakers racked up 20 assists (Thompson and Dubore with 4 each, Sam-Brew with 3), with nine rotation players notching at least one.
Only seven turnovers—a fantastic assist-to-turnover ratio.

Why It Matters

This was a statement win. South is a top contender for the SSC crown, and the Lakers sent a message: the road to the title goes through Prior Lake. The offense was humming, the defense was suffocating, and the team effort was relentless.

After starting the season with a very tough schedule, the Lakers are settling into rhythm and showing the athleticism, skill, defense, and depth that had many believing they could compete with the best teams in the state. This win proved their quality – now it’s up to the coaches and players to find a way to maintain the high-level play and continue to grow as a team in order to reach the potential and goals of the team in 2026.

Around the Program

Varsity: 79-40 win
JV: Won 73-38 (still undefeated!)
9A: Lost 37-39
9B: Won 56-43
B Squad: Lost 50-55

Next Up

The Lakers travel to Burnsville later this week for their first matchup with the Blaze. Burnsville’s off to a strong start, so it’s another chance for Prior Lake to prove their momentum is here to stay.

Logan Wang