Shakopee 12/30

Dec 30

Lakers Outlast Shakopee in a Gritty Rivalry Battle: Prior Lake 59, Shakopee 54

December 30, 2025 — Shakopee, MN

One day removed from a dramatic win over Chaska, the Prior Lake Lakers walked into Shakopee High School with a clear mission: head into the new year above .500 and riding a four‑game winning streak. Standing in the way? A familiar foe—the Shakopee Sabers, the very team that ended the Lakers’ season in last year’s 2AAAA section final.

Add in the fact that Shakopee is the only team sharing both Prior Lake’s conference and section, and the stakes shot up even higher. This matchup always means more. And on Tuesday night, the Lakers rose to the moment.

Sluggish Start, Surging Response

With starters Kolby Thompson, Max Dubore, Cole Brinkman, Kobby Sam‑Brew, and Colten Gunderson, the Lakers hoped to jump out fast… but instead both teams opened with defensive grit and offensive sputters. Neither squad could buy a bucket for over three minutes until Shakopee finally broke the drought, scoring the game’s first five points.

Prior Lake didn’t get on the board until the 12:13 mark, when Gunderson calmly knocked down two free throws. That cracked the lid. Moments later, Sam‑Brew ripped a steal and hammered down a dunk, followed by a Drew Brinkman three to give the Lakers their first lead at 7–5.

It was that kind of half—slow, physical, defensive. Prior Lake nudged ahead 15–10 before a pair of Sabers free throws and a deep three tied the game at 15. Late buckets pushed Shakopee ahead 25–21, but Brinkman delivered a huge and‑1 to cut it to one.

Unfortunately for the Lakers, Shakopee grabbed two offensive rebounds on the final possession of the half, turning their third attempt into a buzzer‑beating layup and a 27–24 halftime lead.

Second Half: Punch, Counterpunch, and Plenty of Chaos

Prior Lake came out swinging. Sam‑Brew muscled in a tough finish, then picked Shakopee’s pocket to spark momentum. Thompson followed with an and‑1 to tie the game 29–29.

Shakopee briefly retook the lead with a corner three—but then the Lakers took control.

A 7–0 blast. A four‑point lead. A Shakopee timeout.

Energy flipped. The Lakers smelled it.

Out of the timeout, Shakopee hit a highly contested prayer of a three as the shot clock expired, trimming the margin. The teams traded blows: Laker free throws… two Shakopee threes… the Sabers back up 41–39 with 11:42 left.

But Prior Lake answered with poise.

Two beautifully executed set plays led to layups and a 43–41 advantage. Then came the strangest sequence of the night: Shakopee drew a shooting foul and a technical, resulting in four free throws… but converted only one. On the ensuing possession, Sam‑Brew jumped the rotation pass and hammered down a transition dunk.

Instead of trouble, the Lakers walked away with a 3‑point lead.

Moments later, a deflection, a steal, and a layup made it a 5‑point cushion, though a missed rotation allowed Shakopee to claw it back to three. Gunderson restored order with a strong post-up turnaround, and a timely Laker three pushed the lead to eight, forcing another Sabers timeout with 5:19 remaining.

A Nervy Finish — and a Defensive Stand

Prior Lake’s full‑court pressure continued to frustrate Shakopee, melting away seconds and forcing difficult possessions. But with under four minutes left, the Sabers mounted a last‑ditch push:

Free throws cut the lead to 7
More free throws cut it to 6
Another to 5 with 1:47 left

The Lakers went cold at the wrong moment, turning the ball over repeatedly. A timeout at 1:36 attempted to settle the group.

It didn’t get easier. Shakopee drilled a three to cut the margin to 2. When Thompson’s deep attempt rimmed out with under a minute left, the Sabers had the ball and a chance to tie—or steal the lead.

A wide‑open look seemed to materialize at the top of the key for the Sabers… until a flying Prior Lake defender closed out and forced a miss. But Shakopee snagged yet another offensive board—its most dangerous of the night—with 17 seconds left.

On the inbound, Shakopee tried a lob.
On the inbound, Prior Lake said nope.

The Lakers’ athleticism blew it up—deflected, stolen, fouled with 11 seconds remaining.

From there, the victory was in sight.
It was toughness.
It was free throws.
And it was a 59–54 Laker victory.

Stat Leaders

Scoring

Thompson – 16
Sam‑Brew – 14
Gunderson – 10

Rebounding

Gunderson – 9
Sam‑Brew – 5
Theis – 4

Assists

Only 7 total
Dubore – 2
Sam‑Brew – 2

A Rivalry Win, A Winning Record, and a Four‑Game Streak

This wasn’t the cleanest win—but it might be one of the most important.

The Lakers now sit at 5–4, above .500 for the first time this year, and riding a four‑game winning streak heading into January. Winning on the road against a section rival who ended your season? That’s momentum. That’s confidence.

Still, the film will show familiar concerns:

Too many turnovers
Too many offensive rebounds allowed
Too many offensive droughts

But here’s the good news: the Lakers are finding ways to win anyway, and that’s the mark of a team growing tougher by the game.

With conference play heating up and top Minnesota programs on deck each week, Prior Lake looks to keep sharpening its rotations, improving its execution, and stacking wins as the section tournament inches closer.

Around the Program

The Lakers’ full program went 3–2 vs. Shakopee:

9A: Lost 62–65 (tight battle)
9B: Won 48–36
B Squad: Lost 56–63
JV: Won 73–51 (still undefeated!)

Next Up

The calendar flips. The competition ramps up.
And the Lakers?
They’re rolling into 2026 with confidence, momentum, and big aspirations for the season.

Logan Wang