Olivia Christianson was best of the best Saturday at Hayfield

<p>The first time I met <strong>Olivia Christianson</strong> it was in the aftermath of a heartbreaking loss about a year ago in Austin. In the final moments, the freshman had turned the ball over on a play that may have cost Lyle-Austin Pacelli the game – at least that&#39;s how she felt – and there were tears streaming down her cheeks. Christianson was probably looking for somewhere to hide but, instead, gathered her composure and took a few minutes to answer questions about the most uncomfortable thing possible – herself.</p> <p>Saturday afternoon in Hayfield, Olivia and I spoke again following the Athletics&#39; stunning 69-50 comeback win over Mayer Lutheran. It was a game she had taken over during a second half in which LAP outscored its opponent by more than 20. I have watched an awful lot of games this season – over 120 teams so far – and have seen a lot of impressive players, but this was the best all-around individual performance to date. Despite the fact that there was no shortage of nice prospects among the 16 teams playing on Saturday, Christianson outplayed them all. "She is the most talented kid, the most complete basketball player we have ever had," said LAP coach Justin Morris. "She is so athletic. She can do it all. She can shoot the three. She can attack the rim. She&#39;s unbelievable. She doesn&#39;t know how good she can be."</p> <p>It was not a good first half for the Athletics. They were mostly out of sync and struggling to execute anything. Mayer Lutheran, on the other hand, was playing rather well. Led by the likes of <strong>Mya Chmielewski</strong>, <strong>Maddy Hucky</strong> and <strong>Brooke Paulsrud</strong>, the Crusaders were leading the #2 team in class A.  "We weren&#39;t ready for them," Morris admitted. "They took the fight to us in the first half and completely outplayed us. We made some adjustments at halftime."</p> <p>Then Christianson went to work, combining with 6&#39;4" senior post <strong>Kristi Fett</strong> (MSU-Mankato) to make Mayer&#39;s life difficult. She was relentless in the press, hounding every Mayer ball handler into submission, taking away their time and space over and over, forcing turnovers and generally causing havoc. The 5&#39;10" sophomore is very long. She has quick feet and good instincts, and defends with the kind of passion you simply can&#39;t teach. Christianson sparked Lyle-AP to a monster run that saw the Athletics stretch the lead to as much as 26.</p> <p>"When she gets rolling the light just goes off and she takes control. I thought she changed the game with her aggressiveness," Morris said. "In the press she is so athletic that you can&#39;t match up with her. In the half court she works the high post and it’s a really difficult matchup. If they want to come help in the middle, we have really good outside shooters who can knock down shots. She opened up the floor for everybody."</p> <p>The win raised Lyle-Pacelli&#39;s record to 14-1, and the Athletics are legitimate contenders for a small-school state title. Fett had 26 points and 13 rebounds in this game. Christianson was 9/14 from two, 1/2 from three, and 5/8 at the line for 26 points. She had 6 rebounds, 6 steals, 2 assists, 1 block and zero turnovers. We have seen flashes of this excellence before, both during her freshman year and with the Southern Minnesota Fury. The brilliance would come and go, but you could see the potential. Christianson entered the season ranked in the 80s among the Class of 2020 but will soon be moving up. With exceptional athleticism, a big, powerful body, and a solid skillset, Olivia is a scholarship-level prospect. When we spoke briefly in the lobby after the game, I asked if this was how she had been playing all season. "Pretty much," she replied softly. As you might suspect, there were no tears.</p>