The Week That Was #5: Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

The weather this past week was cold, colder, coldest. That didn't stop some of the best shooters from being hot, hotter, hottest. In a week when postponements and cancellations were the order of the day, many of the kids who were lucky enough to play made the most of their opportunities including Luverne senior [player_tooltip player_id='339135' first='Elizabeth' last='Wagner'] and Cass Lake-Bena sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='396431' first='Gabby' last='Fineday']. We'll begin our recap of the Week That Was #5 with the milestone performances they delivered.   MILESTONES   Regardless of how it happens, reaching 1,000 career points is a terrific achievement. But doing the deed with a little extra flair is a rather nice cherry on top. That's what [player_tooltip player_id='339134' first='Christina' last='Wagner'] and [player_tooltip player_id='396431' first='Gabby' last='Fineday'] did last week. Pictured above, Wagner is a 6-footer who has committed to Southwest Minnesota State with her sister Christina. She scored a school-record 42 points along with 8 rebounds and 5 steals on Monday against Redwood Valley to surpass the 1,000 mark. The next night against Hills-Beaver Creek she added another 27 just for good measure.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2022/12/Fineday-1000.jpg?w=642" alt="" class="wp-image-572201" width="321" height="413" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: Twitter/GFineday</figcaption></figure>   Fineday is only a sophomore but she has been lighting it up from downtown at Cass Lake since moving there as a 7th grader. She made quick work of 1,000 on Thursday against Mahnomen-Wabun with a 37-point night. Her milestone bucket was a monster three from out by the center court logo, a feat that sent the Panther faithful into a frenzy. Gabby was 9-for-15 from the field, 6-for-10 from three, and 13-of-17 at the free throw line. She also had 6 rebounds, 5 assists and 8 steals. Just another day at the office for the sharpshooter. Gabby will play next spring for the Minnesota Fury's top 2025 squad.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2022/12/Lahti-1000.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-572228" width="512" height="330" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: Twitter/JeffLahti5</figcaption></figure>   We're aware of one other player reaching the magic 1,000 last week. That would be Pine City senior [player_tooltip player_id='108318' first='Sophie' last='Lahti']. Despite missing a complete season with an ACL injury, Sophie did the deed against Hinckley-Finlayson on Monday with a 26-point performance. Lahti is a Top 20 senior who has committed to Wisconsin-Green Bay.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2022/12/Ivy-Fasching-2.jpg?w=946" alt="" class="wp-image-572240" width="473" height="512" /></figure>   A FOUL ODOR   On Monday night at Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted there was a strange set of circumstances, a remarkable finish, and a record-setting performance from senior guard [player_tooltip player_id='343697' first='Ivy' last='Fasching'] (photo) all at once. As reported by Kip Kovar in the Delano Herald-Journal, the Lakers were playing with a short bench when they found themselves in foul trouble late in their game against Lester Prairie. One player had already fouled out and four of the five athletes on the floor had four fouls apiece. Somehow HLWW made it through nearly 13 minutes in that precarious situation and prevailed, scoring a 78-67 win over the previously unbeaten Bulldogs. The Lakers were led by Fasching, who was unconscious on the night from long distance. Ivy went 8-for-11 from three-point range and set a school single game record with 41 points. You can read Kip's full game report at <a href="http://www.hjblogs.com/prep-girls-basketball-faschings-monster-game-helps-hlww-hold-off-lester-prairie/">hjblogs.com</a>.   INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCES   We've written a number of items about [player_tooltip player_id='502533' first='Jensyn' last='Storhoff'] of Lanesboro and Air Minnesota over the past few months. Her hard work is definitely paying off with success at the varsity level. After the Burros dropped their first game of the year, Jensyn has led Lanesboro to five straight victories. Over their past three games she has averaged 19 points, nearly 5 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 5 steals per game earning Lanesboro Athlete of the Week honors. The Burros had their last two contests postponed by the weather. They'll resume play Jan. 3 at Mabel-Canton.   On Tuesday we watched the return of 8th grade standout [player_tooltip player_id='377583' first='Mya' last='Wilson'] to the Mahtomedi lineup. The lengthy guard was out all fall with a foot injury but it didn't take her long to get back in the groove against Mounds View. She scored inside and out to reach double figures including one pretty baseline drive that saw Wilson shimmy shake her defender one-on-one, elevate to the rim and kiss one off the glass for a pretty basket. The Zephyrs turned in a solid performance to get the 80-66 win. We were impressed with the Mounds View duo of 2024 guard [player_tooltip player_id='350109' first='Bria' last='Stenstrom'] and 2023 guard [player_tooltip player_id='474477' first='Jess' last='Eischens'], both of whom are ranked among the Prep Girls Hoops prospects in their respective grades. They are the engine that makes the Mustangs go, working really well together to generate offense and provide leadership. Both are small and crafty, with quality skills and a good feel for the game. Stenstrom scored 27 points while Eischens had 13.   The Stark sisters of Yellow Medicine East have been making their presence felt for the Sting through the first month of the season. On Tuesday they beat Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City 80-75 thanks to a 30-and-7 performance from senior [player_tooltip player_id='186143' first='Hannah' last='Stark']. The Briar Cliff commit is averaging 21 points and 8 rebounds per game. Her 9th grade sister [player_tooltip player_id='502547' first='Hope' last='Stark'] contributed 11 points, 6 rebounds and 8 assists in the win. She's running the point for YME, playing over 30 minutes a night and is averaging nearly 9 ppg. Hope was really strong at the Prep Girls Hoops Freshmen Showcase this fall and the trend is clearly continuing.   After falling to Class 2A powers Sauk Centre and Albany on opening weekend, Holdingford has rolled off four wins in a row. Last week against St. Cloud Cathedral the Huskers' big trio showed what they are capable of. Junior [player_tooltip player_id='563259' first='Maddy' last='Mitchell'] had 16 points and 8 assists, junior Makenna Hohbein  scored 17 points and 5 steals, and Top 100 sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='396438' first='Addison' last='Pilarski'] put up 17 points, 7 rebounds and 4 blocks. The Huskers will face a stiff challenge Thursday in St. Cloud when they meet Duluth Marshall at the Granite City Classic.   AT THE NEXT LEVEL   On Monday we watched opening night in the Summit League, the Division 1 circuit that features the most Minnesota high school graduates. We saw Roseau's Kacie Borowicz, the 2019 Minnesota Miss Basketball, and Centennial product Claire Orth lead North Dakota to an impressive win over St. Thomas. Through a dozen games Borowicz leads all Summit scorers with 22 points per game. On Wednesday we saw Grand Rapids graduate Heaven Hamling lead North Dakota State to a win over the Tommies.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2022/12/EIU-girls.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-572206" width="512" height="359" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Purcell, Washington, Bengtson, McGlothan, Monahan</figcaption></figure>   Thursday's highlight was Eastern Illinois' visit to Williams Arena as five Minnesota products returned home to face the Gophers, drawing a huge crowd of supporters in spite of the treacherous driving conditions. The Panthers were the better team through three quarters led by Lariah Washington of St. Cloud Apollo, Miah Monahan of Glencoe-Silver Lake, Julia Bengtson of Becker and Hannah Purcell of Annandale. The Panthers' game plan was drawn up by assistant coach Marqus McGlothan, who is well-known in these parts for his work in AAU with North Tartan. Sparked by Chaska's Mallory Heyer, the Gophers put together a near perfect fourth quarter to come from eight points behind and win 59-48.   COMING UP   It's holiday tournament week with great events across Minnesota. We'll be watching games from around the state on Tuesday and Wednesday before migrating up to the St. Cloud area for the Breakdown USA Granite City Classic on Thursday and Friday. Look for a preview Tuesday of the best games to watch this week.

The weather this past week was cold, colder, coldest. That didn't stop some of the best shooters from being hot, hotter, hottest. In a week when postponements and cancellations were the order of the day, many of the kids who were lucky enough to play made the most of their opportunities including Luverne senior Elizabeth Wagner Elizabeth Wagner 6'0" | SF Luverne Public | 2023 State MN and Cass Lake-Bena sophomore Gabrielle Fineday Gabrielle Fineday 5'8" | SG Cass Lake-Bena | 2025 State MN . We'll begin our recap of the Week That Was #5 with the milestone performances they delivered.