Players who showed out during Week 11

There was plenty of great basketball to watch in Week 11. From marquee matchups in the Lake Conference, to nail-biter finishes at the Breakdown Community Clash on Saturday, there was no shortage of excitement. I spent all day Saturday in St. Michael for the Breakdown event, which we will cover later in the week. But first, let's take a look at some standout performers from the variety of games I was able to catch on Thursday and Friday.   [player_tooltip player_id='908286' first='Lauren' last='Robison'] – 2028 Guard, Lakeville North   The Lakeville North sophomore (pictured above) has been on a tear since returning from injury early last month, averaging just shy of 15 points per game. That streak continued on Friday night when Robison dropped 18 points against Prior Lake. A top-20 ranked prospect in the sophomore class, Lauren found a variety of ways to score against the Lakers, but was particularly efficient from beyond the three-point line. The 5'8 guard excels at using screens to get open. Curling tight off the shoulder of her teammate, Robison is able to create just enough time and space to get an open shot. When she wasn't draining shots from beyond the arc, the Panthers sophomore generated numerous stops on the perimeter and delivered full-court dime passes to her teammates in transition.   [player_tooltip player_id='657022' first='Ava' last='Brynteson'] – 2027 Guard/Forward, Prior Lake   Though things got off to a slow start on Friday night, the Prior Lake junior put on a big-time performance in the second half against Lakeville North. Brynteson came out hot after the break, beginning on the defensive end. Using her physicality and active hands, the 5'11 combo guard turned deflections into steals, leading to transition scoring opportunities on the other end. The Lakers junior was aggressive on both the offensive and defensive glass. Ava used her strength to gain positioning under the basket, allowing her to snag multiple rebounds away from her opponents. Brynteson found plenty of openings to attack the basket where she finished through contact and earned several trips to the free throw line. She finished the contest with a team-high 18 points.    [player_tooltip player_id='1243842' first='Mara' last='Segerstrom'] – 2030 Forward, Prior Lake   The only middle-schooler on the Prior Lake varsity roster, Segerstrom provided impactful minutes off the bench in Friday's matchup against Lakeville North. As soon as the 8th grader entered the game, she looked for opportunities to score. Mara has a long, explosive stride and a tight handle on the basketball, allowing her to get open looks by attacking from the perimeter. She has a keen understanding of how to space and relocate on the floor, allowing the Lakers to keep the offense flowing. On the defensive end, the 6-foot forward sprinted back on every possession. Mara defended with energy, generated deflections and forced turnovers, and showed no fear when going up against giant Lakeville North post [player_tooltip player_id='644878' first='Sahara' last='Wilson'] in the paint.   [player_tooltip player_id='1712115' first='Bentley' last='Miller'] – 2030 Forward, Mounds View   When watching Mounds View take on East Ridge on Thursday evening, it didn't take long at all for Miller to make a great first impression on me. The Mustangs 8th grader stands somewhere around 5'11 and has a big, muscular frame. She runs the floor with ease, plays hard, and looked truly confident from the moment she stepped foot on the floor. I was impressed with Bentley's physicality in the paint and sheer willingness to take on the challenge of going up against the Raptors much older and larger post players. On the offensive end, Miller showed no hesitation in looking to score, finding great looks for herself in the midrange, finishing her shot with a silky-smooth release.   [player_tooltip player_id='910063' first='Taylor' last='Whitehill'] – 2027 Guard, Mounds View   Whitehill put on a well-rounded performance on Thursday night, leading the way in the matchup against East Ridge. The bouncy, 5'11 guard came out aggressive, looking to score early and often. Taylor hit shots from beyond-the-arc, made several trips to the charity stripe, and stopped on a dime for pull-up jumpers at the elbow, finishing with her signature quick, snappy release. On the other end of the floor, the Mustangs junior defended with energy on the perimeter, using her ample length to get in the passing lanes and generate deflections. Taylor consistently boxed-out her opponents when a shot went up, allowing her to snag numerous rebounds. Along with 8th grader [player_tooltip player_id='1120672' first='Jaycie' last='Helmer'], Whitehill has been a consistent contributor for Mounds View this winter, averaging 13.3 points and 5.8 boards per game.

There was plenty of great basketball to watch in Week 11. From marquee matchups in the Lake Conference, to nail-biter finishes at the Breakdown Community Clash on Saturday, there was no shortage of excitement. I spent all day Saturday in St. Michael for the Breakdown event, which we will cover later in the week. But first, let's take a look at some standout performers from the variety of games I was able to catch on Thursday and Friday.