Eastview’s firepower was in full force again at Lakeville North

<p>The polls say undefeated Eastview is the number one-ranked team in Minnesota. Friday night, the Lightning showed why as they rolled into Lakeville with a perfect record and departed with a 68-59 victory. The Lightning&#039;s firepower was at full force not long after the opening tip as senior <strong>Mariah Alipate</strong> drained a long three to launch the onslaught, followed by another from senior <strong>Andrea Abrams</strong>. Alipate quickly scored again for a quick 9-0 lead. After super sophomore <strong>Lauren Jensen</strong> got Lakeville North on the board, Eastview&#039;s <strong>Maci Guebert</strong> drained yet another three.</p> <p>By the time North coach Shelly Clemons called timeout, the Lightning hadn&#039;t missed a shot, the score was 14-2 and Eastview&#039;s outstanding senior forward <strong>Megan Walstad</strong> had literally not touched the ball yet. Shortly thereafter, she too drained a three and a two. Then Guebert did the same and it was 24-8. "It&#039;s never our game plan to just jack up shots. It&#039;s about taking the best shot available," said Eastview coach Molly Kasper. "At that point I know it&#039;s not going to go on forever, but I am also not ever surprised when it happens. The biggest thing is we need to be able to ride that out."</p> <p>Eastview certainly rode it until halftime. The Lightning made nine – count &#039;em nine – threes in the opening period. The last time they met, Eastview built a double-digit lead only to see the Panthers roar back to tie it. The pattern was similar on Friday, as Lakeville North gradually chipped away at the lead. They closed the gap to five at the break, thinks largely to the impressive play of Jensen and junior guard <strong>Analiese Tschida</strong>, who each had 12 points in the half. Lakeville tied it at 40 less than two minutes into the second and the game was on.</p> <p>Jensen is a handful for defenders. She has a vast array of skills that have made her a top 5 player in the Class of 2020 and a target of numerous power 5 programs, including one whose coach was in in the front row Friday night. Jensen&#039;s pull-up jump shot is deadly, and she used it frequently in a 24-point performance. "We obviously have to game plan for her, but they have a lot of good players. The two posts (<strong>Taylor Brown</strong> and <strong>Ke James</strong>) are going to play college basketball, the other two (Tschida and <strong>Kari Macura</strong>) are great athletes, and Lauren will probably go big D1," Kasper said. "The bottom line is, we have to contest her shots and that&#039;s the best we can do."</p> <p>When last they met, Jensen&#039;s desperation heave from nearly half court went down at the buzzer to force overtime before the Lightning prevailed. On Friday, Jensen was carrying the Panthers on her back again. That&#039;s when Eastview went from outside to inside and Walstad went to work. Megan (Wisconsin-Milwaukee) scored five key field goals down the stretch, and combined with Guebert for five important free throws. Lakeville had no more answers, as Walstad finished with 23 points while Guebert had 19.</p> <p>Kasper was not happy with her team&#039;s ball security, or lack thereof. It was a major factor in Lakeville&#039;s comeback as the Panthers cashed in on turnovers to score several times in transition. Lakeville is quick and athletic, and their 1-2-2 defense was very aggressive. "It was a rollercoaster of emotions," Kasper said. "I mean, we were up 16, we got down three, and we end up winning by almost 10. We&#039;ve just got to find a better way to level that out."</p> <p>Eastview has now defeated Lakeville North twice, in addition to #3 Hopkins, #4 St. Michael-Albertville, 3A #4 Northfield, #11 Farmington and six other ranked opponents. Lakeville North dropped to 13-5 leaving the Panthers without a single signature win. The expectations are high for Eastview&#039;s core – Guebert, Walstad, and <strong>Emma Carpenter</strong> – but this year Alipate has elevated her play significantly. The two other players who have really made their mark are Abrams, a 6-foot senior forward, and <strong>Cassidy Carson</strong>, a 6-foot freshman. Abrams does so much so well, and has been making big stops and big shots all season. Carson is 6th in the Lightning rotation, and the point guard&#039;s role continues to grow. "Andrea has had a huge impact. She was basically an unknown player last year, even though she shot 60 percent from three," Kasper said. "Cassidy is the first 8th grader we have ever moved up in 20 years of the program. Her evolution is fun to watch… The sky is the limit for her."</p> <p>With their confidence at its peak, and an arsenal of effective weaponry, the sky is the limit for Eastview as a whole. With 10 games remaining, and only two ranked opponents on the docket, an undefeated season is not out of the question. So far, Eastview has had all the right answers.</p>