Game Summaries

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March 8, 2005

Lake City 9 10 14 11 44 St. Bernards 11 15 13 24 63

By: Quinn Sweeney Most good things have to end sometime, and unfortunately for the Tigers it was the 2004-05 basketball season on Tuesday night. The game couldn’t have started any worse for the Tigers, as they fell behind 7-0 early in the ball game. Lake City stormed back, and cut the deficit to 11-9 after one quarter of play. In the second quarter, the Bulldogs continued to shoot well from the outside. Meanwhile, the Tigers were unable to convert in the paint. Quinn Sweeney went coast to coast in the waning seconds and converted both free throws. Sweeney’s free throws made the score 26-19 in favor of St. Bernards. In the third quarter, Lake City rallied behind a large fan base to tie the game at 30. The Tiger faithful were on their feet and hollering for only a short time, as St. Bernards ended the quarter on a 9-3 run. Forced to scramble on defense, the Tigers couldn’t pull within eight the rest of the game. St. Bernards capped the game in typical cities fashion by running up the score with lay-ups. Eric Gosse led the Tigers with 15 points. Quinn Sweeney finished with 12 points, 16 rebounds, five steals and three assists. Alex Borgschatz netted 10 points and dished out five assists, while Nolan Krause added five.

March 5, 2005

Lake City 14 15 13 23 65 Minnesota Transitions 10 12 10 18 50

By: Quinn Sweeney The Lake City Tigers moved on to the sub-section championship game with a win over the Minnesota Transitions Wolves 65-50 in front of a standing room only crowd Saturday night at Lake City High School. Lake City, statistically the best defense in the state of Minnesota, allowing only 37 points per game, met the high scoring Wolves, who were statistically the most prolific offense in the state, averaging over 93 points a game. Something had to give way, and it would be the Transitions offense. In the first quarter, the Wolves jumped out to an early 8-4 advantage. Feeding off of the energy of the crowd, clad in orange and black, the Tigers maintained their poise, and came storming back with a 10-2 run to grab a 14-10 lead late in the quarter. A basket by the Wolves cut the Tiger advantage to 14-12 after one period of play. With two players carrying two fouls for Lake City, the other Tiger teammates stepped up their games in the second quarter. Alex Borgschatz capped the half with an astounding behind the back pass to Nolan Krause that brought the Lake City faithful to their feet. Krause’s basket gave the Tigers a 29-22 lead at intermission. Early in the third quarter, Lake City opened up a 34-24 advantage. Two quick baskets by the Wolves cut the deficit to six. The teams then traded baskets for the next couple of minutes. With time running down in the quarter, Quinn Sweeney secured a rebound and tossed the ball down court to a streaking Eric Gosse. Gosse laid the ball in the hoop as the buzzer sounded, giving the Tigers a 42-32 lead heading into the final quarter. In the fourth quarter, Lake City made just enough free throws to keep the Wolves at bay. With Cash Eggleston out of the game with five fouls, Transitions had no answer for the Tigers inside baskets. Mike Gay closed the game with a lay-up off an assist from Kyle Kennedy as the final horn sounded. Sweeney, who had 21 points, seven rebounds and four assists, led Lake City offensively. Krause had 14 points and nine rebounds. Borgschatz turned in a great overall performance, as he scored 10 points, grabbed eight rebounds and dished out five assists. Gosse netted nine points and hauled down four rebounds. Riley Koller scored six points and had nine rebounds. Lake City committed 22 turnovers for the game against the pressure defense of the Wolves. The Tigers hit 21 of 49 free throws on the evening. With the win, Lake City improved to 25-1 on the season.

March 3, 2005

Lake City 12 7 17 13 49 St. Paul Academy 5 2 16 12 35

By: Quinn Sweeney The Lake City Tigers opened the tournament with a 49-35 win over the visiting St. Paul Academy and Summit School Spartans on Thursday, March 3. SPA hit a three pointer early in the first quarter for their first and only lead of the game. The Tigers answered back with a free throw and Mike Dick three-pointer to take a 4-3 advantage. A driving lay-up by Eric Gosse with time winding down in the quarter gave Lake City a 12-5 advantage after one period of play. In the second quarter, a stifling Lake City defense held SPA without a field goal. The only Spartan points of the quarter came off of two free throws. Lake City was able to score seven points in the quarter and took a 19-7 lead heading into intermission. The Tigers appeared to put the game away early in the third quarter, as they opened with a 15-4 run to grab a 34-11 advantage. The Spartans didn’t go down without a fight as they came back with a 12-2 run of their own to narrow the deficit to 13 points heading into the final quarter. In the fourth quarter, a flurry of baskets by the Spartans cut the Lake City lead to 40-32 with 4:57 remaining. The Tigers were able to make some free throws and lay ups to keep the Spartans at bay. Gosse paced the Tigers with 15 points and four rebounds. Quinn Sweeney added nine points and eight rebounds. Riley Koller netted eight points, while Mike Dick scored six. Nolan Krause played a great game in the post, collecting five points and grabbing eight rebounds. The Tigers tallied 10 assists on the evening, led by Koller, who had four. Alex Borgschatz, Dick and Sweeney had two each. Lake City held a 35-27 edge on the glass. With the win, Lake City improved to 24-1 overall on the year.

February 19, 2005

Lake City 9 11 16 12 48 Rochester Lourdes 17 12 9 8 46

By: Quinn Sweeney The Lake City Tigers capped a remarkable 17-0 conference season with an exhilarating 48-46 victory over Rochester Lourdes in front of a packed gymnasium on Saturday night. The win gave the Tigers the outright HVL Conference Championship for the 2004-05 season. Lake City jumped to a quick 4-0 lead only two minutes into the contest. The Tigers were unable to keep the momentum going, as turnovers led to transition points for Lourdes. Five Tiger turnovers in the first quarter allowed Lourdes to jump to a 17-9 lead after one quarter of play. In the second quarter, turnovers continued to plaque the Tigers. Two three-point baskets, one from Eric Gosse and the other from Alex Borgschatz kept Lake City within striking distance. Lourdes closed the half with two baskets to take a 29-20 lead at intermission. The Tigers made some adjustments at halftime and looked more like the team that came into the game with a 22-1 record in the second half. Turning up the defensive pressure created some Lourdes turnovers, which the Tigers were able to turn into points. Nolan Krause scored six of his eight points in the game, spearheading an 8-0 Tiger run to tie the game at 36. Lourdes scored a basket late in the quarter to take a 38-36 lead into the final period of play. Both teams scored four points in the early stages of the fourth quarter, and the deficit remained at two points for Lake City with 5:39 to play in the game. Lourdes extended the lead to four points with four minutes to play in the game, but Lake City answered back to make the score 44-42 in favor of Lourdes with 3:01 to play. Neither team scored in the next minute, but Alex Borgschatz tied the game at 44 with a nifty bank shot. Lourdes temporarily took a two-point advantage following two free throws with 1:44 remaining. Borgscahtz then promptly answered the Eagles with another basket in the post, tying the game at 46. Lake City forced a bad shot by Lourdes and the ball went off of an Eagle player with 52 seconds remaining. Lake City then held for one final shot. With the clock running down under 10 seconds, Gosse dribbled to his right and fired a bounce pass inside to Krause. Krause was triple teamed, yet still managed to fire up a shot. The ball came up short of the rim, but Quinn Sweeney snatched the ball out of the air. Sweeney then converted a left-handed bank shot with less than a second remaining on the clock. The buzzer was unable to be heard over the wild pandemonium as Lake City took the game by a score of 48-46. Sweeney led the Tiger attack with 14 points and nine rebounds. Borgschatz added 13 points. Gosse netted nine points and grabbed four rebounds. Krause scored eight points, all in the second half. Riley Koller chipped in with four points on the evening for the Tigers. Lake City was able to overcome 18 turnovers, 13 of which were committed in the first half. The Tigers held a 24-15 edge on the glass. Lake City recorded nine assists, with Sweeney and Borgschatz each recording three. Krause led Lake City defensively with four steals. With the win, Lake City improved to 17-0 in conference play and 23-1 overall on the year.

February 17, 2005

Lake City 7 15 10 10 42 Zumbrota-Mazeppa 9 9 10 11 39

By: Quinn Sweeney The Lake City Tigers finished the HVL regular season 16-0 after they escaped with a 42-39 victory over visiting Zumbrota-Mazeppa on Thursday night. Both teams started out slow in the first quarter. Poor help defense by the Tigers allowed Z-M to capitalize on some easy baskets inside. After one quarter Z-M led 9-7. Lake City found its groove offensively in the second quarter and took the lead back from the Cougars. With time winding down in the first half, Eric Gosse drained a three-pointer from the corner to give the Tigers a 22-18 lead at intermission. In the third quarter, the Tigers saw their four point lead evaporate in a hurry, as Zumbrota-Mazeppa tied the game at 22. Lake City ended the third quarter on a 5-0 run and took a 32-28 advantage heading into the fourth quarter. Lake City opened up a seven-point lead in with 6:33 remaining in the game as Nolan Krause converted a three-point play. Zumbrota-Mazeppa answered back with a 7-0 run to tie the game at 35 with 4:28 to play. Lake City took a 38-35 lead on a Gosse trey with a little under two minutes remaining. Z-M netted two free throws to cut the deficit to one point with 1:40 to play. Trying to run out the clock, Lake City turned the ball over with only 40 seconds remaining in the game. Zumbrota-Mazeppa converted the turnover into fast break points, as they took a 39-38 lead. On the ensuing Tiger possession, Alex Borgschatz drove down the lane and drew a host of Cougar defenders. Borgschatz dished the ball off to Krause, who was wide open under the basket. Krause’s bank shot gave Lake City a 40-39 lead with 23.5 seconds to play. Quinn Sweeney corralled an errant Cougar shot attempt with 3.7 seconds remaining on the next possession. Alex Borgschatz then sank two free throws with 1.6 seconds remaining to account for the final points of the ball game. Mike Dick intercepted a long pass down court to end the game. As the buzzer sounded, many Lake City students hoisted brooms, signifying a perfect 16-0 record in conference play for the Tigers. Sweeney led the Tiger attack with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Gosse netted 11 points and added six rebounds. Borgschatz and Krause scored five points each. Cody Blair and Mike Dick rounded out the Tiger scoring column with three points apiece. Lake City finished the game 9-18 from two-point range and 6-19 from beyond the arc. The Tigers held a slim 24-19 rebounding advantage over the Cougars. With the win, Lake City improved to 16-0 in conference play and 22-1 overall on the year.

February 15, 2005

Lake City 11 10 11 16 48 Cannon Falls 7 10 5 8 30

By: Quinn Sweeney The Lake City Tigers moved to 15-0 in conference play following a 48-30 victory over the Cannon Falls Bombers on Tuesday night. The Tigers struggled to put the ball in the basket in the first half. After one quarter of play, Lake City led 11-7. Cannon Falls took the lead for a brief time in the second quarter. The lead didn’t last long as two Eric Gosse baskets before intermission gave the Tigers a 21-17 lead at the break. Great defensive pressure in the third quarter by the Tigers limited Cannon Falls to just five points. Meanwhile, Lake City wore down the Cannon Falls zone and converted easy lay-ups. Heading into the fourth quarter, the Tigers held a 32-22 advantage. In the fourth quarter, solid execution on offense and more defensive pressure put the game out of reach. The lead allowed everyone on the squad to see the floor. Stu Ekblad scored two points, while Eric Denn and Mitch Rigelman each converted one of two free throws. Quinn Sweeney led the Tigers with 13 points and four steals. Nolan Krause scored 10 points and grabbed seven rebounds. Gosse scored nine points. Alex Borgschatz added nine points and six rebounds. With the win Lake City moved to 15-0 in conference play and 21-1 overall on the year.

February 12, 2005

Lake City 12 11 14 8 13 58 Plainview 7 10 13 15 5 50

By: Quinn Sweeney Lake City played through adversity on Saturday night at Plainview and escaped with a 58-50 victory in overtime. In the first quarter, both teams struggled with turnovers. Lake City opened an early lead, as they cut through Plainview’s zone defense to get some easy inside baskets. Riley Koller gave Lake City a 12-7 lead after one quarter, as he drained a three-point basket as the buzzer sounded. In the second quarter, the teams exchanged baskets. Lake City’s biggest lead in the first half was seven points. Heading into the locker room, Lake City held a 23-17 advantage. Every time Lake City was about to extend the lead to double digits, Plainview answered back with a three-point basket. The Tigers took a 37-30 lead going into the fourth quarter. Lake City struggled offensively in the fourth quarter, as Plainview came roaring back to take a two-point advantage with less than two minutes to play. Koller hit a lay-up to tie the game up at 45 with a little over a minute to play. The Tigers came up with three big defensive stops in the last minute to force overtime. In overtime, Alex Borgschatz opened the scoring with a three-pointer from the corner. Following a defensive stop, Eric Gosse made a three-pointer thanks to a fortuitous bounce off the back rim. Plainview answered back with a three-point basket to cut the lead to three. The Gophers added a free throw to cut the lead to two points. On the Tigers next possession, Borgschatz found Gosse under the basket to give the Tigers a 53-49 lead. Plainview then converted one of two free throws to cut the Lake City lead to three points. Borgschatz connected on one of two free throws to give Lake City a 54-50 advantage with 1:08 to play. Plainview was unable to score on their next possession, and Quinn Sweeney made two free throws to make the score 56-50 with 32.8 seconds remaining. The Tigers came up with another stop on defense, and Cody Blair found Mike Dick wide open under the basket for a lay-up. Dick’s lay-up was the final points of the game, as the Tigers escaped with a 58-50 victory. Sweeney led the way for the Tigers, as he scored 20 points and had 15 rebounds. Borgschatz played a solid game for Lake City, scoring 14 points, grabbing nine rebounds, and dishing out seven assists. Dick scored 10 points for the Tigers. Gosse added seven points, six rebounds and six assists to the Lake City totals. The Tigers had 18 assists on the evening, led by Borgschatz’s seven and Gosse’s six. A key in the victory was a commanding 40-22 edge on the glass for Lake City. With the win, Lake City improved to 20-1 on the season.

February 11, 2005

Lake City 18 15 23 1 57 Triton 8 6 9 13 38

By: Quinn Sweeney The Lake City Tigers jumped to an early lead and they never looked back as they cruised past Triton 57-38 in HVL conference play on Friday. In the first quarter, Lake City moved the ball well on offense and got the ball inside to score some easy baskets. After one quarter Lake City led, 18-8. In the second quarter, Lake City’s defensive pressure caused many Triton turnovers. The Tigers capitalized on some fast break points and extended the lead to 33-14 at intermission. Lake City was firing on all cylinders in the third quarter as they extended their lead to over 30 points. With the big lead, many players saw extended action for the Tigers. After three quarters of play, Lake City led 56-25. Both teams struggled offensively in the fourth quarter. The Tigers managed only one point in the frame. The final score was 57-38. Nolan Krause played a great game for Lake City, as he led the Tigers in scoring with 12 points. Quinn Sweeney added 11 points and seven rebounds. Eric Gosse chipped in with 10 points and four rebounds for the Tigers. Cody Blair netted seven points. Lake City had 14 assists as a team. Gosse, Sweeney and Riley Koller all had three each. The Tigers held a 30-20 rebounding edge over Triton. Lake City’s defensive pressure allowed the Tigers to record 12 steals as a team. Krause had four thefts, while Sweeney had three. With the win, Lake City improved to 14-0 in conference play and 19-1 overall on the season.

February 8, 2005

Lake City 11 13 15 10 49 Kenyon-Wanamingo 6 6 12 11 35

By: Quinn Sweeney The Lake City Tigers were able to overcome a slow start and remain undefeated in conference play with a 49-35 victory over Kenyon-Wanamingo. The Tigers had trouble adjusting to K-W’s zone defense in the first quarter. Once the mystery was solved, the Tigers rolled into the second quarter with an 11-6 lead. In the second quarter, Lake City shredded the Knights zone for easy lay-ups. Alex Borgschatz capped the first half with a running lay-up to give the Tigers a 24-12 lead at intermission. In the third quarter, Lake City extended the lead to 39-24 with some easy inside baskets. The Tigers maintained their double-digit lead throughout the fourth quarter. Quinn Sweeney had a big game in the post to lead the Tigers to victory. Sweeney scored 20 points, grabbed nine rebounds and dished out five assists. Nolan Krause had a solid game for the Tigers, scoring 11 points. Riley Koller had seven points and five rebounds. With the win, Lake City moves to 13-0 in conference play and 18-1 overall on the season.

February 4, 2005

Lake City 11 15 16 14 56 Pine Island 6 6 6 7 25

By: Quinn Sweeney The Lake City Tigers rebounded from defeat very nicely, as they cruised past Pine Island 56-25 Friday night. A triangle and two defense couldn’t slow down the Tigers as they jumped out to an 11-6 advantage after one period of play. Lake City turned up the defensive pressure in the second quarter and forced numerous Pine Island turnovers. The Tigers converted three lay-ups in less than two minutes to extend the lead to double digits. At intermission, Lake City led 26-12. The Tigers blew the game wide open in the third quarter as they hit nearly every shot from beyond the arc. Mike Dick canned two treys, while Riley Koller and Eric Gosse made one apiece in the quarter. Quinn Sweeney capped off the quarter with a lay-up off an assist by Dick. Heading into the fourth quarter, Lake City led 42-18. Tremendous defensive pressure by the Tigers in the fourth quarter led to more Pine Island turnovers and more fast break points for Lake City. Justin Olander cam in off the bench and had a great game for the Tigers. Olander had five points and six rebounds in three minutes of action. Offensively, Dick and Koller led Lake City as they each scored 11 points. Sweeney had eight points and 10 rebounds in the game. Teammates Gosse and Nolan Krause scored five each. Lake City had a 41-20 rebounding edge in the game. With the win, Lake City improved to 12-0 in conference play and 17-1 overall on the year.

February 3, 2005

Lake City 13 8 11 8 40 Goodhue 12 11 13 9 45

By: Quinn Sweeney The Lake City Tigers were unable to come up with some clutch baskets down the stretch on Thursday night as they suffered their first defeat of the season at Goodhue, 45-40. In the first quarter, Lake City jumped out to a quick 8-4 lead, however Goodhue countered back to take a 9-8 lead. Two baskets late in the quarter put Lake City up by three, but Goodhue cut the lead to one as a Wildcat player hustled down the court and laid the ball in as time expired. After one period of play Lake City held a 13-12 lead. In the second quarter, Lake City scored two quick baskets to extend the lead to five points. Goodhue answered back with some clutch three-point shooting to snatch a 23-21 lead at intermission. Lake City found itself playing catch-up throughout the third quarter, as they trailed by seven for most of the period. Lake City cut an eight-point deficit to four, as Eric Gosse and Nolan Krause each scored field goals in the last eight seconds of the quarter. With one quarter to play, Lake City trailed 36-32. Unable to regain the lead, Lake City was forced to scramble on defense, which allowed Goodhue to capitalize on a few inside shots. Gosse cut the Goodhue lead in half from six to three as he canned his third three-point basket of the game with 1:42 to play. Riley Koller stole the ensuing inbounds passed and was fouled on the play. Koller missed the front end of the one and one and Goodhue snagged the rebound. The Tigers were forced to foul, and Goodhue extended the lead to five points with 30 seconds to play. Two desperation three-point attempts were off the mark by Lake City, and the game ended with a wild scrum for the ball. Gosse led the way for the Tigers with 12 points and four rebounds. Alex Borgschatz netted 10 points. Goodhue held a commanding 26-14 edge on the glass. Lake City recorded nine assists as a team, with Borgschatz tallying three. The Tigers also had 11 steals in the contest. Quinn Sweeney had four steals, and Krause had three. The loss drops Lake City to 16-1 overall on the year.

January 28, 2005

Lake City 9 12 9 24 54 Hayfield 8 7 11 14 40

By: Quinn Sweeney The Lake City Tigers used a strong defensive effort to halt the upset bid of a prolific scoring Hayfield team on Friday night. The game was within six going into the fourth quarter, but the Tigers capitalized on an 18-6 run to put the game away. Lake City won by a score of 54-40. In the first quarter, Hayfield jumped out to 4-2 lead. Lake City answered back with two quick buckets and the Tigers would never relinquish the lead. After one quarter, Lake City held a one-point lead at 9-8. In the second quarter, Lake City used two three-point plays to extend the lead to seven points, but David Johnson of Hayfield answered with a few buckets late in the quarter to make the score to 21-15 in favor of Lake City at halftime. A string of consecutive Lake City turnovers allowed Hayfield to cut the deficit to just one point at 23-22 in the third quarter. However, Lake City went on an 8-3 run to end the quarter to regain a six-point lead. In the fourth quarter, Lake City exploited Hayfield in the low post. The Tigers went on an 18-6 run to open the fourth quarter and put the game out of reach. The final score was 54-40. Leading the way for Lake City was Quinn Sweeney, who scored 15 points and had eight rebounds. Riley Koller netted nine points and grabbed seven rebounds. Alex Borgschatz had seven points and five rebounds. Nolan Krause turned in a solid effort in the post, as he tallied five points and hauled in nine rebounds. Cody Blair added six points for the Tigers. Lake City held a commanding 42-19 rebounding edge over Hayfield. The Tigers tallied 17 assists as a team, with Borgschatz and Sweeney each recording five on the evening. Lake City also had 15 steals, led by Mike Dick, who had five. Sweeney and Blair had four steals apiece. With the win, Lake City moved to 11-0 in conference play and 16-0 overall on the year. The win also clinched the HVL Blue Division Championship for Lake City.

January 25, 2005

Lake City 10 20 13 13 56 Kasson-Mantorville 8 12 9 16 45

By: Quinn Sweeney The Lake City Tigers remained undefeated on the season by virtue of their 56-45 victory over the Kasson-Mantorville KoMets on Tuesday night. Lake City struggled early in this game. The Tigers were unable to convert bank shots in the paint, which allowed the KoMets to jump out to an 8-3 lead. Lake City ended the quarter on a 7-0 run and took a 10-8 lead into the second quarter. The offensive production stepped up in the second quarter for the Tigers. Lake City scored 20 points, while holding K-M to 12 points. The Tigers took a 30-20 lead at intermission. Lake City was able to extend their lead in the third quarter, thanks to some nice interior passing against the KoMet zone. After three quarters of play, Lake City led 43-29. In the fourth quarter, Lake City was able to maintain a comfortable double-digit lead and took the game by a score of 56-45. Stu Ekblad scored four points in the quarter off of the bench. Quinn Sweeney, who had 13 points, eight rebounds and six assists, led the Tigers. Alex Borgschatz had 11 points and three assists. Riley Koller added eight points and five rebounds. Lake City moves to 15-0 overall on the season and 10-0 in conference play following the victory.

January 20, 2005

Lake City 14 9 23 8 54 Zumbrota-Mazeppa 7 7 7 14 35

By: Quinn Sweeney The Lake City Tigers started out fast, grabbed an early lead, and never looked back in a 54-35 romp over rival Zumbrota-Mazeppa. Early inside baskets by Nolan Krause and Quinn Sweeney aided in giving the Tigers a 14-7 lead after the first quarter. Tenacious Tiger defense in the second quarter limited the Cougars to just three points. Meanwhile, nice interior passing by the Tigers helped extend the lead to 23-14 at intermission. Lake City was unconscious from beyond the arc in the third quarter. A barrage of three-point baskets put the game out of reach. As the quarter ended, Mike Dick heaved in an off balance shot falling out of bounds. The Tigers led 46-21 after three quarters. In the fourth quarter, everybody saw the floor for the Tigers. Brady Balow and Mike Gay each scored a basket off the bench for the Tigers. Sweeney led the Tigers with 13 points. Alex Borgschatz had 12 points and three assists. Eric Gosse had nine points, while Nolan Krause had eight points and six rebounds. Lake City improves to 14-0 overall on the year and 9-0 in conference play with the win.

January 14, 2005

Lake City 11 11 15 16 53 Stewartville 6 6 12 5 29

By: Quinn Sweeney Despite playing one of their worst games of the season, the Lake City Tigers emerged victorious over Stewartville on Friday night by a score of 53-29. Lake City struggled to find its groove against Stewartville’s 1-3-1 zone defense in the first half. After one quarter of play, Lake City led 11-6. In the second quarter, the Tigers got back on track and knocked down a couple of open shots. Lake City extended their lead to 22-12 at intermission. In the third quarter, Lake City continued to pull away using good defensive pressure to bottle up Stewartville’s offensive attack. Mike Dick hit two three-point baskets in the quarter to help Lake City extend the lead to 37-22 heading into the final quarter. A strong defensive effort allowed everyone to see the floor in the fourth quarter. Eric Denn knocked down four of six free throws in the fourth quarter. Dick led the way with 11 points and three treys for the Tigers. Riley Koller added 10 points, seven rebounds and three assists. Alex Borgschatz and Eric Gosse had nine points apiece. Gosse added five steals. Lake City was able to overcome 19 turnovers by forcing 22. Lake City improves to 13-0 overall on the year and 8-0 in conference play with the win.

January 8, 2005

Lake City 14 17 18 10 59 St. Paul Academy 10 9 11 15 45

By: Quinn Sweeney The Lake City Tigers didn’t play their best basketball on Saturday, January 8th, but it was enough to get a 59-45 win over St. Paul Academy, a potential section opponent. Lake City opened up a seven-point lead in the first quarter, but St. Paul Academy hit two uncontested three-point baskets to cut into the Tiger lead. After one period of play, Lake City led 14-10. The Tigers cashed in on shots from the charity stripe in the second quarter to open up a double-digit lead. Mike Dick was unable to hit a shot as time expired, keeping the score at 31-19 in favor of the Tigers. Lake City rode the play of seniors Eric Gosse and Quinn Sweeney in the first half as the two combined for 27 of the Tigers 31 points. In the third quarter, Lake City blew the game open with some easy inside shots. The Tigers were also able to score a few points in transition and off put back opportunities. Heading into the fourth quarter, Lake City held a 49-30 advantage. The Tigers maintained a 20-point lead throughout the fourth quarter. St. Paul Academy instituted a full court press to cause seven Lake City turnovers in the final three minutes of the game. The final score ended up being 59-45. Quinn Sweeney and Eric Gosse led the way for Lake City offensively. Sweeney scored 22 points on 12 of 14 free throw shooting and had nine rebounds. Gosse netted 17 points, 15 of those coming in the first half and also grabbed seven rebounds. Stu Ekblad came in off the bench and played well, as he scored 10 points and had four rebounds. Cody Blair added six rebounds for Lake City. The Tigers held a commanding 42-24 advantage on the glass. With the win, Lake City improved to 12-0 overall on the season.

January 7, 2005

Lake City 6 17 14 11 48 Byron 2 8 11 6 27

By: Quinn Sweeney The Lake City Tigers started 2005 the same way they ended 2004, notching a victory. Lake City posted a convincing 48-27 win over the Byron Bears. It was another taste of revenge for the Tigers, as Byron defeated Lake City twice last season, in conference play and also in the HVL Championship game. Both teams struggled offensively in the first quarter. Mike Dick gave Lake City the lead for good as he drilled a three-point basket one minute into the game. Byron answered with a jump shot for their only points of the quarter. Eric Gosse converted three of four free throws during the final two minutes of the quarter to give Lake City a 6-2 lead heading into the second period. The teams traded baskets to open the second quarter. Over the next three minutes, Quinn Sweeney scored 10 consecutive points, all off of assists to give Lake City an 18-6 edge. Byron scored two baskets after a timeout, but Lake City scored the final five points of the quarter. Mike Dick provided a boost of momentum for the Tigers as he nailed a three-pointer from the corner as time expired giving Lake City a 23-10 advantage at intermission. Lake City opened up the third quarter on an 8-1 scoring run to take open up a 20-point lead. Byron answered back with eight consecutive points to close within 31-19, but the Tigers finished the quarter on a 6-2 run. With eight minutes to play, Lake City held a 16-point advantage. In the fourth quarter, Lake City maintained their lead by knocking down shots in the paint and some key free throws. Mike Gay capped the night with a three-point basket as time expired giving the Tigers the 48-27 win. Leading the way for the Tigers was Quinn Sweeney, who scored 11 points and grabbed eight rebounds. Mike Dick pumped in a season-high nine points and had four rebounds. Eric Gosse also scored nine points for Lake City, while Alex Borgschatz added eight points and five rebounds. A key in the victory for Lake City was playing unselfish basketball. The Tigers finished the game with 13 assists. Borgschatz, Gosse, and Stu Ekblad all had three assists on the evening. As a team, Lake City tallied 10 steals in the ball game, led by Sweeney, who had five thefts. Lake City held a 28-23 edge on the glass over Byron. With the win, Lake City improved to 7-0 in conference play and 11-0 overall.

December 30, 2004

Lake City 13 6 8 11 38 Rochester Lourdes 9 14 6 5 34

By: Quinn Sweeney It is a tough task to beat a team twice in the same season, let alone twice in less than two weeks, but that’s exactly what the Lake City Tigers did on Thursday, December 30, as they slipped past the Rochester Lourdes Eagles 38-34. Both teams started out shooting well from the floor as they exchanged two and three point baskets. Trailing 9-8, Lake City went on a 5-0 run to end the quarter and took a 13-9 lead going into period two. In the second quarter, Lake City opened with a 5-1 scoring run to extend the lead to 18-10. However, a game Lourdes squad responded with a 13-1 run to end the half to grab a four-point advantage at intermission. Lake City turned up the defensive intensity in the third quarter, limiting the Eagles to just three points until Lourdes canned a trey to end the quarter. This gave the Eagles a 29-27 edge heading into the fourth quarter. With 5:07 to play in the game, Lake City was trailing by one point at 33-32. Following a basket by the Tigers and an Eagles free throw, the score was knotted up at 34. With a little under two minutes remaining, Quinn Sweeney scored off a put back to give the Tigers a two-point lead. Lourdes was unable to score on the ensuing possession, and they fouled Eric Gosse with 27 seconds remaining. Gosse hit both ends of the one and one situation, extending the Lake City lead to 38-34. The Eagles couldn’t hit either three-point attempt in the waning seconds, and Lake City escaped with the victory. The victory gave the Tigers their first ever Winona State Warrior Holiday Classic Tournament Championship. Eric Gosse led the Tiger attack with 12 points and seven rebounds. Nolan Krause scored 10 points and grabbed five rebounds. Quinn Sweeney snatched eight rebounds and dished out six of Lake City’s 11 assists. Lake City held a 26-19 rebounding advantage over Lourdes. Alex Borgschatz added five points and five rebounds. Mike Dick scored a season high seven points and limited Lourdes leading scorer, Tyler Kodet to just seven points in the ball game. With the win, Lake City improves to 10-0 on the season.

December 29, 2004

Lake City 8 13 10 16 47 Spring Grove 6 14 2 17 39

By: Quinn Sweeney The Lake City Tigers avoided a near upset as they slipped past Spring Grove 47-39 in the opening game of the Winona State Warrior Classic on Wednesday, December 29. The Tigers struggled to mount any offensive rhythm in the first quarter, yet still managed to hold a two-point advantage at eight to six after one period of play. The woes for Lake City continued into the second quarter, as Spring Grove built a 20-14 lead with 2:44 remaining in the half. Lake City came out of a time out and went on a 7-0 run to end the half to gain a 21-20 lead at intermission. A determined Tigers squad turned up the defensive intensity a few notches in the third quarter, limiting Spring Grove to just two points. Meanwhile the Tigers scored 10 points in the frame to take a 31-22 edge into the fourth quarter. In the fourth quarter, Spring Grove cut the Tigers lead to six points with just over four minutes remaining in the contest. Lake City responded by scoring seven consecutive points and took a 43-28 lead with 3:03 to play. Spring Grove added some lay-ups to make the final score close in the final minute. Although it wasn’t their best effort, the Lake City Tigers escaped undefeated with a 47-39 win. Leading the way for the Tigers was Quinn Sweeney, who scored 15 points. Alex Borgscahtz added 10 points and seven rebounds. Nolan Krause had a great outing inside as he scored nine points and grabbed a team high 11 rebounds. Riley Koller added eight points, including two key three-point baskets in the third quarter. Lake City held a 32-20 edge on the glass over a smaller Spring Grove squad. With the victory, Lake City improved to 9-0 on the season.

December 21, 2004

Lake City 12 6 12 19 49 Rochester Lourdes 6 6 6 9 27

By: Quinn Sweeney Two undefeated teams clashed in Lake City on Tuesday, December 21 in front of a capacity crowd and the Lake City Tigers roared over Rochester Lourdes by a score of 49-27. Lake City opened the game on a 12-4 run and in the process gained momentum from the home crowd. Lourdes scored two free throws to cut the lead to 12-6 after one period of play. In the second quarter, Alex Borgschatz hit a three-point basket from the corner to give Lake City an 18-9 lead. The Eagles answered back with three points to end the half as they closed the deficit to six points heading into intermission. In the third quarter, Lake City opened with a 10-0 scoring run that prompted a Lourdes timeout. The Eagles settled down and finished the quarter on a 6-2 run making the score 30-18 in favor of the Tigers heading into the final frame. Lourdes made a run at the game as they closed within 36-27 with 3:24 to play in the game. However the Tigers answered back and shredded the Lourdes press for some key easy baskets down the stretch. Lake City scored the final 13 points of the game and took the showdown by a score of 49-27. Alex Borgschatz, who netted 15 points, led Lake City in the scoring department. Borgschatz also dished out six of the Tigers’ 14 assists. Quinn Sweeney scored 13 points, had four assists and stole the ball four times. Eric Gosse had nine points and grabbed a team high eight rebounds, leading Lake City to a 28-16 edge on the glass. Nolan Krause chipped in with seven points and six rebounds. Lake City improved to 6-0 in conference play and 8-0 overall on the season with the win.

December 17, 2004

Lake City 15 11 17 12 55 Cotter 14 2 5 10 31

By: Quinn Sweeney A slow start didn't impede the Lake City Tigers from throttling Winona Cotter 55-31 en route to claiming the Skippers Cup for the first time since the 1999-2000 season. After two early turnovers, Lake City found themselves in unfamiliar territory down 8-2. After a time out Lake City was able to chip into the lead, but Cotter bumped its advantage to 14-9 with a little over one minute to play in the first quarter. Alex Borgschatz then converted a three-point play to cut the lead to two points. Nolan Krause corralled an errant Lake City shot with time winding down in the quarter and kicked the ball out to Eric Gosse who provided a "Pontiac game changing performance" by canning a three pointer from well beyond the arc as the buzzer sounded. Gosse's basket gave the Tigers a 15-14 lead after one period of play. In the second quarter, Lake City put the defensive clamps on the Ramblers, limiting them to just two points. The Tigers continued to build on the run they started in the first quarter, as Lake City took a 26-14 advantage with 2:50 to play in the half, prompting a Cotter timeout. Cotter's only basket of the quarter came off of a steal and lay up with 54 seconds left. Lake City couldn't convert the last shot of the half and took a 26-16 lead into intermission. To start the third quarter, Lake City tallied nine quick points to take a 35-16 advantage. Cotter scored shortly after calling a timeout to cut into the lead, but Lake City shredded the Ramblers press for three lay ups to extend the lead to 43-21 at the end of the third quarter. In a little over a two-quarter span, Lake City outscored Cotter 34-7. It was more of the same unselfish basketball from Lake City in the fourth quarter that allowed the Tigers to extend their lead to over 25 points. Everyone on the roster saw extended minutes for Lake City. Justin Olander capped off the Lake City scoring by converting a three-point play in the final minute of the game. Lake City benefited from a very balanced scoring effort, which was led by Eric Gosse and Quinn Sweeney with 12 points a piece. Alex Borgschatz added 11 points, and Nolan Krause recorded a double double with 10 points and 11 rebounds. Lake City shot 47% from the field in the contest. The Tigers also held a commanding 39-18 edge on the glass over the Ramblers. With the win, Lake City claimed the Skippers Cup, a traveling trophy that goes to the winner of the regular season game between the squads. Lake City improves to 5-0 in the conference and 7-0 overall on the year. The Tigers return to action on Tuesday, December 21 at home, as they will square off with unbeaten Rochester Lourdes.

December 14, 2004

Lake City 12 16 12 20 60 Pine Island 9 10 6 17 42

By: Quinn Sweeney The Lake City Tigers remained undefeated on the season as they defeated Pine Island 60-42 on Tuesday, December 14. After coming out of the gate a bit slow, Lake City benefited from a large momentum swing at the end of the first quarter. As time was winding down, the ball was loose on the floor. Alex Borgschatz grasped the ball and alertly pulled the trigger from 30 feet out. The shot banked off the backboard and went through the net for a three pointer as the buzzer sounded. This gave Lake City a 12-9 lead after one quarter of play. Lake City attempted to extend their advantage in the second quarter, but a game Pine Island squad stayed in the game making good on eight free throws in the first half. Borgschatz provided another big basket for the Tigers as he canned a three pointer with five seconds left in the half to give Lake City a 28-19 lead at halftime. In the third quarter, Lake City stepped up its defensive intensity and limited Pine Island to six points. Meanwhile, the Tigers got the ball inside the paint and converted numerous bank shots to extend the lead to 40-25 entering the final period of play. In the fourth quarter, Lake City maintained their double-digit lead, exploiting the Panther press attack for some easy buckets. Mike Gay and Eric Denn scored baskets off the bench accounting for the final four Lake City points in the 60-42 victory. Alex Borgschatz led Lake City with 19 points. Eric Gosse added 13 points. Nolan Krause chipped in with nine points and three of the Tigers 15 rebounds. Lake City shot a blistering 65% from the field. With both teams connecting on over half of their shots, there were fewer rebounds than normal to be had. Lake City held a slim 15-13 edge on the glass. With the win, Lake City improves to 4-0 in conference play and 6-0 overall.

December 10, 2004

Lake City 22 12 16 19 69 Triton 5 14 14 16 49

By: Quinn Sweeney The Lake City Tigers extracted some sweet revenge on Friday, December 10 as they took an early lead they never relinquished in a 69-49 drubbing of Triton. Lake City scored 12 points seemingly simultaneously as they started the game on a 12-0 run. Triton came back with two quick baskets, but the Tigers closed the quarter on a 10-1 run to take a 22-5 lead going into the second quarter. In the second quarter, Lake City extended its lead to 20 points, at 32-12, but Triton came back with a 7-0 run to close the gap to 32-19. Lake City scored the final points of the half as Alex Borgschatz banked one in from the block. Lake City was able to maintain its lead throughout the third quarter, as lay-ups were easy to come by for the Tigers. Triton was able to hang around by nailing some tough baseline and fade away shots. After three periods of play, Lake City held a 50-33 advantage. In the fourth quarter, a tenacious Tiger defense helped push the lead to over 20 points. Everyone on the roster saw the floor for the Tigers. Mike Gay scored three points off the bench in the fourth quarter. Neither team scored in the final minute as the score remained 69-49 to close the game. Leading the way for the Tigers was Quinn Sweeney, who netted 20 points. Teammates Eric Gosse and Riley Koller scored 15 points apiece. Alex Borgschatz played a solid game, scoring seven points, grabbing nine rebounds and dishing out five assists. Lake City held a 36-20 rebounding advantage over Triton. As a team, Lake City dished out a season high 19 assists. Alex Borgschatz, Mike Dick and Quinn Sweeney all had five dimes on the evening. With the win, Lake City moves to 3-0 in conference play and 5-0 overall.

December 7, 2004

Lake City 17 16 10 19 62 Cannon Falls 8 13 8 14 43

By: Quinn Sweeney The Lake City Tigers were able to withstand a fury of three point attempts by the Cannon Falls Bombers on Tuesday, December 7 and cruise to a victory in HVL conference play. Cannon Falls seemed to connect from long distance more times than a telemarketer, as they drained nine three pointers in the game. Ultimately, Lake City’s superior post play guided the Tigers to a 62-43 win. Lake City was able to capitalize on some easy shots in the paint in the first quarter to build an early lead. Eric Gosse drove to the basket and laid the ball in with four seconds remaining to give the Tigers a 17-8 lead after one quarter. It was more of the same in the second quarter, as a game Bombers squad was able to stay in the game with their three point shooting. Lake City led 33-21 at halftime. Of the Bombers 21 points, 18 came off of three point shots. Lake City utilized easy lay ups to build a 18 point lead in the third quarter, but Cannon Falls answered with a quick 4-0 spurt to cut the lead to 43-29 going into the final period of play. However, it wasn’t enough as the Tigers put the defensive clamps on the Bombers in the fourth quarter and built the lead over 20 points, which allowed everyone from Lake City to see the floor. Kyle Kennedy hit one of two free throws with nine tenths of a second remaining to account for the final Tiger point in the 62-43 victory. Offensively, Lake City was again led by Alex Borgschatz, as he netted 21 points and pulled in nine rebounds. Teammate Quinn Sweeney added 12 points and 11 rebounds. Eric Gosse netted 11 points for the Tigers and Riley Koller added eight points. Lake City tallied 14 assists as a team, led by Sweeney with five and Borgschatz with four. The Tigers held a 32-21 edge on the glass over a shorter Bombers squad.

December 3, 2004

Lake City 23 4 11 17 55 Kenyon-Wanamingo 4 6 8 10 28

By: Quinn Sweeney An energized Lake City Tiger basketball team benefited from torrid shooting to begin the game and cruised to a 55-28 win over the visiting Kenyon-Wanamingo Knights, in front of a large crowd on Friday night in Lake City. Lake City jumped to an early 10-0 advantage, which was sparked by three pointers by Mike Dick and Alex Borgschatz. After one period of play the Tigers led 13-4. Lake City continued to play unselfish team basketball as a 10-0 run to start the second quarter gave the Tigers a 23-4 advantage. Kenyon-Wanamingo scored three quick baskets to cut into the lead, but Lake City added two baskets of its own before halftime to make the score 27-10 at intermission. After pushing the lead to 20 points to start the third quarter, Kenyon-Wanamingo answered with a quick 7-0 spurt to cut the lead to 13 points. However, the Tigers countered the Knight attack with a 7-0 run of their own to end the third quarter. Lake City held a 38-18 advantage heading into the fourth period of play. The Tigers were able to maintain their 20-point advantage throughout the fourth quarter, which allowed everyone on the Lake City roster to see the floor. The bench played strong for the Tigers as they closed the game on a 7-0 run to give Lake City the 55-28 win. Alex Borgschatz led the Tigers in scoring, with 11 points, all of which came in the first half. Eric Gosse and Stu Ekblad each netted seven points, while Quinn Sweeney and Nolan Krause finished with six apiece. Borgschatz, Krause and Sweeney all grabbed six rebounds to pace Lake City to a commanding 43-18 advantage on the glass. Another strong defensive effort was highlighted with 14 Lake City steals. Sweeney had six, while Gosse and Ekblad had two thefts each. Lake City improved to 1-0 in conference play and 3-0 overall on the year with the victory. The Tigers return to action Tuesday as they host Cannon Falls at 7:30 p.m.

November 30, 2004

Lake City 15 10 11 13 49 Concordia Academy 5 4 5 25 39

By: Quinn Sweeney Revenge was sweet for Lake City on Tuesday, November 30th as the Tigers dominated Concordia Academy in every aspect of the game and cruised to a pivotal 49-39 non-conference victory. After Alex Borgschatz scored the first points of the game inside, Concordia Academy answered with a three pointer to take a brief lead. Lake City was unfazed and went on a 13-2 run to close the quarter as Borgschatz nailed a bank shot as time expired to give the Tigers a 15-5 advantage after one period of play. It was more of the same in the second quarter, as a stingy Tiger defense allowed only four points by Concordia Academy. Meanwhile, Lake City extended the advantage by capitalizing on easy shot attempts. At halftime, the Tigers led 25-9. Concordia took some wind out of the sails of Lake City to open the second half as they closed the cap to 12 points, but that was as close as the Beacons would get as an emotionally charged Tiger squad rattled off an 11-1 run to end the quarter and take a 36-14 advantage heading into the fourth period. Lake City maintained the 22-point advantage throughout the fourth quarter as many players came in off the bench for the Tigers. Meanwhile, the Beacon starters went on a scoring frenzy in the final two minutes to make the final score seem much closer than what it actually was. Seniors Alex Borgschatz and Eric Gosse led the Tigers with 12 and 11 points, respectively. Cody Blair, Riley Koller and Quinn Sweeney netted seven points each for Lake City. Sweeney and Gosse both grabbed seven rebounds to help Lake City held a 29-28 rebounding advantage. Lake City played very unselfishly as they totaled 14 assists for the game. Sweeney had six assists, while Borgschatz added five.

November 27, 2004

Lake City 14 10 12 13 49 Wabasha-Kellogg 7 8 4 14 33

By: Quinn Sweeney The Lake City Tigers made a short trek to Wabasha on Saturday, November 27 to open the 2004-05 season. The game would best be classified as a "first game" as fouls, missed lay-ups and missed free throw attempts plagued both squads. Lake City was able to capitalize on an overwhelming height advantage and outscored Wabasha-Kellogg down low en route to a 49-33 victory. Only five seconds into the game, Lake City led 3-0, as a streaking Eric Gosse converted a three-point play. After Wabasha-Kellogg answered with two baskets, they briefly took a 4-3 advantage. The Tigers came storming back with an 11-3 run to end the quarter and took a 14-7 advantage after one period of play. Lake City was able to capitalize on shots in the paint in the second quarter and stretched the lead to double digits before Wabasha-Kellogg ended the half with a mini run to close the gap to 25-16. After intermission, Lake City stunned Wabasha-Kellogg with a quick 5-0 spurt that extended the lead to 15 points. This prompted a Falcons timeout. Both teams exchanged two point baskets as the quarter ended with Lake City holding a 37-21 advantage. In the fourth quarter Lake City extended the lead to 46-24 with a little over five minutes to play. A scrappy Wabasha Kellogg team came charging back with a 9-0 run, but it wasn't enough as Brady Balow drilled a three pointer with five seconds left to account for the final score of 49-33. Seniors Alex Borgschatz and Quinn Sweeney led the way for the Tigers. Borgschatz had 15 points and 8 rebounds. Sweeney had 13 points, hauled in 11 rebounds, and had a team high four assists. Nolan Krause had 4 points and 8 rebounds, all of which occurred in the second half as Krause played minimally in the first half due to foul trouble. Lake City held a decisive 44-28 rebounding edge and had 12 assists as a team. The Tigers will travel to Concordia Academy on Tuesday, November 30, looking to avenge a season ending loss to the Beacons last year.