One thing we’re trying to get away from is being a front running team, When things are good, they’re great, when they’re bad, they’re really bad. So, it helps, but it feels like it’s just one step.”

Coming soon!

The Wolfpack (3-3, 5-7) host Forest Lake (3-3, 7-4) Friday, Jan. 19, with a 7 p.m. start time.

Park’s players dialed up just what the doctor ordered in a rare Wednesday night game, both or themselves and for a hobbled head coach Mike Leah.

The Wolfpack stormed back from a second-half deficit to edge visiting White Bear Lake 59-57 in a dramatic victory. It was the first home-court win for the Wolfpack this season and couldn’t have come at a better time.

Park coach Weah injured an Achilles tendon in a recent practice and underwent surgery Thursday. In his place, assistant coach Charlie Koch did most of the sideline jumping and also handled the post-game interview.

“The guys really buckled down,” said assistant coach Charlie Koch. “We changed up a little bit. Our off-ball pressure was a little loose in the first half. So, we really started denying those wings. We kept everything the same with the big, front him, back side help, but we were really denying that first pass and applying a little more ball pressure, forcing some of their right-handed guys to really try to go left and the kids executed.”

Asked if a win like this helps the team psychologically, Koch agreed.

“I think it really does,” Koch said. “One thing we’re trying to get away from is being a front running team, When things are good, they’re great, when they’re bad, they’re really bad. So, it helps, but it feels like it’s just one step. We’ve been talking all year, everything’s got to be moving in the right direction, moving up, so doing this just helps us continue to move in the right direction and we’ve just got to build off of it.”

Park trailed 35-24 at one point in the first half and that continued most of the second half. Little by little the Wolfpack cut into the White Bear Lake lead, however. It was a 39-31 game with 16:43 to play, 49-45 with 5:01 left and 53-50 with 2:48 to go. But the Wolfpack made most of the right moves in the final three minutes to catch and finally beat the Bears.

A basket by Dom Batts trimmed the White Bear Lake lead to 53-52 with 2:11 to play. Anthony Giadyu then drove in for a hoop that gave the Wolfpack a 54-53 advantage with 1:53 left. Giadyu sank a pair of free throws with 46.8 seconds left for a 57-54 Park lead, but White Bear Lake answered with an improbable three-point field goal as the shot clock was winding down to tie the game at 57-all.

That set the stage for the dramatic last-second heroics that secured the two-point Park victory.

“I think pressuring the ball and then just getting more on the glass, making sure the big guy White Bear Lake’s 6-7 center Colin Piper) doesn’t get work down low” said Park junior Dom Batts when asked what the Wolfpack did well tonight. “We played much better in the second half; we’ve just got to play like that the whole game.”

Asked what turned the game around in the second half, Park’s Giadyu said, “I think our aggressiveness on defense for sure. We made sure we pressured the ball. We didn’t let them get comfortable at all. And defense turned into offense.”

It was a good win for the Wolfpack and snapped a two-game losing streak. But lost a bit in the excitement was the fact that Whtie Bear Lake is not a good team. The Bears came into the game winless on the season and fell to 0-5 in the Suburban East Conference and 0-11 overall.

Senior AJ Kennedy led Park offensively with 20 points. Tayvion Stewart scored 10 and Giadyu 10.

Roseville 77, Park 70

Host Roseville took a 77-70 decision in a Suburban East Conference contest Friday evening.

Park dropped to 3-3 in the conference and 5-6 on the season. Roseville is also now 3-3 in the SEC and 6-5 overall.

Minneapolis South 89, Park 68

Park dropped an 89-68 decision to Minneapolis South (10-2) Saturday in the Southside Showcase at Minnehaha Academy North Campus.

South led just 42-36 at the half but outscored the Wolfpack 47-32 after the break.

Kaeden Callais scored 21 to pace Park. Anthony Giadyu had 15 and AJ Kennedy scored 13.

The Wolfpack (3-3, 5-7) host Forest Lake (3-3, 7-4) Friday, Jan. 19, with a 7 p.m. start time.