Everybody was doing what they needed to do. I feel like we’ve really turned it around and we’re starting to go on a little win streak. We’re going to go up from here, not down.”

Adrian Davis

I feel like to executed offensively and we sat down on defense and that helped a whole bunch”

Anthony Giadyu

Up next:

The Wolfpack play at Mounds View (5-3, 11-4) Wednesday, Jan. 24 and then at league-leading Cretin-Derham Hall (8-0, 11-2) on Friday, Jan. 26, both games starting at 7 p.m

After going just 3-2 in games decided by three points or less for most of the season, Park figured out how to win the close ones this week.

Park knocked off rival Woodbury 53-51 in a wild one Tuesday, then followed that up with a 68-67 thriller over visiting Forest Lake Friday.

The 2-0 week pushed the Wolfpack boys to 5-3 and into a tie for third place in the Suburban East Conference and evened Park’s season record at 7-7.

Forest Lake fell to 3-5 in the SEC and 7-6 on the season.

The two teams were pretty evenly matched and that played out on the scoreboard.

Park led 35-30 at the half and got off to a fast start in the second, taking a 41-30 lead with 16;14 to play. Things started tightening up considerably the rest of the game as Forest Lake started pounding the ball inside with a lot of success.

The Rangers went from down 11 to up five with a 55-50 lead with 8:58 to play. The game was tied at 61-all and 63-all with 2:06 remaining. Adrian Davis drained two free throws to give Park a 65-63 lead with 2:04 left.

“I feel we were all on the same page offensively and defensively, we were working together to get stops on defense and transitions into offense and getting easy points, easy buckets,” said Davis. “I feel we were all locked in. Everybody was doing what they needed to do. I feel like we’ve really turned it around and we’re starting to go on a little win streak. We’re going to go up from here, not down."

AJ Kennedy drained a three-point shot from the corner for a 68-63 Park lead, but the Rangers weren’t finished yet. They scored four straight points in the final minute before finally falling.

Tayvion Stewart’s 19 points led Park offensively. Kennedy scored 16 and Kaeden Callais 15.

“I feel like to executed offensively and we sat down on defense and that helped a whole bunch,” said Anthony Giadyu. “We had guys step up in the close moments and that’s exactly what we needed AJ, AD, Tay, Miskir -- everyone did their part and we just played together well as a team.

Asked if he preferred the blowouts or the close wins, assistant Charlie Koch had this to say.

“Blood pressure, for my heart, I’ll take the blowouts every night if possible,” said Koch. “But you don’t get this (players chanting and noisily celebrating in the locker room) with the blowouts normally so this one way more fun for the guys.

“We had a goal tonight to front (Forest Lake’s 6-6 center Owen) Waldoch, to make sure he gets limited touches and I mean our bigs, Dom Batts, Cole West and Adrian Davis did a great job fronting. We had backside help all night. We did a decent job with No. 1 (Forest Lake’s Brennan Sauvageeau) in the first half then he kind of got loose a little and they (the Wolfpack) did a really good job of going from zone back to man and they were able to close it out,” Koch added.

Park 53, Woodbury 51

Park trailed at the half but heated up in the second to send the visiting Royals back to Woodbury with a 53-51 loss Tuesday.

The Wolfpack outscored the Royals 33-28 after the break to claim the win. Woodbury led 23-20 at the half.

Park got balanced scoring in the win, with 12 points each from AJ Kennedy and Kaeden Callais, 10 from Tayvion Stewart and 8 from Anthony Giadyu.

Park is on the road for its next two conference contests against teams at or near the top of the conference. The Wolfpack play at Mounds View (5-3, 11-4) Wednesday, Jan. 24 and then at league-leading Cretin-Derham Hall (8-0, 11-2) on Friday, Jan. 26, both games starting at 7 p.m. It’s Park first meeting of the season with Mounds View, while Cretin got the Wolfpack in the first go round at Cottage Grove, winning 81-66.