I thought we played really well in the first half. We battled, we competed.”

Park head coach Isiash Wallfred

A day after one of its least productive offensive games, Park’s Wolfpack had one of their best totals of the season in an easy 85-56 victory over visiting St. Paul Como Park.

Park’s 85 points were the most scored by the Wolfpack this season with the exception of an 92-88 loss to Faribault back on Jan. 4.

The win also evened Park’s season record at 8-8.

Park also had one of its most balanced attacks of the season with five players scoring in double figures. Senior guard Anthony Giadyu led the Wolfpack with 24 points. Miskir Esayas scored 15, Brandon Bihm 11, Aaron Sandin 14 and Leo Eiden-Giel 10. Park made 13 3-point field goals led by Sandin’s four and Esayas’s three.

Park (3-6 in the Suburban East Conference, 8-8 overall) plays another tough road game this week, this time at Stillwater (11-5, 7-2) – currently tied for second in the SEC – on Thursday with a 7 p.m. start time.

Mounds View 70, Park 57

Ahead by just a point at the half, 28-27, visiting Mounds View rained down threes after intermission and took a 70-57 decision from the host Wolfpack.

The Mustangs outscored the Wolfpack 42-30 in the second half, including draining eight 3-point field goals. When Mounds View wasn’t bombing away from the outside, they managed to get inside for good shots. In all, it was more offense than the Wolfpack defense could manage.

Mounds View opened the second half with a 20-6 run and took a 48-33 lead with 8:34 remaining. The Wolfpack never really got much closer the rest of the way.

“I thought we played really well in the first half,” said Park head coach Isiash Wallfred. “We battled, we competed. That’s a really good team. I think that’s the second-best team we’ve played all year. They have five guys that can make shots, they can post up, they defend. They’re big, they’re long and they’re very disciplined.

“They really run offense, they move the ball side to side,” Wallfred continued. “I thought defensively we were better but in the second half they were making shots and we didn’t. I can’t even tell you how many threes -- I think 21 (Nate Edelman) had three threes in a row and there was a hand in his face. So it was solid defense, not great defense but to was solid and they were tough shots. And they we came down and we just couldn’t make the shots we normally make.”

Park slipped to 3-6 in the Suburban East Conference and 7-8 on the season.

Mounds View remained tied for second in the SEC at 7-2 and stand 12-3 overall.

Top-ranked and undefeated Cretin-Derham Hall (14-0) leads the conference at 9-0 while East Ridge (10-5), Mounds View (12-3) and Stillwater (11-5) are tied at 7-2 in the SEC.

Alex Kriauciunas ked Mounds View with 22 points while Nate Edelman scored 17, including five 3-point field goals.

While they were clicking on the offensive side, the Mustangs also frustrated the Park shooters – al0l seemingly without fouling. Mounds View was called for just four fouls in the game.

Park senior guard Miskir Esayas followed his 28-point game Tuesday with a 17-point night against the Mustangs, tying Anthony Giadyu for top offensive honors. Esayas also had a good night shooting the long ball, with five 3-point goals in the game. Aaron Sandin scored 8 points for Park and Adrian Davis 6.

Park 73, Forest Lake 72

Park seems to be making a habit of winning thrillers lately, this time knocking off the host Forest Lake Rangers Tuesday by a 73-72 count.

The narrow win was Park’s third in the last four games. The Wolfpack edged Columbia Heights 72-68 on Jan. 11, dropped Roseville 84-82 on Jan. 15 and then won at Forest Lake.

Miskir Esayas dropped in a season high 28 points to lead the Wolfpack to the win. Anthony Giadyu added 16 and Aaron Sandin 14.