Down 36-27 at the end of the first half, Park’s second-half rally fell just short as visiting Stillwater took home a 74-64 boys basketball win Friday.

Stillwater led by about 10 points most of the second half. Park closed the gap to four points several times in the final minutes but could come no closer. It was a 49-38 game with 10 minutes to play, but an Anthony Giadyu-led Park rally cut it to 62-58 with two minutes to play.

The two teams then traded baskets, with Stillwater leading 64-60, and 66-62 with 53 seconds left. That was as close as the Wolfpack got however, as the Ponies pulled away in the final minute, outscoring Park 8-2 in the final minute.

Carter Zollar led Stillwater with 22 points and Manny Smith scored 21.

“They played much better than at Cretin,” Park head coach Isaiah Wallfred said of the Wolfpack.

Stillwater improved to 1-1 in the Suburban East Conference and 3-1 on the season. Park fell to 0-2 in the conference and 1-3 overall.

Park (0-2, 1-3) hosts Irondale (1-1, 1-4) Wednesday, starting at 7 p.m., then plays a non-conference game against St. Paul Academy (3-3) in the Harding High School Holiday Tournament on Friday, Dec. 27. Irondale comes in 1-1 in the SEC with an 18-point win over Woodbury and a 28-point loss to Cretin-Derham Hall.

Cretin-Derham Hall 95, Park 64

Top-ranked Cretin-Derham Hall showed why the Raiders are rated as the top team in Class 4A with a 95-64 win over visiting Park Tuesday.

Cretin (2-0, 5-0) led 54-30 at the half. The second half was closer, but the Raiders took it 41-34.

Esayas led Park with 23 points. Giadyu scored 15 for the Wolfpack and Brandon Bihm added 10.

Cretin’s 6-11 forward Tommy Ahnerman led the Raiders with 27. The Raiders mad 42 of 80 field goals attempted in the game and were 7 of 31 from 3-point range.