“This feels amazing. They’re [MACCRAY] a really good state, they went to state. We were like, ‘We want to define ourselves, and this is a big win that we need to get,'” Lakeview senior guard Brynn Stensrud said. “This one means a lot to us … These are the games you have to play to make it far in the season. It’s just a good learning experience, and just getting us ready for that deep [run] in the playoffs.”

Lakeview fought a slight deficit nearly the entire night and eventually tied the game up with just over four minutes to play. The Lakers were down by 3 points at halftime, but honed in on its defense and speed to come out on top as the shots followed in the end.

“It was enormous, because it’s not only a big conference game, but it’s a huge section seeding game … To get that win was huge,” Lakeview head coach Mike Imes said. “It took the whole game. We got off to a poor start, but the biggest thing is, I think the maturity and the growth of our seniors really stepped up and settled us down. Then in the end, our young girls, our eighth and ninth graders, would give us great minutes too.”

Both teams challenged one another defensively and forced a string of turnovers throughout the second half, as neither were able to break away to a comfortbale lead the entire night. The two both played in a zone defense the entire night.

The Lakeview student section celebrates after Brook Gunlogson hit a crucial 3-pointer late in the second half Thursday night in Cottonwood.

“We were just focusing on being positive. Keeping the positives in our mind and not letting any turnovers or a bad play down the stretch define us,” Stensrud said.

After a handful of scoreless posessions on both sides, a cutting Brook Gunlogson found Anah Schmidt alone on the opposite side of the paint to bring Lakeview to a 41-38 deficit with just over nine minutes to go.

Stensrud took two dribbles in from the wing and hit an elbow shot, just as Gunlogson did the same on the next posession to bring the Lakers within a point, 43-42, as MACCRAY stopped the run with a 3-pointer.

Stensrud hit a 3 moments after the Wolverines had a steal and fast break layup, and followed that up with a free throw and another driving baseline layup for a Lakeview 50-48 deficit with 4:40 to go.

Gunlogson tied the game 50-50 with 4:08 left, as the clock ran down to 1:59 without another made shot just as Schmidt hit a game-defining and-1 and free throw to give the Lakers the lead, 53-50, as they hung on for the final minute.

Lakeview's Brynn Stensrud begins to drive the baseline in the first half against MACCRAY Thursday night in Cottonwood.

Lakeview forced a turnover on defense which turned into a Gunlogson corner 3-pointer to ultimately put a dagger on the come-from-behind victory to give the Lakers a 56-50 edge with just over a minute to play.

Schmidt forced a jump ball on the Wolverines’ next posession to give Lakeview the ball back as MACCRAY began to intentionally foul while in bonus.

Gunlogson and Stensrud made a few late free throws as MACCRAY missed its final shot attempts leading up to the final buzzer, igniting a packed-full Lakers’ gym between a full student section and a large crowd of supporters that filled up the bleachers.

Imes credited the student section and home crowd for making Thursday feel like a tournament game, and said it influenced the Lakers’ intensity down the stretch. Lakeview also had around 40 younger players in attendance.

“This was one of the most fun atmospheres I’ve ever been in,” Imes said. “I told the older girls, I said, ‘Realize that there’s 40 girls sitting behind us, that you’re their heroes. They want to be the next Brook, the next Brynn, the next Anah.’ I said, ‘How you play and perform, they’re watching.'”

Lakeview's Anah Schmidt begins to go up for a shot in the first half against MACCRAY Thursday night in Cottonwood.

Stensrud led the team with 21 points, while Schmidt recorded another double-double of 13 points and 12 rebounds along with three steals and five blocks. Gunlogson followed with 13 points.

Imes also cited Lakeview’s free throw shooting as a crucial part of the win. Lakeview shot 16 of 21 from the foul line.

Schmidt and MACCRAY’s Brielle Janssen fought off one another the entire night in the paint, both standing at 6-foot-1. Janssen led all scorers with 29 points.

“We were doing whatever we could to make sure Brielle didn’t beat us … I thought we did a nice job the last five minutes of the game. Yes, she got a few points, but she didn’t get the easy looks like she was getting,” Imes said. “In the second half, we did a much better job of closing out on the corner 3.”

Lakeview overcame an early deficit to eventually tie and take the lead in the opening half to set the competitive tone early.

Lakeview's Brook Gunlogson drives toward the basket in the first half against MACCRAY Thursday night in Cottonwood.

The Lakers gave up a string of turnovers that allowed the Wolverines to build a lead, but were able to make up for their mistakes with returning the favor on the defensive end by interrupting MACCRAY’s passing lanes or grabbing a steal. Lakeview had nine steals on the night.

Stensrud and Schmidt hit back-to-back baskets to keep Lakeview within a possession, 18-16, and a Stensrud 3-pointer gave the Lakers their first lead, 19-18, igniting the Lakers’ home crowd.

Gunlogson sank a 3 of her own moments later for a 22-20 lead, as the two traded baskets the remainder of the half.

Addy Jorgenson made two freethrows with less than a minute to go, while Stensrud ended the half with a pump fake and field goal to bring Lakeview within 3, down 32-39, heading into halftime.

A hot start for the Lakers

Sitting midway through the regular season, Lakeview has been off to an impressive start in its 2025-26 campaign.

After dropping their season opener to Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart, the Lakers went on to win their next seven games consecutively and have cruised along ever since. Lakeview’s two other losses came by the hands of Cedar Mountain (10-2) and KMS (13-3) on Dec. 29 and Jan. 8, respectively.

“It’s our quickness and our depth, for sure,” Imes said regarding the team’s strengths. “Tonight we didn’t press, but we press every game all the time … Our ability to go from our defense to offense is usually … We’re always trying to push the ball, that by about the eight-minute mark of the second half, the other team, they’re tired. We play nine girls.”

Of its 13 wins on the season so far, nine have come by double figures.

Schmidt and Stensrud’s stride

Stensrud has been signficant in helping lead the scoring front for Lakeview so far this season. She recently eclipsed 1,000 career points on Jan. 5 in a 94-76 win over Dawson-Boyd, where the Lakers also tied the school record for most points scored in a game.

“I just want to play the game I love. I practice this game all the time and I just love playing it,” Stensrud said. “Especially with the girls on this team, they mean a lot to me. I couldn’t do anything without them.”

Schmidt, Lakeview’s tallest player, continues to be a strong presence in the paint and has logged a double-double between points and rebounds in nearly every game through the first half of the season.

“This was Anah’s best all-around game. She played the entire game, one foul, extremely physical, blocked shots, rebound. Got some huge shots for us. She battled all night,” Imes said. “She was so big tonight plugging up the paint. She did a great job of controlling the paint, and when she’s not in there, we are so different.”

Lakeview as a whole has continued to be a challenging force to opponents on both ends of the floor, with a continuous all-around well-balanced effort.

Up next

Lakeview moves to 13-3 on the season, and will stay at home to host Murray County Central (7-6) at 7:30 p.m. on Monday.