Glen Strandberg
Sports Editor

With the second half still left to play on Friday night, the girls basketball team was on the brink of having its biggest week of the season. After an incredible comeback on Tuesday night for a win against Hastings, the Rangers were tied at halftime, 23-23, with White Bear Lake on Jan. 12.

The Bears would pull away in those final 18 minutes to take the 52-41 win, but it appears the Rangers discovered something about themselves in the thrilling, 56-50 victory over the Hastings Raiders.

The Tuesday night match-up started out with Hastings hitting outside shots, getting second attempts at the basket and Forest Lake getting behind 11-0 before they would get its first bucket.

The Raiders would build a 16-point lead, but then the Rangers went berserk.

Head coach Jen Wagner's girls are never at a loss for defense, and on Tuesday they applied a full-court press that had Hastings reeling.

Junior Abi Iverson was instrumental in the furious comeback as she went on to accumulate four steals and 14 points in the game.

Following Iverson's lead were the always scrappy quartet of Janelle Winiecki, Andrea Thompson, Kelsey Kosman and Alisha Johnson. Helping to contain the Raiders 6'8" Catherine Hintz was sophomore Gina Lange.

From 16 down, Forest Lake pulled to within two points of Hastings (7-6, 2-4), and that was just in the first half.

"Our defense was, is, our best offense," Wagner pointed out.

In the second half, the Rangers were able to keep the momentum and send the fans home happy.

"It was a great win for us and the crowd really got into it," Wagner shared.

Forest Lake was able to turn a 27-25 halftime deficit into the six-point victory, which gave the Rangers their first win in the Suburban East Conference.

Thompson racked up 17 points and 11 rebounds in the win, and she was joined in double-figures by Iverson's 14 and Winiecki with 10.

Kosman ended the night with five points, four assists and four steals.

"Nice confidence booster for the girls," Wagner noted, "which they needed and deserve."

That confidence spilled into Friday when the team headed to White Bear Lake in search of SEC win number two.

Although Forest Lake was able to keep it even through the first half, the Bears (8-4, 5-1) showed they are a very good team by picking up the 11-point win.

Free throws also proved to be a difference in the final outcome, whereas the Rangers went 11 of 14 against Hastings, they only managed to go 16 of 30 in White Bear.

Just like on Tuesday, the scoring was distributed evenly among Forest Lake, but they were not able to reach the same standards.

Thompson had nine points to go along with seven rebounds; Lange had eight points and six boards, and Iverson, Kosman and Johnson all had seven points.

The Rangers (4-10, 1-6) stay at home this week, with Cambridge coming on Tuesday and Park (10-3, 4-2) arriving on Friday.

Friday is also Youth Night, so young players should wear their jerseys and attend the 7:30 p.m. game.

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