Thus far this season, the Chaska Hawks Girls basketball team has gone through an absolute gauntlet in their non-conference schedule, having played several ranked teams.

The Hawks have played well, but the tough schedule contributed to a deceiving 5-6 record heading into Tuesday night’s conference opener vs. Waconia.

The Wildcats have a young and up-and-coming squad but have struggled with a similarly difficult schedule, coming into the contest with a record of 3-5.

What was a close, 4-point game at halftime turned into a lopsided Chaska win. The Hawks turned up the defensive intensity a great deal in the second half, but it was their balanced offense that carried them to a big victory over their Carver County rivals.

They stretched their lead to over 30 points at one point in the second half, and were able to get every varsity player on the roster some playing time in an eventual 76-62 victory.

Junior guard Addi Schneider led the way with 18 points and had some key assists. A host of Hawks scored in double digits, including senior captains Alexis Schaefer and Ella Keenan with 15 and 14, respectively.

Junior Addison Perkins added 11 points. Chaska’s seniors had a nice night, with captain Hanah Thul scoring 2 points and adding several rebounds and gritty defensive plays, Reagan Niebuhr adding 4 points, and Macy Anderson and Mallory Allen each hitting a three-pointer. Rounding out the scoring for Chaska were their exciting freshmen, Natalie Heyer and Jenna Nelson, with 4 and 2 points each.

The Hawks will take their 1-0 conference record into Friday’s fierce rivalry game against Chanhassen, as part of a girls-boys varsity doubleheader at Chaska High School. The girls game will tip off at 5:30 p.m.