Chaska exploded for 28 points in the first eight minutes of the second half en route to a 79-43 victory over rival Chanhassen on Monday night, moving to 15-4 overall and 8-0 in the Metro West Conference.
The Chanhassen Storm boys basketball team had no shortage of success on their biggest rival’s home court recently, winning each game in the last three seasons, including a dramatic buzzer-beater just last year.
This year, Chaska defended their home court emphatically.
Behind a packed (and rowdy) student section and an electric atmosphere worthy of this rivalry, the Hawks delivered their most dominant performance of the season—an impressive 79-43 over rival Chanhassen that extended their winning streak to 12 games.
“Those first few minutes of the game were probably the loudest I’ve heard our gym during my time as head coach,” Chaska coach Nick Hayes said. “Credit goes to our students; they’ve been awesome to have along during this stretch and they provided so much fun energy in this game. I tell our guys all the time a rivalry like this doesn’t exist at most schools and we need to enjoy the moment and embrace these games. It’s such a unique and special event our guys get to be a part of.”
The game started with defensive intensity from both sides, each team registering two emphatic blocks in the opening minutes. Chanhassen senior captain Kolby Christl, who continues to have an excellent season for the Storm, attacked the basket with scoring drives to keep Chan competitive early.
The Hawks would jump out to a nine-point first-half lead behind a three-pointer and an and-one from freshman Jed Keenan, along with a three-pointer from junior Kalin Jochum, who was making his return from injury.
Chanhassen clawed back behind three-point baskets from seniors Matthew Daly and Logan DeAlwis, along with buckets by junior Bennett Barger and Christl. Chaska was able to score late in the frame to pad their lead, and junior captain Tyler Forrest capped the first half with a buzzer-beater to put the Hawks up 36-28 at halftime.
Then came the second half.
The Hawks exploded out of the locker room with a scorching hot start. Chaska worked their backdoor cuts to perfection, with Jochum scoring multiple buckets through Chanhassen’s zone defense.
“Having Kalin back sure helps our team,” Hayes said. “His physicality around the rim, ball handling and rebounding are all advantages that make us better. Also, his IQ was showcased last night finding cutting lanes when they went into a 1-3-1 zone early in the second half.”
In just the first eight minutes of the second half, Chaska scored 28 points and extended their lead to 64-37. Remarkably, the Hawks built their massive run with their star, Forrest, on the bench in foul trouble.
“I think our defense really set the tone the second half,” Hayes said. “We were able to hold them to 15 points, and most of those points were from the freethrow line since we were in the bonus early. Once we were able to force a few turnovers and contested shots, we started our run and didn’t look back. It’s always fun when defense can lead to offense so quickly!”
Jed Keenan was on fire in the second half, hitting shot after shot in front of the raucous student section. The freshman guard delivered a fantastic acrobatic layup on a breakaway that brought the crowd to its feet.
“Jed continues to pleasantly surprise me with his ability to just play his game and make big shots in huge environments like last night,” Hayes said. “Our team sees him do it in practice everyday, but it’s another thing to do it in a packed gym. He’s shooting it really well lately, but also recognizing when to move off-ball, and even finding steals on the defensive end and being one step ahead. It’s not something you see most freshmen do, especially at the AAAA level. He deserves all of this, he’s an extremely nice and kind kid off the floor, and a very coachable kid on the floor.”
The Hawks stretched their lead to 73-39 before Forrest put an exclamation point on the game. The junior captain stole the ball and threw down a thunderous dunk that sent the student section into pandemonium.
Senior Isaiah Jorgenson knocked down a three-pointer with four minutes to go, and both teams emptied their benches, giving their underclassmen valuable playing time in the rivalry game.
The Hawks finished with 14 steals and five blocks while executing their offense with precision, recording 18 assists on 29 made field goals.
The scoring was balanced across the Hawks’ lineup. Keenan led the way with 19 points, while Jochum added 16. Senior Evan Atkinson contributed 10 points, showcasing patient pivot post moves around the rim. Junior Eli Herzog finished with eight points, highlighted by a transition three-pointer that helped ignite the second-half run. Forrest added nine points to go along with six steals and two blocks and senior Matthew Welter chipped in eight points.
For Chanhassen, Barger and Christl led the Storm with 17 and 14 respectively. The loss dropped the Storm to 10-8 overall, snapping their own six-game winning streak.
The Hawks have now won 12 straight games and remain undefeated in Metro West Conference play at 8-0. At 15-4 overall, Chaska continues to make their case as one of the premier teams in Class 4A.
Chanhassen has two home games coming up: Tuesday, Feb. 10 against Benilde-St. Margaret’s and Friday, Feb. 13 against Bloomington Jefferson. Both games start at 7 p.m. at Chanhassen High School.
Chaska also has two upcoming home games: Tuesday, Feb. 10 2/10 against Bloomington Jefferson and Friday, Feb. 13 against Orono. Both games start at 7 p.m. at Chaska High School.
