On paper Tuesday night’s St. Louis Park and Columbia Heights North Suburban Conference boys’ basketball game looked like a mismatch. Columbia Heights was 6-0 and had one of the state’s top scorers – Zach Lofton – at its disposal. The senior guard is averaging more than 30 points a game. St. Louis Park, on the other hand, came into the game with a record of 3-5.

But games are not played on paper – and it's a good thing for St. Louis Park, which earned a 68-58 upset victory that could propel the squad toward even better things.

St. Louis Park first year coach Dave Breitenbucher said the atmosphere in Columbia Heights was intense. Although Breitenbucher’s team is undersized against most teams, he said senior captains Marquealis Edwards and Joe Zangel did a great job controlling play inside. While Edwards and Zangel did much of the dirty work, fellow senior captain Aaron Ziman and sophomore Kashif Hayes combined for 36 of the teams 68 points.

“Columbia Heights made a run in the second half and cut the lead to one,” said Breitenbucher, “but they didn’t panic.”

The Hylanders did all they could to get back into the game, switching between numerous defenses, but the Orioles were able to adapt.

Because of Breitenbucher’s team’s early schedule, players do not get rattled easily. St. Louis Park’s losses this season were to Eagan, Apple Valley (before Tyus Jones was injured), Chaska, undefeated Hopkins and Armstrong.

Down the stretch one of the keys was limiting the high-scoring Lofton. Senior T.J. Gist was given that role down the stretch and although Lofton scored 35 points, Gist was able to contain him when it mattered most.

“We are an athletic team with a lot of slashers,” said Breitenbucher.   “When we go after it together, like Tuesday night, as a team we can have success.”