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Eden Prairie hands New Prague its first loss of the season

By Brian Jerzak, SportsEngine, 01/17/17, 7:00AM CST

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The Eagles held on to defeat the Trojans 55-49.

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Eden Prairie's Will Pahl (22) ran into resistance in the form of New Prague's Jared Milinkovich on his way to the basket. Pahl battled for 15 points in the Eagles' 55-49 victory. Photo by Mark Hvidsten, SportsEngine


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Eden Prairie freshmen Austin Andrews (right) and Connor Christensen (left) block a shot by New Prague's Jacob Washa that would have tied the game at 45 in the last minute of the game. Photo by Mark Hvidsten, SportsEngine

The defense came to play all night when New Prague, ranked No. 7 in Class 4A by Minnesota Basketball News, visited Eden Prairie Tuesday night. Every possession had the intensity of an end of game situation.

The Trojans, who start five seniors, seemed to have the advantage, but a trio of Eden Prairie freshmen proved that experience isn't all it's cracked up to be.

Point guard Drake Dobbs and forwards Connor Christensen and Austin Andrews combined for 37 of No. 15-4A Eden Prairie's 55 points in a 55-49 victory.

The victory was especially impressive because Eagles’ leading scorer Owen Chose did not play.

"With Owen out we all had to make plays," Christensen said. "We all got our looks, and we made them."

The stage was not too big for the three young players.

"Obviously (the freshmen) are talented, but their ability to handle pressure, their confidence level; they don't look like freshmen," Eden Prairie head coach David Flom said.

All three freshmen have adjusted quickly to big-time varsity minutes.

"The guys around me and the coaching staff made me feel at home and worked me into the rotation," Christensen said. “It has been going great."

Dobbs—who hit a big three-point bucket from the top of the key late to give his team the lead, has been ready to take on that responsibility.

"I have been training my whole life for defensive pressure like that," Dobbs said. "I was in the zone the whole game and was ready for all the pressure."

Dobbs—who led all scorers with 16 points—felt good about the biggest shot of the game.

"I just felt it," Dobbs said. "I knew I was going to hit it and I knew it was money. I was confident."

Starting three freshmen didn't give Flom a lot of confidence, at least not right away.

"There was no way for me to know they could handle it," Flom said. "In my time here, we haven't played a ninth grader at all. The fact that we are playing three of them is pretty unbelievable. The reality is they—and our team—have outplayed my expectations."

Flom learned early his freshmen might be better than he thought.

"The one thing I keep on using when it comes to these three is they are willing and focused," Flom said. "They are always right there. They take care of the details as well as anyone that we have."

All three have different strengths that complement each other.

"Drake is extremely confident. He wants the ball in his hands," Flom said. "Austin's footwork and hands—for a freshman—are unbelievable. He does things that other freshmen have not done in the past for us. His drive and competitiveness separate him. Connor just fights. He is so versatile on defense. He is tenacious and can guard multiple spots."

How well they play together did not happen by accident.

"The chemistry between us is good. We work well together," Dobbs said. "Connor and I have played together since second grade, and Austin and I have been on the same AAU team since fifth grade. We know how to play with each other."

With the young trio emerging so quickly, the future of Eden Prairie (9-5, 2-1) basketball appears to be in good hands.

"We have known each other for four years," Andrews said, regarding Dobbs and Christensen. "We work out together, and we do everything together. It is a special bond. We are going to keep coming together, and we will see what we can do the next four years."

Zach Hanson led New Prague's losing effort with 14 points. It was the Trojan's (12-1) first loss of the season.

First Report

Point guard Drake Dobbs and forwards Connor Christensen and Austin Andrews combined for 37 of Eden Prairie’s 55 points in their 55-49 victory over New Prague on Tuesday night in Eden Prairie.

The Eagles (9-5) opened a 10-point lead in the first half, but the senior-led Trojans (12-1) clawed back to take the lead mid-way through the second half.

All three Eden Prairie freshmen made huge plays down the stretch.

With the Eagles, ranked No. 15 in Class 4A by Minnesota Basketball News, down one with 1:30 left to play, Dobbs rose up and drained a three-point basket from the top of the key to give his team the lead.

Andrews made the defensive play of the game a couple of possessions later with a blocked shot at the rim. If New Prague had converted, the game would have been tied with under a minute to play.

With New Prague still within striking distance, Christensen pulled down a defensive rebound in traffic to deny the Trojans a second chance to tie the game.

With defensive pressure, Dobbs played a great floor game and led all scorers with 16 points.

Zach Hanson led the No. 7-4A Trojans with 14 points.

Photo Gallery

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Drake Dobbs, a freshman who led Eden Prairie with 16 points, gets a victory lift from teammate Antonio Montero. Photo by Mark Hvidsten, SportsEngine

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