Apple Valley is slowly proving it can win without the state's second highest scorer.
Junior guard Gary Trent Jr. was out of the lineup (ear infection) for the second straight game in the Eagles' 70-62 win over Lakeville North on Tuesday night.
Shouldering the load once again was sophomore guard Tre Jones, who scored a game-high 34 points and also grabbed nine rebounds and dished out five assists.
"Tre has really broken out here in the last two games," Apple Valley coach Zach Goring said. "Tonight, he really carried us."
In their first game without Trent against Shakopee on Feb. 11, the Eagles (24-1, 17-0) rode Jones' game-high 35 points to an overtime win over the Sabers, ranked No. 8 in Class 4A by Minnesota Basketball News.
The time without Trent has also given No. 1-4A Apple Valley the flexibility to rotate more players off the bench, as eight players logged at least five minutes of action against the No. 6-4A Panthers (20-5, 13-4) on Tuesday.
"It's given some other guys an opportunity and probably made us a little deeper," Goring said. "From that aspect (Trent's illness) has helped, but we'll be glad to get back to full strength."
Jones is not the only player filling the offensive gap.
Though senior guard Cameron Kirksey battled foul trouble early, the Eagles' co-captain finished with nine points and three blocked shots.
"It's the game of basketball," Kirksey said. "You can't predict everything. (You have to) set an example for the team and younger players on how to conduct themselves."
Senior center and Buffalo commit Brock Bertram also ran into some early struggles, being whistled for traveling on multiple possessions, but still managed 11 points and 15 rebounds.
"There's going to be times when we're going to have to fight together, play as one and trust each other to pull out a victory," Bertram said.
That high level of trust can partially be attributed to the bond several Apple Valley players have built through their involvement with the Howard Pulley Panthers, a traveling Amateur Athletic Union team that captured the 2013 AAU national title.
Bertram, Kirksey and Trent all play for the Howard Pulley 17U team in Nike's Elite Youth Basketball League, while Jones suits up for the 16U EYBL squad.
"We're playing with each other twenty-four (hours), seven (days a week), the whole year," Bertram, the Eagles' other co-captain, said. "It really makes us better together and helps us on the court. Since sixth or seventh grade, (we've) all been best friends. We're all brothers."
