Midterm grades are in and Spring Lake Park has earned recognition as one of the season's first-half success stories.
But it's how a team finishes, not how it starts, that leaves a lasting impression. And the Panthers, following a seven-day break, begin the second half of the regular season with a pair of conference games that could be critical to their overall grade.
The Panthers (11-2, 2-1) take a seven-game winning streak into Wednesday's matchup with Park Center at the Target Center in Minneapolis, and then they'll face red-hot Robbinsdale Armstrong, which has won 10 consecutive games, on Friday in our Top Game of the Week.
The Northwest Suburban Conference West Division has developed into a four-team race between Spring Lake Park, Robbinsdale Armstrong, Park Center and Totino-Grace. Armstrong (10-1, 3-0), ranked No. 6 in Class 4A by Minnesota Basketball News from Jan. 15, has already beaten No. 4-3A Totino-Grace and No. 7-4A Park Center. Spring Lake Park's last loss was a 73-68 result to Totino-Grace on Dec. 20.
After Friday's game, each of the league's top four contenders will have played each other. If Armstrong beats Spring Lake Park, it will be the only team with a 3-0 record. The worst-case scenario for Spring Lake Park is two losses this week and an 0-3 mark against the league's top four.
But coach Grant Guzy's Panthers have reason for optimism. Spring Lake Park boasts a lineup with six players averaging at least nine points a game and the Panthers are outscoring opponents by nearly 17 points a game. Forward Blake Remme leads that group with 19.1 points per game. He's joined by Gabe Myren (17.1 ppg), Kaleb Skelly (10.0 ppg), Daydor Philips (9.5 ppg), Jacob Say (9.2 ppg) and Trey Johnston (9.1 ppg). All but Skelly and Johnston are seniors.
Jake Breitbach, a senior guard, leads the Falcons, who haven't lost since their season-opener at No. 5-4A Hopkins, with a 15.9-point scoring average. A pair of 6-foot-5 seniors, Hezekiah Iyawe (13.8 ppg) and Adam Biewen (12 ppgs), are just behind.