According to Hawks coach Dana Kallman, the slow start was due in part to younger players in the backcourt without much varsity experience and a schedule chalked full of tough opponents. That 12-game stretch included games against Eastview, Minnetonka and Shakopee. All three of those teams are ranked in the top 10 in Class 4A by Minnesota Basketball News, as of Feb. 25.

Following the 11th loss, Nicholson and his teammates sat down looking to figure out what was wrong.

“We sat down and tried to figure it out,” Nicholson said. “We all trust each other now and play together. It’s worked out super well.”

That meeting started to produce wins, including a 61-59 win against Orono on Jan. 24. The Hawks have rebounded after that first dozen games as they have gone 8-4 in their most recent 12 games. 

“We’re having better practices,” Kallman said. “Guys are just into it a little more.”

Nicholson has been a constant through all the ups and downs. In his fourth year on varsity, he’s been a consistent leader, averaging more than 20 points per game this season. 

“I had to step up and lead this team,” Nicholson said. “These guys trust me. I couldn’t be any more grateful for it.”

The senior big man loomed large again in Friday’s win. He helped kick things off early with 10 points in the first half. That included Chaska’s first points of the game and a late push in the half that tied things up at 29. 

In the second half, Nicholson continued to be a force with 15 points of his own. A number of his baskets came late in the game as Orono made a push to tie things up. However, just about any Spartan bucket was countered by Chaska. 

With an exhaustive list of close games this season, the tight situation was nothing the Hawks were unfamiliar with.”

“We’ve just hardly had any games that weren’t single-possession or two-possession games,” Kallman said. “The more you get in those situations, the better. You can’t simulate that in practice.”

On top of Nicholson’s effort on the offensive end, he and his teammates stood tall defensively, especially when it came to defending the three-point shot. Orono finished the evening 2-for-25 from deep.

“They have a bunch of guys who can shoot threes,” Kallman said. “Our goal was to contest all threes and keep the ball out of the paint. We were successful with our gameplan tonight.”

The win pushes Chaska back to .500 in conference play and is another win that’s taken place during this late surge. The Hawks have two regular-season games remaining before the section tournament. With a below-.500 overall record, Chaska is likely destined to be a lower seed. But with its recent success, the Hawks don’t look like an easy out.

“We’re probably going to go in getting the No. 7 seed,” Nicholson said. “We can’t wait to go in and upset a team.”