There are not many milestones Lakeville North senior Tyler Wahl has not crossed as he plays in the final season of his high school career.

Until Saturday's holiday tournament matchup with Austin, however, he still had not achieved one of the biggest offensive marks a high school player can reach. That changed when Wahl scored his 1,000th career point three minutes into Lakeville North's 84-64 victory over Austin.

Asked after the game where the memory ranks in his career, the Wisconsin commit said it compares to his team's past two state tournament runs.

"It's pretty high up there," Wahl said.

Soon the Lakeville North senior will be headed to Madison after giving his verbal commitment this past summer to the Big 10 program. Wahl's decision was familiar to many basketball fans as Lakeville North alumnus Nate Reuvers is now a sophomore with the Badgers.

While one of his former teammates is now playing at Wisconsin, Wahl said Reuvers did not push him on which offer he should pick.

"If I had a question I would ask him," Wahl said. "And he would be completely honest, good or bad. So that helped, but it was basically my decision."

The Panthers' win Saturday helped improved their record to 5-3 on the season. At first glance, a winning percentage near the .500 mark might not seem too impressive considering they have won seven consecutive Class 4A, Section 1 titles.

For head coach John Oxton, the slow start has not been a concern. His team was not at full strength early this season while some of its players helped the school win a Class 6A football championship.

"I think the football season kind of set us back a little bit," Oxton said. "That's okay; it's a long season. We've got a long ways to go, but we're just kind of trying to make some progress a day at a time."

Austin got the better of the Lakeville North in the holiday tournament last season, defeating the Panthers on their home floor 71-65. But Austin coach Kris Fadness said this year Lakeville North's size advantage was a challenge.

"We're not as big as we were last year," Fadness said. "So we're a little bit different, the size matchup was tough for us. Tyler Wahl is a heck of a player. I thought he dominated the first half."

Austin (5-2, 4-1) has become a force in Class 3A in recent years. The Packers have won two consecutive Class 3A, Section 1 championships, including a 2017 run to the state title game.

But the roster has returned only one starter from last year's team. And while the Packers have just two losses, there is still more work ahead.

"It's more situational than anything, just getting guys to understand the influence of every possession, understanding situations of score and time," Fadness said. "But we've got talent. We've got guys who can handle it and shoot it."