Boys Basketball in Second Place as Mooney Returns in Win Over Big Lake

It hasn’t been the easiest road for the Knights boys’ basketball team. But with a firm grip on second place in the Mississippi 8 standings and a winning streak of three games going into Tuesdsay’s night tilt with Becker, St. Michael-Albertville has made it look pretty good.

The squad, which lost two out of four to close January – both conference losses and both close games – is back at full strength. St. Michael-Albertville lost forward Michael Mooney to an arm injury, and it cost them in his second game missing – an overtime loss to Rogers.

Since then, however, the Royals have slipped, and the Knights have surged.

Rogers has lost three of four, two in-conference, to fall to third place. STMA, meanwhile, has rattled off key wins, including Friday’s night’s road victory over Big Lake, which saw Mooney return with a 14-point night.

“We needed to get healthy,” said head coach Tim Anfenson. “Mooney has become a big player for us, so it’s going to be interesting to see how we do without him at 100 percent.”

Mooney isn’t fully recovered, but didn’t show much signs of injury last weekend. He’ll try the arm out again Tuesday night vs. Becker, where a win on the road vs. the ‘Dogs would put the Knights clear of any competition for the second spot.

Carrying the Knights while Mooney was hurt was guard Michael Wiese, who stepped up his outside shooting and is now second on the team in scoring.

“He’s got a lot of confidence out there,” said teammate Joe Carpenter. “He’s a guy we know can get his shot going and can score.”

As for Carpenter, he continues to lead the Knights’ offense, and has solidified his game on the defensive end somewhat, which is what Anfesnon hoped he would do.

Carpenter set a new school record for scoring with 43 points on the road against Zimmerman on Feb. 4. With Mooney and Wiese leading the way against the Hornets, however, he was able to score just 12 points. Wiese led the way with 23.

But the big story in Big Lake was the STMA defense, which allowed just one BL player in double figures. And the Knights, who trailed Big Lake much of the game back in January, dominated the Hornets on their home floor from the outset, leading by 11 at the half.

“We feel that if we can play our game we can beat anyone,” Carpenter said. “We need to have that confidence if we want to win in this league.”

The Knights are trying to chase down Buffalo, who is a perfect 11-0 in conference play. They’ll need to knock off the Bison at home Feb. 22, and then hope someone knocks them off along the way.

“They’re a very strong basketball team,” Anfesnon said. “They’re well-coached. It’s going to be a fun game.”

The two meet at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 22 in St. Michael.