East Ridge boys basketball: Pahl scores 26 and 33 as Raptors split pair

The East Ridge boys basketball team split a pair of non-conference games last week to go to 2-1 on the season. The Raptors beat Minneapolis Southwest 65-55 on Tuesday, Dec. 6, and fell to St. Louis Park on Friday, Dec. 9, in two home games at “The Perch.”

In the win over Minneapolis Southwest (0-4) senior forward Justin Pahl led the way for the Raptors with a game-high 26 points. Also, Nnamdi Nwokolo added 11 points and Conrad Sexe scored nine points.

East Ridge went up 33-24 in the first half and held on for the win, outpacing the Lakers 32-31 in the second half.

In the loss to St. Louis Park, East Ridge held a 33-32 halftime lead, but the Orioles (2-1) outscored the Raptors 49-39 to go home with a nine-point win.

Pahl had a game-high 33 points for East Ridge. Also, Brian Ishola scored 17 points and Jared Morris chipped in 10 points. Pahl is averaging a conference-leading 28.7 points per game currently.

East Ridge head coach Paul Virgin said his team had 23 turnovers and gave up 14 offensive rebounds in the loss, which was the difference.

“You are not going to be successful with those numbers,” Virgin said. “Turnovers are our biggest concern right now. We need to take care of the ball better and make better decisions. Our hope is this will get better as we gain experience.”

East Ridge finishes off a five-game homestand this week with games against North St. Paul on Wednesday, Dec. 14, and Suburban East Conference foe White Bear Lake on Friday, Dec. 16, to open the conference schedule. The Raptors then play host St. Paul Harding on Saturday, Dec. 17.

“We have a big week with three home games,” Virgin said. “North St. Paul is a very tough, physical team and White Bear is one of the favorites to win the conference. I hope we continue to mature and improve.”

Tags: east ridge, sports, basketball, raptors, prep, updates