Park girls basketball: Gorres leads shorthanded Wolfpack past Hastings

With leading scorer Larissa Lurken out sick and a few other players still recovering from illnesses Park needed a pick-me-up – and Ally Gorres provided it.

Gorres, a freshman forward, scored a team-high 12 points to help lead Park to a 50-37 Suburban East Conference win over Hastings.

“It was a good team win,” Park head coach Stephanie Tolkinen said. “The girls kept playing even when it got a little frustrating to get things to go.”

Perhaps recognizing an opportunity for an upset, Hastings (3-6; 0—4 SEC) kept things close with Park throughout. The Wolfpack (7-2; 3-1 SEC) held a 22-16 lead at the half and held on with a 28-21 advantage in the second half.

“It was a good lesson for our kids that not every game is going to go the way we planned,” Tolkinen said. “They kept grinding it out and eventually pulled away for the win. More can be learned from these tough games than any blowout win.”

Eight different players stepped up to score for Park in the win. In addition to Gorres, sophomore guard Carlie Williams scored eight points and junior guard Sydney Lamberty netted seven points. Junior forward Temi Ogunrinde led the team with nine rebounds to go along with four points.

“Our defense stepped up and kids made some plays that led to some transition points for us,” Tolkinen said. “I thought the girls did a good job of recognizing their shot opportunities and make some big shots.”

Park took part in a tournament at Southwest Minnesota State University in Marshall last weekend after the Bulletin went to press. Next, the Wolfpack is back in the Suburban East and in Cottage Grove, when Park plays host to Forest Lake on Jan. 4.

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