Mahtomedi’s metamorphosis is almost complete.

The Zephyrs finished with a 4-22 record two seasons ago, a season in which blowout losses were common and that ended with an 11-game losing streak.

Nearly 24 months later, Mahtomedi is making opponents take notice as it improved to 16-4 overall with a 65-54 home victory over Hill-Murray in a Metro East Conference matchup on Friday night.

The victory ended the Zephyrs’ nine-game losing streak to the Pioneers, who are ranked No. 5 in Class 3A by Minnesota Basketball News, and moved Mahtomedi into a tie with Hill-Murray (15-4) atop the conference standings with identical 8-1 records. 

“I’m speechless,” Zephyrs coach Dan Greene said. “I just can’t believe it.”

The Pioneers won this season’s first matchup 66-43 on Jan. 9, a game that Greene said Mahtomedi lost because it was overly excited, made uncharacteristic turnovers and allowed Hill-Murray to set the tone.

“We set the tone tonight,” said senior Ali Greene, Dan’s daughter. “That was the biggest difference.”

The Zephyrs stormed out to a strong start and held a 30-12 lead with 6 minutes to play in the first half. 

Ali Greene, a 6-foot-1 forward who is set to play for Creighton next fall, finished with a team-high 25 points and was key to Mahtomedi’s offensive success.

“When we get her going with her shot and she is composed, our team just feeds off of her,” Dan Greene said. “That was really important for us.”

Freshman guard Emma Grothaus may have been the big beneficiary as she finished with 17 points, well above season average of 10.2 points per game.

The Zephyrs’ ferocious start put the Pioneers on their heels, a role-reversal from the first meeting.

Hill-Murray, however, made the game interesting with a second-half rally to trim a 15-point deficit down to five behind senior Lindsey Malecha, who made a couple three-point baskets to spur the scoring run. She finished with a game-high 30 points.

Mahtomedi forced several turnovers down the stretch, and the Zephyrs connected on their free throws to ice the game.

“That says a lot about how our team has grown,” Dan Greene said. “We are so much more composed in big games. We know how to handle it now, and to see how these players have grown from that four-win season a couple of years ago, it is just amazing as we now control our own destiny for a conference championship.”

Ali Greene, a three-year varsity starter who leads Mahtomedi in scoring at 19.4 points per game this season, said one of the biggest changes from two years ago is her teammates’ participation in offseason work, and the Zephyrs’ improved play is proof that the dedication has paid off.

“When I came here as a freshman, I think I was the only one playing (Amatuer Athletic Union basketball) and doing summer camps,” Ali Greene said. “Now everyone is playing AAU, and we are all working together at camps. It is pretty cool to see.”

So is Mahtomedi’s transformation.

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Ali Greene scored 25 points to lead Mahtomedi to a 65-54 win against Hill-Murray in a Metro East Conference game at Mahtomedi High School on Friday.

Emma Grothaus added 17 points for the Zephyrs (16-4).

Lindsey Malecha led all scorers with 30 points and Jenna Schwartz finished with 11 for the Pioneers (15-4), ranked No. 5 in Class 3A by the Minnesota Basketball News.

Mahtomedi gave Hill-Murray its first league loss, and the Zephyrs moved into a tie with the Pioneers atop the standings with 8-1 records.

Mahtomedi travels to Coon Rapids on Feb. 11. Hill-Murray heads to Martin County West on Feb. 7.

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