New Prague coach Ron Gunderson wasn’t worried about a sluggish performance from his team on the day after Thanksgiving. 

“These kids are players,” Gunderson said after his Trojans edged DeLaSalle 80-73 on Friday afternoon in the first round of the Pat Paterson tournament at Hamline University in St. Paul.

“They focus themselves,” Gunderson said of his players. “They love what they’re doing,”

“They play with their hearts and they play with passion,” he added.

That heart and passion are two reasons New Prague made a Class 3A state tournament appearance last season.

And one might assume the Trojans are set to make a deeper state run this season, especially with the team returning its leading scorers in junior guard Maizie Deihl (16.5 points per game last season) and junior forward Taylor Hustad (13.3 ppg) returning.

“I think a lot of (that) is self-pressure,” Deihl said of the expectations.

Deihl, who scored a game-high 37 points in the win over the Islanders, also said she and Hustad are responsible of leading their teammates, including providing vocal encouragement. 

“We (Deihl and Hustad) both know we’re here for a reason,” Deihl said. “We just have to pick up the girls.”

The Minnesota Girls Basketball Coaches Association named Deihl to the Class 3A all-state honorable mention team as a freshman and awarded her all-state honors as a sophomore.

Deihl and Hustad were Wright County all-conference selections last season. 

Hustad said part of her leadership role includes controlling her emotions on the court, a task that was put to the test against the physical and relentless DeLaSalle defense. 

“Usually, I would get mad ,” Hustad said of the bruising game in which she scored 16 points. “But I’ve learned to keep my cool because my team depends on me to stay positive and keep everyone else going.”

Gunderson said having Deihl and Hustad embrace a leadership role makes his job less difficult. 

“It’s fantastic,” Gunderson said of having both players back this season.

“There’s no coaching involved,” he added in jest with a laugh. “I just walk into the gym, point to (Deihl and Hustad) and tell them: ‘Take it, it’s your team.’”

Junior guard Maizie Deihl scored 37 points to lead New Prague over DeLaSalle 80-73 in the first round of the 16th annual Pat Paterson Thanksgiving Tournament on Friday afternoon at Hamline University in St. Paul. 

Deihl piled up 24 points in the first half, with the natural left-hander showing off her ability to handle the ball and score with either hand. 

Junior forward Taylor Hustad added 16 points for the Trojans (1-0). 

Senior forward Teja Bodden led the Islanders (0-1) with 20 points while senior guard Azia Wilson scored 14. 

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