In the second half of Osseo's 66-60 win over Park Center on Thursday, the Pirates took a timeout to catch their breath after yet another Kiara Russell fast-break layup.

The break, however, couldn't keep Russell from continuing to run or score, as the senior and Arizona State commit tied a season-high with 32 points - 23 of those in the second half - against the Orioles’ Northwest Suburban Conference West Division rival. 

Twice in the game, she had back-to-back steals that turned into fast-break layups. It's the brand of basketball Osseo (3-2) has been developing for a few years now. 

Orioles coach Jen Moen said an intense conditioning program was added to give her team an edge.

"The kids, in first couple years we did (conditioning), struggled with it," Moen said. "They now step up and are ready to do that conditioning because they see the payoff."

Russell, who is usually the fastest player on the court, thrives in this style of play. And while her offensive numbers are rather eye-popping this season (27.6 points per game), it's Osseo's attacking defense that lets Russell and the rest of the Orioles fly.

"I think defense is one of the best aspects of my game," Russell said. 

Moen said her star guard's defensive game is often overlooked.

"Kiara's a much better defensive player than people give her credit for because her offense is so strong," Moen said. "When we played St. Michael-Albertville, we put (Russell) on their best guard and she didn't have a defensive foul all night."

Moen, in her first year as head coach after being an Osseo assistant for many years, said the team’s offense has been a bit bogged down with the players trying to learn a new system.

But the Orioles hardly have to get in a set offense because their defense creates so many turnovers while using their elite speed and conditioning to get out in front of teams from start to finish.

"We definitely have an advantage over teams because in practice, we condition a lot," Russell said. "We just push the ball and get great opportunities (to score)."

Thanks to its conditioning, Osseo controls the game by playing at a pace unmatched by most teams.

"I felt really proud (tonight) because we played our game plan," Moen said. "We like to run, we like to get the ball up and down."