Click photos to view the entire gallery from the game.

Following Wednesday’s game, Eden Prairie girls’ basketball coach Ellen Wiese admitted that having 11 players on the scoresheet isn’t typical for her team.

“We usually just go eight or nine deep,” Wiese said. “Tonight was good for us to get some players like (eighth-grade center Nia Holloway) into the game.”

The 11-player deep scoring attack was just one of the oddities Wednesday at Eden Prairie High School. The Eagles played outside of the Lake Conference, something they don’t do too often this deep in the season. Additionally, Eden Prairie picked up an 88-65 win over St. Cloud Apollo -- a blowout win for an Eagles program that hasn’t had too many of those in recent years.

Though the Eagles (9-8, 0-3) went deep into their bench Wednesday, one bench player, a real fixture, stood out again. When sophomore forward Nneka Obiazor came in, she dazzled with her ability to attack the rim and score. She led her team with 12 points in the first half and continued on to a team-high 18.

“She’s just a beast,” Wiese said. “There’s just instant offense with her. Her combination of speed and strength is just so hard to guard.”

The only Eagle to average double-digits in points (15.4 points per game) this season, Obiazor also found consistent help from her teammates throughout the game.

Junior forward Abby Johnson and sophomore center Natalie Mazurek, each towering above 6 feet, scored at least 10 points in the victory and used their size advantage over St. Cloud Apollo. Johnson had 14 points, including four three-pointers, while Mazurek took advantage of her tall stature and put in 16.

“They’re a lot bigger than us,” said Apollo coach Jill Lipp. “We’re giving up five to six inches. We don’t grow ‘em 6-1 like they do down here.”

While St. Cloud Apollo (9-8) didn’t match up well in the size department, the team did get its chances via free throws. St. Cloud Apollo had 39 free-throw opportunities on Wednesday. The team struggled to make those shots, however, missing 15 (38 percent).

“I think we were just playing a little bit scared,” Lipp said. “We’re usually closer to about 75 percent shooting from the line.”

St. Cloud Apollo junior forward Lariah Washington continued her strong scoring prowess with a team-high 23 on Wednesday, but left some points at the free-throw line by missing four foul shots.

Given the margin of victory, missed free throws weren’t quite as magnified. But it did leave Wiese frustrated with her team’s ability to give its opponent that many chances.

“It’s on us. We put them there,” Wiese said. “We get lazy, get out of our stance and start shuffling, reaching and hacking. We tend to put the other team on the free-throw line a lot.”

Eden Prairie’s foul-happy play points to a lack of experience. The Eagles only have two seniors and just one of them (Isy Obiazor) starts. These veterans have been a part of teams that have won just 11 games the past two seasons.

“These girls didn’t have a lot of confidence coming into this year,” Wiese said. “We had to change the culture and make some progress. I’m proud of the level the girls have got it to this year.”

Wednesday’s nonconference game gave Eden Prairie a chance to breathe. The Eagles are a part of a Lake Conference that boasts two of the top three teams in the Minnesota Basketball News Class 4A state rankings.

Eden Prairie will return to conference play on Friday when it takes on Edina. But for now, the Eagles are feeling confident with their double-digit win.

“It’s good because getting a win now makes it easier to get one later,” Nneka Obiazor said. “Anything like this will make us better when it comes time for sections.”

Eleven different players scored for an Eden Prairie team that held a double-digit lead most of the evening, en route to defeating St. Cloud Apollo 88-65 on Wednesday at Eden Prairie High School.

Eden Prairie (9-8) got off to a quick start thanks to strong shooting from a bevy of players. Sophomore forward Nneka Obiazor led the way early with a team-high 12 points in the first half and finished with a team-best 18.

Two other Eagles players climbed to double-digits. Junior forward Abby Johnson had 14 points while knocking down four three-pointers. Sophomore center Natalie Mazurek was a force in the middle and put up 16 points.

St. Cloud Apollo (9-8) had chances on the offensive end, with 23 free-throw attempts in the first half and 39 for the game.

Two players kept Apollo hanging around: Junior forward Lariah Washington, who came in averaging nearly 26 points per game, had a team-high 23 points; and junior forward Jessica Timpane added 19 points.

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