Shakopee junior forward Mateya Hutton is difficult to defend just about anywhere on the basketball court.

She can use her 6-foot frame to post-up and power toward the basket, or if she has space on the outside, Hutton can knock down three-pointers with ease.

Such was the case on Tuesday, as Hutton scored 20 points to help Shakopee outlast Lakeville North 64-56 in a South Suburban Conference road win. 

When teams try to focus on stopping North Carolina commit Taylor Koenen, Hutton's success becomes even more vital for Shakopee (19-1, 12-0), ranked No. 1 in Class 4A by Minnesota Basketball News.

"I have to really step up," Hutton said. "I have to be tough around the rim and grab rebounds whenever people can't and (use) my strength when other people can't."

And the Sabers needed Hutton to step up big on Tuesday when No. 6-4A Lakeville North (16-5, 8-5) gained early momentum, stifling Koenen and the Shakopee offense.

The Panthers put junior forward Olivia Bruce on Koenen and limited her to two points for most of the first half. From blocking shots to grabbing steals, Bruce frustrated Koenen early on in the game.

Bruce's offense and defense played a key role in Lakeville North holding 28-24 lead heading into halftime, and the junior finished with 16 points on the night.

"She came out, was focused and gave us a spark," Panthers' coach Shelly Clemons said. "She got going and gave the rest of the team confidence."

As Lakeville North found out, slowing down Koenen doesn't equate to a victory or even a large lead, and Hutton's steady scoring kept the Sabers in the game.

"Having balanced scoring is important," Koenen said. "If (the opponent) takes one player away, we have others who can step up. Everyone can have games where they don't shoot that well."

But Hutton only improved as the game went on, adding 11 points in the second half.

Although she would have liked to have a better performance in the first half, Koenen never allowed herself to become too frustrated, finishing with 22 points. It's that level approach that's helped her in leading Shakopee with 21.1 points per game.

"You just have to move on to the next play and try different things," Koenen said. 

Hutton and Koenen's efforts helped complete the comeback victory in the Sabers' second win over Lakeville North this season.

Shakopee coach Juan Mitchell said he was happy to see how his players responded to adversity, which is something the Sabers haven't faced that often this season. 

"We showed a lot of gut and grit tonight," Mitchell said.

Senior and North Carolina commit Taylor Koenen scored 22 points to lead Shakopee to a 64-56 victory over Lakeville North in South Suburban Conference action on Tuesday.

Junior Mateya Hutton also added 20 points for the Sabers (19-1, 12-0), ranked No. 1 in Class 4A by Minnesota Basketball News.

The No. 6-4A Panthers (16-5, 8-5) came out strong in the first half, at one point leading Shakopee by 12 points.

Junior Olivia Bruce defended Koenen well in the first half, holding her to two points for most of the period, and also led the Lakeville North offense with 16 points.

After trailing 28-24 at halftime, the Sabers began to take control with about eight minutes left in the second half. Annie Rhinesmith hit four late free throws, completing the comeback victory for Shakopee. Rhinesmith, a senior guard, finished with nine points.

Junior Temi Carda finished with 11 points in the Panthers' second loss to the Sabers this season.

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