With a style that more resembles a track meet, Stillwater has been tough for the rest of the Suburban East Conference to run down over the past few years. The Ponies, No. 5 in the Class 4A rankings by Minnesota Basketball News from Feb. 3, have raced past all comers again this winter heading into a key home showdown with No. 10-4A Forest Lake on Tuesday night.
Since falling to White Bear Lake on Feb. 13, 2018, the Ponies (7-0) have won 42 of their last 43 conference games with the same relentless style of play under coach Willie Taylor.
This year, that pace is set by one of the top back courts in the state in senior Alexis Pratt (20.7 points per game) and junior Amber Scalia (18.7 ppg), the younger sister of current University of Minnesota guard Sara Scalia. The diminutive Pratt may be the quickest player in the state and can both create her own shot and distribute to teammates. Add in 6-foot sophomore Lexi Karlen, who is averaging nearly a double-double (10.3 ppg, 9.4 rebounds per game), and a host of top athletes, and the Ponies are again looking like the class of the Suburban East.
Forest Lake (6-1) was running neck and neck with the Ponies in conference play this season until dropping a 58-50 decision to Roseville on Feb. 5. As she has done much of the year, senior multi-sport stud Logan Anderson (18.2 ppg) paced the Rangers in scoring with 17 points, but couldn't overcome a slow first half for the team. Coach Jen Wagner's team may not have the foot speed of the Ponies, but they play with a rugged and competitive fire.