Patience on offense has been a problem for the Long Prairie-Grey Eagle Thunder girls’ basketball team all season long.

A lack of patience plagued the Thunder in the first half of their game against the Minnewaska Area Lakers on Dec. 30.

After going into halftime down eight points, the Thunder settled down and worked it inside to end 2011 with a 53-44 win.

In the first half, the Thunder gave the Lakers many second  chance opportunities which allowed them to take the lead going into halftime.

On the other end of the floor, the offense was stagnant  and could not get into a nice rhythm.

“At halftime I told the girls to be patient and get the ball inside,” head coach Steve Christians said. “I was really proud of how the girls came out. They kept working hard and getting the ball inside then hitting the outside shot instead of just making one pass and shooting.”

The Thunder’s inside duo of Jenna Langer and Sam Zastrow handled the load in the second half as they led the like they have for much of the year.

Zastrow finished the night with 20 points and pulled down nine rebounds while Langer chipped in 19 points.

Coach Christians was pleased with how the girls were able to play coming back from a two week break.

“To come back and get a win after a long break against a team that’s quick and strong, it was definitely a good game to come away with,” he said.

Coach Christians said the Thunder will continue to focus on getting better at shooting and handling the pressure.

“If we stay patient and build a lead, we need to stop letting them back into the game,” he said. “It’s great for the fans and it’s exciting, but there’s nothing wrong with getting that ten point lead and expanding on it.”

The Thunder will travel to Swanville to take on the Bulldogs on Jan. 5.

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