Andy Berkvam still is searching for that combination shut-down defender/at-will scorer the Lakeville North coach had last season in Cassie Rochel, the 2010 Minnesota Ms. Basketball. And the reality is that he might never find that kind of player again.

"We're hoping that our team defense will be a little stronger," Berkvam said. "It's going to have to be done with the team."

Berkvam's best bet lies in senior post Apiew Ojulu. The 6-3 Marquette recruit is one of the best at her position in the state. Her back-to-the-basket approach to the game isn't seen much, but it has proven to be effective.

"Everyone talks about Rachel [Banham] on this team, but Apiew is going to take us as far as we want to go," Berkvam said. "I really believe that. She's a force if she wants to be, if she wants to play."

Berkvam's comments came Thursday after the defending Class 4A champion Panthers' 64-29 victory at DeLaSalle, a game that was a two-point contest at halftime before Lakeville North rolled to a 37-4 second-half advantage. Frustrated and fuming for much of the first half, Berkvam said his starters – Ojulu included – did not come ready to play in that game.

But the second half began with a 19-0 Panthers run. Ojulu scored nine of the team's first 11 points in that stretch, making two steals and drawing three fouls along the way.

"We have someone who can dominate the paint in Apiew," Berkvam said. "It's not rocket science; I didn't wave a magic wand. Get the ball inside, and if they collapse, kick the ball outside and we'll take them from there.

"She's taken over Cassie Rochel's role, and if you're going to do that you have to [be] an inside force. She realized that [against DeLaSalle]."

Ojulu finished with a game-high 20 points against the Islanders, and afterward almost had a look of relief in beating the Class 3A school.

"You can't just go walk into a game and say you're better than them and that you're going to win," Ojulu said. "You have to earn it. We can't come out being cocky and over-confident. First of all, we have to finish out layups. Then be there for each other."

It also helps to be dedicated.

In an effort to be in better shape for the basketball season, Ojulu ran cross-country this fall. The workouts weren't fun for a first-time competitive runner, but she said the races taught her the value of an honest work ethic.

"After finishing meets you feel good, because you've accomplished something that is so hard," she said. "I wanted to get into shape and do something nobody thought I could do. It was a huge challenge, but I overcame it."

A loss to Hopkins last weekend in the Tip-Off Classic ended Lakeville North's 35-game winning streak. It's a mark Berkvam has said meant a lot to the players, but not so much in the grand scheme of the season.

Perhaps it's the wake-up call the team needed. It has to be ready for anything, and will look to Ojulu to stop the opponent's charge.

"Every team is going to play us tough, and Apiew is one of the toughest people I know," sophomore guard Taylor Stewart said. "If she's going to stuff you, she's going to stuff you hard. That only makes us better."