Hudson Vaith and Matt Drake are overshadowed by Lakeville North's marquee players. They shouldn't be overlooked.
Guards lift Lakeville North over Buffalo in 4A boys basketball quarterfinals
Hudson Vaith and Matt Drake, not the Panthers' marquee names, made a difference.
March 22, 2023 at 3:13AM
The two guards provide a calming effect for the Panthers and did so again Tuesday. They combined for 28 points and nine assists as the No. 2-ranked Panthers rolled to an 87-59 victory over Buffalo in the quarterfinals of the Class 4A boys basketball state tournament at Target Center.
Panthers senior forward Nolan Winter, who is committed to Wisconsin for college as is teammate Jack Robison, scored 25 points and pulled down 17 rebounds. He didn't mind giving Vaith and Drake some credit.
"They are the most underrated players on our team," Winter said. "They don't get a lot of love."
Vaith, a senior, had 15 points. Drake, a junior, chipped in 13. They combined for 11-for-17 shooting. Drake missed 10 games earlier this season because of a thyroid condition.
"Hudson is having a great senior season," Panthers coach John Oxton said. "Matt is getting back to where he was earlier this year."
The Panthers (27-3) scored 11 of the game's first 14 points while building a 40-23 halftime lead. They never trailed.
"We have a pretty good group of players who don't get flustered," Oxton said. "We are playing as well as we have all year."
Nate Dahl led the Bison (23-7) with 21 points.
"We played really well defensively," Winter said. "We have a few things to work out offensively."
Six players plus head coach Garrett Raboin and assistant coach Ben Gordon are from Minnesota. The tournament’s games will be televised starting Monday.
