The Northland Pines boys basketball team started the 2025-’26 season with a big 82-55 victory over Three Lakes and split a pair of games at a Thanksgiving holiday tournament in Wausau last weekend.
The Eagles got off to a fast start in a nonconference game in the season opener against Three Lakes last Tuesday, taking a 45-14 lead at the intermission. Pines had a 19-8 edge in transition points, a 22-13 advantage in points off turnovers and a 49-28 advantage in rebounds in the game.
“We got out of the gate strong,” said Pines coach Terry Klemett. “Our strength defensively and our pace really caught them off guard. We figured the way they closed the season last year and our last game with them, when we struggled with their match up zone, that they would play that way on defense and offense. And to that regard, they did. We rebounded well and our pace was too much for them.”
Three Lakes outscored Pines 41-37 in the second half, but the Eagles cruised to the 27-point victory. Mylo Albrecht led the Eagles with 35 points, followed by Oliver Weberg with 10. Easton Lurvey led Three Lakes with 24. Pines shot 47% in the game, while Three Lakes shot just 31%.
“Defensively we just stymied them and I think people got to see who Mylo Albrecht is,” said Klemett. “The guy is a talent and it shows hard work pays off. He is in the gym when no one else is watching and working on his craft.”
Albrecht was 11 for 17 in the game, including 8 of 12 from 3-point range. He also had 12 rebounds.
Pines shot 47% in the game, while Three Lakes shot 31%, including just 22% from 3-point range. Nine of 10 players scored for Pines. Ethan Miller added nine points, and Aiden Minx and Jack Albrecht each had seven.
“As a group, we were fantastic,” said Klemett. “Ryan Rydeski is a monster defender and as we go as a defensive group first, you are going to see us improve on that end. This is a really fun group of guys. They believe in each other and we are only going to be better.”
The Eagles traveled to Wausau West on Friday for a Thanksgiving holiday tournament, facing West in the first semifinal and losing 66-46. Pines trailed 43-20 at halftime, but outscored the Warriors 26-23 in the second half.
“We started off great and then hit a slump,” said Klemett. “It’s my job to prepare these guys and this loss is on me. I did a poor job of first half management and that will not happen again. The second half of the game, we played well. So for whatever it’s worth, our guys fought and got the game within reach. We just dug ourselves too much of a hole.”
Pines was led by Mylo Albrect with 13 points, followed by Nolan Huelskamp with 10 and Jack Albrecht with eight. Mylo Albrecht also had 14 rebounds. Pines shot just 29% in the game, while Wausau West shot 37.5%.
“I love this first week of all these games with only a week’s worth of practice,” said Klemett. “It really helps to play good, well-coached teams early and our schedule as a whole is not easy. Our guys really battled in the second half and it is a game if we were prepared, we should have competed to win in both halves.”
Northland Pines bounced back from the West loss with a convincing 80-55 over Newman Catholic in the consolation game on Saturday.
The Eagles led 35-32 at the half, but outscored Newman 45-23 in the second half for the win. Jack Albrecht led Pines with 23 points and five assists, followed by Ethan Miller with 19 points and 14 rebounds, and Mylo Albrecht with 11 points and six rebounds.
“Coming off a quick turnaround and travel, our guys played great,” said Klemett. “Ethan Miller made a statement in this game. He’s been great all around, but he finally had that game. Jack Albrecht really had a steller game. This is what we believe Jack can do night in and night out. Mylo was being shadowed all night and we needed to have other guys step and those two did.”
Huelskamp contributed 10 points and four assists in 26 minutes of action.
“Nolan, who we have been trying to monitor because of an early season injury, was terrific in all three games despite playing injured,” said Klemett. “Nolan is a tough kid. He was fantastic and his toughness and leadership is unparalleled.”
Pines, 2-1 to start the season, will host Merrill in the first Great Northern Conference (GNC) game of the season this Friday, Dec. 5, at 7:15 p.m. Merrill has returned to the GNC this season after playing several seasons in the Wisconsin Valley Conference.
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