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BLOOMING PRAIRIE – In a time when high school basketball is being sped up and possessions are becoming hurried, the Awesome Blossoms girls basketball team is turning back the clock.

BP is slowing things down and staying patient and it has paid off as the team kept its hot start going with a 54-34 win over Randolph (1-4 overall) in BP Friday night.

The Blossoms (7-1 overall) were at their best when they slowed things down, moved the ball and found open shooters. The team, which led for most of the night, used an 11-0 run to take a 39-17 lead with 11 minutes left and it led by as many as 50-24.

“Coming into the season, if you would’ve told me that we’d be 7-1 at this stage, that would’ve been hard for me to imagine. I’m so proud of these kids. They come in every day and they want to get better,” BP head coach John Worke said. “An open shot is a good shot and we still believe that with the shot clock. Thirty five seconds is a long time and we want to get the best look we can every possession. Sometimes it leads to a turnover or a forced shot, but that’s the name of the game. I think overall, the kids are doing a great job and they’re buying into what we’re selling. Having five seniors has been very helpful.”

BP also crashed the boards in the win as senior Addison Doocy scored 10 points, while collecting 10 rebounds and handing out three assists, senior Shawntee Snyder had 14 points and seven rebounds and senior Macy Lembke finished with 12 points, seven rebounds and four assists.

Lembke, who is BP’s point guard, has had to learn to slow the offense down and sprint back on defense in Worke’s system and she’s grown to adjust to it.

“It’s definitely been different than last year, but it’s really starting to come together and it’s been fun,” Lembke said.

Doocy has also embraced the new approach, which includes using a zone defense that requires a lot of communication.

“Learning our defense has taken a lot of time in practice and we made a slight adjustment with Ella Smith moving inside and me moving outside. It’s something that we constantly work on,” Doocy said. “I think it’s been great. It’s more read and react and it plays more to our strengths, offensively.”

BP senior Sienna Fyksen added four points and four steals in the win.

Randolph 14  20  – 34

BP 26  28  – 54

BP scoring: Shawntee Snyder, 14; Macy Lembke, 12; Addison Doocy, 10; Ella Smith, 8; Sienna Fyksen, 4; Clarie Schwarz, 4; Hailey Shumacher, 2