Eden Prairie’s Grantham Gillard is no stranger to playing in high-stress games, whether it is on the football field or basketball court.

The senior was the quarterback for an Eagles football team that rallied to win the Class 6A state title by one point in November, and he is the starting point guard for an Eden Prairie basketball team that held on to defeat defending Class 4A state champion Lakeville North 68-67 in a regular-season matchup Saturday afternoon at Lakeville North High School.

Gillard attributes the Eagles success in both games to one important trait: composure

“That’s always the key,” he said. “You could be down, but never panic because you always have a chance to come back in a game.” 

Composure ultimately gave the Eagles the victory over the Panthers. 

With Eden Prairie clinging to a one-point lead, the Eagles’ ability to keep composure late helped them withstand a flurry of shots from Lakeville North before time expired. 

It may be a disadvantage to some teams to have four out of five starters, along with several other varsity players, miss the first two weeks of the basketball season due to playing in the state football tournament, but it’s a problem Eden Prairie head coach David Flom is happy to have. 

“The complete edge that they have in big game experience, there’s no question that has carried us through multiple times,” Flom said. 

Gillard’s experience and talent helped carry the Eagles against the Panthers. 

The guard showed early his ability to shoot with a deep three-pointer. But the Panthers kept Gillard in check for most of the first half, limiting him to 10 points off of four baskets. 

While he was dormant for most of the first half, Gillard began to take control in the second half as he found success both in the lane and from the perimeter. His 18 points after halftime played an integral role in Eden Prairie escaping with the victory. 

“The one thing we talked about is don’t settle for the three, get to the rim more and attack,” Flom said. “He’s got the mindset that he can miss three in a row and he is going to shoot it the next time. Sometimes that’s a detriment, but a lot of times, it’s a positive.”

One player who limited Gillard’s opportunities to score in the lane in the first half was Lakeville North’s Connor Flack. The senior forward had the assignment of controlling Gillard from tip-off and was often successful in the first half.

Flack’s biggest defensive play came midway through the first 18 minutes. Gillard drove the lane and went up to shoot, but was denied as Flack knocked the ball cleanly out of the hands of the Eagles point guard.

Gillard had only respect for his Lakeville North opponent. 

“(Flack) had some goods shots and sets,” Gillard said. “It was a great matchup and he’s a good player, we just came out with the win.”

The Panthers had a chance to come out with the victory thanks to Flack, who put up 29 points for the second consecutive game. The senior was the Lakeville North’s offensive catalyst in a loss to the Eastview on Friday. 

Flack’s success from the perimeter and in the paint kept the Panthers in the game Saturday as Lakeville North lost by one point for the second game in a row.

The Panthers’ loss to the Lightning worried Flom. 

“My big concern was [our] big win last night and they had a close loss so they had a mental edge which gave even more of a sense that it was going to be a battle” Flom said. “[Our team] knows how good Lakeville North is, but we just needed to be ready because Lakeville North is a very good team.”

Eden Prairie is now 9-0 and a six-day break is needed as the football players continue to get back to basketball mode.

“We push our guys pretty hard,” Flom said. “They need a break and they deserve a break to go home and be with their families.” 

Grantham Gillard scored 28 points to lead Eden Prairie to a 68-67 win over defending Class 4A state champion Lakeville North at Lakeville North High School on Saturday.

Gillard was dormant for most of the first half with only four baskets, but his 18 points in the second half played a big piece in Eden Prairie’s victory. 

Gillard’s three pointer gave the Eagles the one-point lead with just over a minute remaining in the game. Lakeville North had one last possession, but the Eagles played tight defense and didn’t allow the Panthers an easy shot. Lakeville North missed two shots, and Eden Prairie escaped with the victory. 

Josh Lanasa scored 10 points in the lane for the Eagles, ranked No. 6 in Class 4A by Minnesota Basketball News. The Eagles improved to 9-0. 

Lakeville North’s Connor Flack scored a game-high 29 points, which kept the Panthers in the game. Lakeville North dropped to 5-4. Lakeville North junior Carter Brooks put up 14 points, finding success from the perimeter. 

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