Staff photo by Ari Selvey Sleepy Eye’s Cameron Schottle goes up for a shot over Nicollet’s Carson Kettner during a nonconference boys basketball game Thursday at Nicollet High School.

NICOLLET — Sleepy Eye continued its early-season success with a 79-55 victory over Nicollet in a nonconference boys basketball game Thursday, using crisp passing and strong rebounding to take the 24-point win.

“That’s been our motto,” Sleepy Eye head coach Shane Heiderscheidt said. “We don’t care who scores the most. We want to be balanced offensively. We’re going to make the extra pass, and if that guy’s open, he’s going to shoot it.

“We normally average four to five guys in double figures for these first seven games, so the other team can’t just focus on just one guy. That’s the way it’s always been, and that’s the way it’s going to continue. We haven’t had six wins [before Christmas break] at our school in years.”

Isaac Lendt led the Indians with 21 points, six rebounds and six assists, while Brayden Heiderscheidt had 18 points, seven assists, six steals and four blocks. Landon Wendinger added 17 points, 12 rebounds and four blocks for Sleepy Eye.

Nicollet was led by Henry Oscarson with 13 points, while Conner Martens and Carson Kettner had 11 each. Gavin Bode added 10 points for the Raiders.

Sleepy Eye now improves to a 6-1 record and are well on their way to surpassing their eight-win total from a season ago.

“Two years ago, the guys made a commitment to every day in the summer, every day in the weight room, every day in the gym,” coach Heiderscheidt said. “Summer, fall, all through high school, because they knew we could be a competitive team and compete with anybody. It’s just all the hard work these kids have put in in the offseason. It’s good to see them be rewarded, because you always tell your kids to work hard and good things will come, and we’re seeing it. We had eight wins last year, and we’re already at six this year in the first seven games.”

Lendt scored 7 of Sleepy Eye’s first 10 points as the Indians took a 10-2 lead to begin the game. The Indians continued to build their lead throughout the first half, going up by as much as 41-21. Oscarson hit a 3 at the halftime buzzer to cut the lead to 42-26.

Nicollet had an 8-2 run early in the second half to put the score at 52-34, but Sleepy Eye pulled away and maintained a 20-plus point lead for the remainder of the game.

Sleepy Eye hosts Minnesota Valley Lutheran on Thursday, Jan. 11. Nicollet (0-7) hosts Madelia on Tuesday, Jan. 4.