EDEN PRAIRIE 61, MINNEAPOLIS NORTH 52
For the second time in three weeks Eden Prairie ventured out for a
Wednesday night game. The pattern was similar, trail at the half and then finish with a surge. The Eagles upended host Minneapolis North 61-52 to move to 6-1 on the year. At the break the visitors trailed 31-27. The match up featured speed and quickness vs length. The first minute of the contest forced EP to take a time out to reconfigure their press break and avoid a potential turnover. The modification worked as EP had two fewer turnovers than the Polars. The length inside forced the smaller Polars into situations with off
balance shots. At the start North got to the rim as they built a 15-8 lead. Tiffany McNeill had seven of her team high 17 points in the first six minutes of action. The game hovered around the four point margin for most of the first half.The Polars led 31-27.
EP took their first lead since the first possession on a drive by Brooke Lewis with 14 minutes to go. This basket came on a second chance opportunity. EP had 17 such chances in the game, which was the same total as North. The lead exchanged hands a few more times. With the score knotted at 47, Aareal Taylor connected from the left side behind the arc for a 50-47 lead. EP tied it at 50 on a Lewis free throw with 6:24 left. The Polars would only add two more points to their totals. Myra Moorjani broke the tie after an EP time out at the 5:42 mark. That initiated a string of eight straight points over four possessions capped by a Lewis 3 (58-50). The last three minutes perhaps needed some polishing on both ends. EP coughed up the ball three straight times. North had golden opportunities at least three times in the game when the penetrated and found an empty player on the left block only to misfire.
EP has four more Wednesday games on the docket.
North is 5-2 on the year…..North also has a video display board, the only one in Minneapolis…..the player intros utilized that plus the prerequisite cutting the lights and throwing a spotlight on the starters. It is another step in the professionalization of high school sports.
My original option was to see Minneapolis Henry at Breck, but that game was cancelled. Since I coach volleyball at Henry I had an interest to see some of those athletes compete in another sport. All the other options tonight I had previously seen. Minneapolis South as recently as Monday.
| EDEN PRAIRIE | MINNEAPOLIS NORTH | |
| POINTS | 61 | 52 |
| REBOUNDS/OFF | 50/24 | 45/21 |
| TURNOVERS | 14 | 16 |
| FTA/% | 17/64.7 | 16/68.8 |
| 2FG%/3FG% | 40.4/20.0 | 28.9/26.3 |
| PP100 | 91.0 | 80.0 |
| TOP SCORER | Brooke Lewis 19 | Tiffany McNeill 17 |
TRENCH PLAYER: Brooke Lewis of EP with a game high 19 points, game high 158.3 pp100, 25 in the 31 Club