recap of MN GBB action from Saturday 2.8.2025

D1 HIGH FIVE

Grace Kneepkens, Utah, Duluth Marshall 32

Lauren Jensen, Creighton, Lakeville North 25

Avery Koenen, North Dakota State, Montevideo 25

Macy Smith, Oakland, Spring Lake Park 25

Paige Meyer, South Dakota State, Albany 23

Totals: 130

D2 HIGH FIVE

Bri Stoltzman, Southwest MN State, Mankato West 30

Kylan Gerads, St. Cloud State, Albany 22

Destinee Bursch, MSU Mankato, Chaska 21

Maya Fitzpatrick, Wayne State NE, Champlin Park 21

Lydia Haack, Concordia St. Paul, Elk River 20

Totals: 114

D1 takes the night by 16. At all five spots they edged D2 by at least two points. The only one not to make a state tournament was Fitzpatrick of Champlin Park. AAAA had five players make the list, but for the first time AA led D1 with three. Add in Gerads in D2 and they had four. Albany had 45 total to lead schools. The NW Suburban had 67 to lead all conferences.

POINT PARADE

Parade starts at 25. If a player is missing email kja8067@gmail.com

AAAA-1

Bre Knight, Cambridge-Isanti 28

AAA-1

Ella Kuhlman, North Branch 25

AA-1

Chloe Johnson, Duluth Marshall 30

A-0

TOP OF THE CLASS (GRADUATING)

2025: Bre Knight, Cambridge-Isanti 28

2026: none

2027: none

2028: Chloe Johnson, Duluth Marshall 30

RANKED RESULTS

Winner High 80 Minnehaha

Winner Low 47 Westbrook-Walnut Grove

Loser High 62 Perham

Loser Low 10 St. Paul Humboldt

Biggest Margin 64 Minnehaha v Minneapolis Camden

Smallest Margin 2 Plainview-Elgin-Millville v Lake City

Most Combined: 136 Duluth Marshall v Perham

Least combined: 64 Liberty Classical v St. Paul Humboldt

Margins 30 or more 6

Margins 5 or less 1

Average 51.35

Winner Average 63.1

Loser Average 39.6

Ranked Average 75.33

NonRanked Average 49.41

Average margin 23.5

Average combined: 102.7

Ranked Upsets: none

AAAA Ave 54.00

AAA Ave 47.13

AA Ave 53.00

A Ave 50.90

AAAA wins the day by one over AA. AA had 5 70+, but also had three under 30.

RANKED IN ACTION

AA

#4 Minnehaha 80, Minneapolis Camden 16

#8 Duluth Marshall 74, Perham 62

A

#3 Mayer Lutheran 72, Legacy Christian 27

UNBEATEN

The previous week saw plenty of teams fall. This week things remained the same. Five started the week unblemished and five finished the week unblemished. AA has the biggest contingent still at four. NLS is on the road to New Ulm & KMS this week; Providence hosts Rock Ridge; Royalton and Crosby-Ironton have the busiest schedule with Royals facing Osakis, Legacy Christian and Paynesville; the Rangers are on the road three times with Esko; ranked Proctor and Fergus Falls. Monticello’s menu includes games at Big Lake and hosting St. Francis.

AAAA-0

None.

AAA-1

Monticello

AA-4

New London-Spicer, Providence, Royalton, Crosby-Ironton

A-0

none

STREAKING

The only change on the list is Mountain Iron-Buhl is not sharing the lead anymore in A as Spring Grove fell Friday at Lanesboro 66-56 snapping a 12-game win streak. Providence has now run their two-year streak to 33. They have some distance yet to travel to go for the state record of 78 straight.

Owatonna, the only unranked team on this list has now made it to 15. Three games await this week with Rochester Century, JM and New Prague looking to snap things. Last week the Huskies had a pair of comfortable wins over Winona and Mankato East.

AAAA: 15 Owatonna

AAA: 21 Monticello

AA: 33 Providence (11 last year +22 this year)

A: 13 Mountain Iron-Buhl

QUEST FOR..

THE QRF

Most of my time this week was spent snapping up some mid-level teams at the AAAA level. The biggest get was #29 Eagan on Friday in their home win over Rosemount.

1-10 10/10-1.000

1-20 20/20-1.000

1-30 28/30-.933

1-40 36/40-.900

1-50 42/50-.840

Biggest fish left to fry…. Changes to White Bear Lake at #24

TOP 10s

No changes here.

AAAA 10/10-1.000

AAA 10/10-1.000

AA 7/10-.700

A 4/10-.400

overall 31/40 or .775. It will be hard to move the needle far on this list in the next two weeks of the regular season.

#1s EACH SECTION

A bump up in A.

AAAA 8/8—1.000

AAA 7/8-.875 just missing Rock Ridge from section 7.

AA 5/9-.556 (section 3AA is split) missing JWP in section 2; Jackson County Central section 3 south;  Sauk Centre section 6; DGF section 8

A 6/12-.417 (splits in 3, 5, 6, 8) up one as Cass Lake-Bena moves to #1 in 8 East.

Overall, 26/37 or .703

SEEDING THE STATE

Two weeks to go in the regular season and then the March to March becomes the March to Williams Arena. Breckenridge replaces Hillcrest Lutheran in the biggest move in A. The Cowgirls play in the Heart O’Lakes conference and face a steady diet of AA teams.

AAAA

1. Maple Grove (5)
2. Wayzata (6)
3. Eastview (3)
4. Eden Prairie (2)
5. Michael-Albertville (8)
6. Lakeville North (1)
7. Anoka (7)
8. East Ridge (4)

AAA

1. Orono (6)
2. Monticello (5)
3. Marshall (2)
4. Alexandria (8)
5. DeLaSalle (4)
6. Stewartville (1)
7. Rock Ridge (7)
8. Cretin-Derham Hall (3)

AA

1. Providence (5)
2. Crosby-Ironton (7)
3. New London-Spicer (3)
4. Minnehaha (4)
5. Caledonia (1)
6. Sauk Centre (6)
7. Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton (8)
8. Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton (2)

A

1. Goodhue (1)
2. Mayer Lutheran (4)
3. Mountain Iron-Buhl (7)
4. Breckenridge (6)
5. Kittson County Central (8)
6. Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s (2)
7. Walker-Hackensack-Akeley (5)
8. Central MN Christian (3)

THE WEEK AHEAD

As usual the busiest day of the week takes place on Tuesday with 134 games scheduled. Thursday is the other day with over 100 games (111) beathing Friday by 14. The Saturday slate has an event in Moorhead—the Red River Showcase—with four games between Minnesota and North Dakota teams. Three Lake teams make that long journey to the NW for action.