Recap of Sunday action plus waiting for state
D1 HIGH FIVE
Paige Bueckers, UConn, Hopkins 19
Olivia Olson, Michigan, Benilde-St. Margaret’s 18
Lauren Jensen, Creighton, Lakeville North 17
Tessa Johnson, South Carolina, St. Michael-Albertville 16
Adalia McKenzie, Illinois, Park Center 12
Totals: 82
D2 HIGH FIVE
Natalie Bremer, MSU Mankato, Lake City 16
Ava Stier, MSU Mankato, Waconia 14
Rhyan Holmgren, MSU Mankato, St. Peter 14
Anna Vaaler, Sioux Falls, Andover 12
Ayla Brown, Sioux Falls, Becker 10
Elisabeth Gadient, MSU Mankato, Goodhue 10
Hannah Herzig, MSU Mankato, Totino-Grace 10
Totals: 66
Another day where the Northern Sun only had two games on the docket. As a result the D1 win the day by 16. Seven D2 players squeeze into the five available spots. Of the grand total of twelve players six were AAAA, and four of them at D1; four were AAA; and one each for AA and A. Sunday had four Miss Basketball winners on the list (Jensen the exception). State champs included Bueckers, Olson, Johnson at the D1 level; Brown, Gadient and Herzig at D2. The Lake Conference had 35 points; The Metro West 32, the HVL 26, and the NW Suburban 24.
WAITING…WAITING…..WAITING….
The state tournament usually has a lot of the usual suspects. For example, AAAA has seven of the 16 remaining teams that played in the tournament in 2024; AAA has six (eight if you stretch it to 2023). But….some schools have never ever been.
Here is the waiting list:
AAAA: none (longest drought Brainerd 1997)
AAA: New Ulm
AA: Visitation; St. Agnes; Royalton; Milaca
A: Grand Meadow; Martin County West; Hills-Beaver Creek; West Lutheran; Bertha-Hewitt; Hillcrest Lutheran; Breckenridge; Ely; Kelliher/Northome
A has nine waiters, and there is a good chance a few could break through. Four are #1 seeds in their sections/subsections: HBC; HL; Breckenridge and KN. The last three in that list have been ranked in the polls. The AA waiters belong to just two sections 4 & 6. Royalton is undefeated.
The other classes with the longest droughts:
AAA Monticello 2014
AA Minnewaska 1999
A Lester Prairie 1982 (depending on how you want to count it…Mahnomen last made it in 1976, but Waubun made it three times after that the last in 1999.
DAY AHEAD
There are five games to start the final week of sections. But one is a regular season game—ISM/Chesterton faces Cristo Rey Jesuit. These two schools bypassed the section playoffs and teams can schedule right up to March 15. And so they did.
As for sections the action takes place down 169 in St. Peter at the Lund Center on the campus of Gustavus with two section 2A semis. Further down the road MSU Mankato will host two 2AA semis.
RANKED IN ACTION
A: #5 Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s