Recap of action from Friday 3.7.2025 including the last 13 entrants to state.

D1 HIGH FIVE

Jo Langbehn, St. Thomas MN, Elk River 26

Olivia Olson, Michigan, Benilde-St. Margaret’s 20

Amber Scalia, St. Thomas MN, Stillwater 18

Liv McGill, Florida, Hopkins 16

Alayana Contreras, Kansas City, Hopkins 14

Molly Lenz, North Dakota State, Eden Pairie 14

Totals: 94

A High Six squeeze into a High Five. Five of the six are AAAA players with Olson the only AAA rep. The Lake Conference provided 44 points with Hopkins’ share 30.

POINT PARADE-4

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

AAAA-1

Maggie Dyer, Rochester Mayo 33

AAA-1

Madison Ohm, Byron 30

AA-1

Maddyn Greenway, Providence 42

A-1

Kylee Binkley, Kelliher-Northome 26

TOP OF THE CLASS (GRAD)

2025-none

2026 Maddyn Greenway, Providence 42

2027-none

2028 Maggie Dyer, Rochester Mayo 33

RANKED RESULTS

Winner High 99 Providence

Winner Low 56 West Central

Loser High 64 Byron, Glencoe-Silver Lake

Loser Low 37 Milaca

Biggest Margin 39 Providence v Jordan

Smallest Margin 1 Lakeville North v Rochester Mayo; Barnesville v Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton

Most Combined: 159 Providence v Jordan

Least combined: 97 Sauk Centre v Milaca

Margins 30 or more 1

Margins 5 or less 7

Average 59.50

Winner Average 64.85

Loser Average 54.15

Ranked Average 62.00

Nonranked Average 57.00

Average margin 10.69

Average combined: 119.00

Ranked Upsets: EGF Sacred Heart over #xA Northome/Kelliher; Stewartville over #8AAA Byron; Walker-Hackensack-Akeley over #xA Braham

AAAA Ave 62.50

AAA Ave 66.00

AA Ave 59.92

A Ave 57.10

The best day for competitive games by far in postseason and during the course of the season too. The ratio of tight to blowout was 7:1. Three games came down to one possession. Two went to overtime. Two other games were two possession games. Even the section winners with more comfortable margins faced dilemmas. CI only led Proctor by one at half. EGF Sacred Heart saw a big lead melt away to NK and trail by one in the second half. NRHEG was down big in the first half before finding their groove.

AAAA

1

#1 Lakeville North 63, #2 Rochester Mayo 62

AAA

1

#3 Stewartville 68, #1 Byron 64 OT

AA

2

#2 NRHEG 66, #4 Glencoe-Silver Lake 64

4

#1 Minnehaha 69, #2 Visitation 46

5

#1 Providence 99, #3 Jordan 60

6

#1 Sauk Centre 60, #3 Milaca 37

7

#1 Crosby-Ironton 59, #2 Proctor 46

8

#2 Barnesville 57, #1 Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton 56

A

2

#1 Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s 57, #2 BOLD 54

4

#1 Mayer Lutheran 58, #2 United Christian 49

5

#1W Walker-Hackensack-Akeley 61, #1E Braham 59 OT

6

#2S West Central 56, #2N Underwood 51

8

#3W EGF Sacred Heart 70, #1E Northome/Kelliher 56

ABOUT LAST NIGHT…..Sauk Centre v Milaca

I made my way to Halenbeck Hall at St. Cloud State to see the 6AA championship. My options were to see the highest ranked QRF team I had not charted yet and that happened to be #47 Sauk Centre. The Mainstreeters have two skyscrapers or twin towers: 6-4 senior Victoria Jennissen and 6-2 junior Elizabeth Herickhoff. SC made use of that size by getting it inside as often as they could. The ‘Streeters scored the first four times they touched the ball. Jennissen, who led SC and all scorers with 18 for the game, had the first four, and Herickhoff, who finished with 13, had two along with their all state player Cierra Kortan on a put back. That three minute opening made the Wolves want to discuss the situation. Two consecutive 3s helped tighten up the game, but unfortunately for Milaca, they only made one more all night. Milaca took another timeout trailing 20-11 with 6:51 left. By half SC was up 33-21. The trajectory of the game didn’t budge. The size mismatch was too great. If fronted there was a lob. If the d played behind, they were pinned and posted. The twin towers had pp100s of 138.5 and 144.4 respectively showcasing their efficiency inside. Together they shot 14/19. The rest of the ‘Streeters were 33%. Jennissen was nearer the blocks most of the night and scored every 1.78 touches; Herickhoff faced the rim near the free throw line providing high low action and an occasional drive to the rim scored every 3.62 touches. The rest of the team scored a point every 10.07 touches.

Despite the gap in size Milaca was aggressive on the offensive glass gathering 32% to 23% for SC. Also SC had issues on outletting the ball several times. Most of their 15 turnovers came on trying to get the ball in the hands of the prime ball handler. It was not fatal in this situation. Milaca’s pp100 was 58.7 as the inside game was shut down and the 3s weren’t falling. SC’s pp100 for the night was 95.2. The final score was on the board with 1:49 left in the game as the benches were emptied and the reserves did not add to the totals. As for pace….SC was stronger as the touch count went up on each play. They finished going 5/8 on seven or more touches per play whereas Milaca was only 1/10.

For the game the twin towers were right in the 31 Club vicinity with Herickhoff joining the Club with 32 and Jennissen just missing out with a 30. The best the Wolves could muster was a 20 by senior Willow Hunt.

SEEDING THE STATE

These are NOT the seeds, but how I would rank the final entrants to state

AA

1. Providence (5)
2. Crosby-Ironton (7)
3. Minnehaha (4)
4. Minnewaska (3)
5. Sauk Centre (6)
6. Caledonia (1)
7. Barnesville (8)
8. NRHEG (2)

A

1. Goodhue (1)
2. Mayer Lutheran (4)
3. Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s (2)
4. West Central (6)
5. Walker-Hackensack-Akeley (5)
6. Cromwell-Wright (7)
7. EGF Sacred Heart (8)
8. MACCRAY (3)

Overall the best field belongs to AAA with six #1 seeds advancing to state and all eight teams having spent time in the top ten at one point in the year. AA has the second most #1s with five. Two teams never made the rankings during the year: Barnesville & NRHEG. AAAA had four #1s survive the minefield. WBL did not make an appearance in the poll. A also had four #1s make the dance. However MACCRAY, EGF Sacred Heart and Cromwell-Wright never appeared in the poll. Perhaps that shows how competitive the A field really is.

As for the longest droughts broken: Brainerd takes the prize having last been to the show in 1997, the first year of the four class system. Minnewaska is also a vestige from the 90s at 1999. MACCRAY is next at 2006 and Monticello is the longest in AAA at 2014. As for returners again AAA leads the pack with five returners from 2024. If you throw in 2023 it becomes six, still the best. AAAA is next with four and AA & A are tied with three each.

DAY AHEAD

Seeding 1-8 for the state is underway.