ST. LOUIS PARK 73, BLOOMINGTON KENNEDY 51

Sometimes, after a big win, a team is has a let down. Case in point:

the Vikings falling on Sunday to the Eagles after a dramatic win over New Orleans the week before. This time it was the Eagles suffering the same fate. Kennedy picked up a huge win at #10 Minneapolis South on Saturday, but fell at home to Metro West, and 6AAAA rival St. Louis Park in the battle of the birds. This game was important for seeding purposes with both teams fighting for a third seed along with South (the behemoths of Wayzata and Hopkins will be the top two seeds).

The game broke to Park after a 10 all tie. An 18-2 burst over the next six and a half was the difference. The young Orioles (they started two sophs and a frosh, plus another frosh off the bench) also had balance with five players with seven or more points.

Part of the issue for Kennedy was they were miserable from two point range in the first half only converting 17%. The Orioles were soaring with a 67% mark from the same neighborhood. It even got better in the second half as StLP finished with a 71% mark within six feet of the basket. The ability to almost score at will resulted in 12 lay ups and 11 other post ups & or second chancers. That is a healthy 46 point total. Kennedy also got the ball close to the rim, but without the same results. They only converted 33% close in, with six lay ups and eight post ups/second chancers, that is 28 points. Kennedy beyond the arc had even a rougher time with 9% shooting. Park’s shooting prowess wasn’t as powerful at the free throw line where they left 13 points on the table and making 14 (52%).

By the way, I am not stalking Kennedy. This is my fifth time charting the Eagles this year. They were 4-0 until tonight.

 

St. Paul Central	Stillwater	Simley	St. Cloud Tech	St. Louis Park
63.9	84.4	73.1	72.2	63.0

 

Did you notice all of the teams Kennedy played start with S?

This completes my charting of the Metro West Conference and section 6AAAA. StLP, with new coach Arsenio Ricardson, moves to 12-6 on the year; 4-2 in the MW; & 1-0 in 6AAAA. Kennedy is 9-7 overall, 1-4 in the Metro West and 1-1 in 6AAAA. I am now at 98% of the AAAA teams. Only Spring Lake Park remains to do. As for the top 100—-I am sitting at 81%. 19 to go, with 18 regular season dates open.

 

Team	PP100	scorer	Distributor	D stops
St. Louis Park	90.1	Shayla Miller 17	Kendall Coley 10	Raegan Alexander 17
Bloomington Kennedy	63.0	Zaraya March 16	Imani Saeed El 8	Zaraya March 11

TRENCH PLAYER: Off the bench, freshman Raegan Alexander of StLP gets the nod.