STARTING FIVE FROM THURSDAY (PLUS EDITORIAL)
With two sites and games at various times, I have decisions to make. The prime decision today was to hit the two teams I hadn’t charted all year. I have now checked off all 32 teams in the state tournament. The last two to drop were the A teams from Menahga and Stephen-Argyle—-the far reaches of the state. The past few years all I had to do was walk from Mariucci to Williams Arena on the University of Minnesota campus. That changed this year with the return to the Target Center. Fortunately for my schedule I was able to knock off Stephen-Argyle, the last team standing in the 3 pm game. That also meant I had time to get to Target Center in time for the start of the AAAA semis.
And we are all on track for #1 vs #2 in the big schools. #1AAAA Eastview fights on another day without a mark on their record as they dispatched familiar rival Lakeville North. #2AAAA Hopkins rolled Roseville. In the AAA games (which I didn’t chart) #1 Cooper and #2 Northfield will clash Saturday night.
I need to bring up a fact in the Hopkins/Roseville game. Hopkins was firmly in command with 8:54 left in the game when they took a time out. After the break, Amaya Battle bounced the ball for over two minutes near half court as Roseville stay ensconced in their 2/3 zone. Hopkins was happy to waste time with no potential injuries getting in their way; Roseville was happy by having the score not further increase. But that clicking sound you heard was the televisions sets throughout the state tuning out and switching over to the Yule Log broadcast where there may be a crackle to keep the viewers attention. The League and the sponsors can not be happy about the scenario. So, what to do? Who is to blame? My answer does not deal with the two teams playing. No, the blame goes right to the national federation of rules. Teams that trail need to initiate or receive a technical. They need to compete. They need to try to win. Once upon a time, I had a team that ran four corners as an offense, but only when we were ahead. When we trailed we took the offense closer to the basket nearer where the three-point line is today. But when we had a lead, the opposing team had to come out of their zone and play us. The rules need to be changed. This scenario differed from the Marshall vs Waseca contest in that Hopkins was ahead. Today Roseville would have been warned to come out of their zone to play ball in this case. By the way Battle bounced the ball for 154 consecutive bounces, which I believe may be a new state record for consecutive bounces in a state tournament.
LYLE-PACELLI 59, HERITAGE CHRISTIAN 43
#1 seed Lyle-Pacelli broke clear from first time entrant Heritage Christian late in the first half and maintained the advantage in the second half. With six minutes to go in the first half LP had a one possession advantage (20-17). The Athletics finished with a 14-6 push to lead 34-23 at the break. It turned out LP had enough in the bank to win the game at the 10:30 mark in the second half.
MINNEOTA 74, MENAHGA 69
Minneota handed tournament newcomer Menahga their first loss of the year, but it was a white-knuckle ride down the stretch. The Vikings enjoyed an 18-point lead with 13 minutes left in the game (50-32) when their offense started to sputter, and the Braves started picking up their full court defense. With 1:53 Minneota was hanging on desperately to a two-point lead (67-65). Menahga had outscored the section 3 champ 33-17 during that stretch. Lydia Sussner converted a press lay up to give the Vikings a cushion and foul problems caught up to Menahga. Minneota made six more free throws on the day which was one point more than their victory margin. Two Braves fouled out and one other was dancing with four.
MOUNTAIN IRON-BUHL 59, STEPHEN-ARGYLE 47
The Rangers won this all northern battle of the hyphens. But had to “iron” a few things out at half since they trailed the Storm 28-26 after holding a nine-point advantage. The Rangers started the second half with a 10-2 run to lead 36-30 and forced a SA time out. The Storm brewed up a rally of their own tying the score at 40 with eight minutes remaining. SA would not score again for almost six minutes. MIB, once they had the lead and the ball and in the bonus, went to the delay game and executed at the free throw line. MIB scored on their last five possessions to keep SA at a distance.
EASTVIEW 57, LAKEVILLE NORTH 47
It was another South Suburban rivalry game for the Lightning, and it was another struggle in the first half with separation in the second. LN looked to prove the three on a match is tough to accomplish, and the Panthers were playing inspired in the first half. They were dictating the flow of the game. LN enjoyed leads as big as four. Mariah Alipate connected from the left side for a triple which tied the game at 25 with 30 seconds left and gave the Lightning a surge going forward. The key stretch in this contest came after LN’s Lauren Jensen tied the game at 31. Eastview scored 12 unanswered points in the next five minutes. Megan Walstad got on track with six of the first dozen (43-31). At the 5:42 mark Eastview had enough to win and, coincidently, had their largest margin of the night at 15 (49-34). LN increased the heat down the stretch and “won” the last five and a half minutes 13-8.
HOPKINS 61, ROSEVILLE 34
For the second straight day, Hopkins demolished a team on their tour of the Suburban East half of the bracket. Hopkins had enough points to win 1:20 left to play out in the first half. The Royals owned the paint, zoomed down the court in transition, and crashed the boards. All ingredients to a third straight championship appearance. Last year they lost to an undefeated team. They are bound and determined not to fall victim three straight years.
Category | Lyle-Pacelli | Heritage Christian | Minneota | Menahga | Mountain Iron-Buhl | Stephen-Argyle |
Points | 59 | 43 | 74 | 69 | 59 | 47 |
Rebounds | 34 | 36 | 37 | 39 | 21 | 31 |
Turnovers | 11 | 14 | 15 | 11 | 10 | 30 |
2FG% | 45.2 | 37.0 | 53.7 | 44.7 | 44.4 | 42.3 |
3FG% | 50.0 | 17.4 | 33.3 | 21.7 | 30.8 | 75.0 |
FT% | 56.3 | 68.8 | 72.0 | 70.6 | 91.7 | 76.2 |
Paint | 20 | 6 | 14 | 22 | 18 | 22 |
Bench | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 2 |
Fast break | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 8 |
2nd chance | 4 | 4 | 2 | 10 | 2 | 8 |
Category | Eastview | Lakeville North | Hopkins | Roseville |
Points | 57 | 47 | 61 | 34 |
Rebounds | 24 | 31 | 40 | 29 |
Turnovers | 8 | 13 | 6 | 19 |
2FG% | 37.9 | 44.8 | 48.8 | 29.0 |
3FG% | 58.3 | 23.5 | 19.0 | 16.7 |
FT% | 77.8 | 76.9 | 60.0 | 72.2 |
Paint | 18 | 24 | 30 | 16 |
Bench | 3 | 2 | 7 | 10 |
Fast break | 7 | 10 | 16 | 4 |
2nd chance | 2 | 9 | 15 | 10 |
Team | PP100 | scorer | Distributor | D stops |
Lyle-Pacelli | 95.2 | Kristi Fett 25 | Brooke Walter 9 | Kristi Fett 13 |
Heritage Christian | 70.5 | Taylie Scott 24 | Taylie Scott 6 | Jordyn Allen 9 |
Minneota | 105.7 | Lydia Sussner 22 | Abby Hennen 14 | Abby Hennen 9 |
Menahga | 98.6 | Alyssa Peterson 24 | Alyssa Peterson 9 | Two with 7 |
Mountain Iron-Buhl | 100.0 | Mary Burke 26 | Madisen Overbye 7 | Mary Burke 14 |
Stephen-Argyle | 79.7 | Autumn Thompson 15 | Savannah Riopelle 6 | Abi McGlynn 10 |
Eastview | 101.8 | Andrea Abrams 16 | Emma Carpenter 9 | Emma Carpenter 10 |
Lakeville North | 85.7 | Lauren Jensen 20 | Lauren Jensen 5 | Ke James 9 |
Hopkins | 117.3 | Paige Bueckers 21 | Amaya Battle 6 | Paige Bueckers 10 |
Roseville | 66.7 | Jayda Johnston 9 | Two with 5 | Two with 5 |
TRENCH PLAYERS
GAME 1: Kristi Fett, Lyle-Pacelli
GAME 2: Lydia Sussner, Minneota
GAME 3: Mary Burke, Mountain Iron-Buhl
GAME 4: This was the most difficult choice of the day (the other choices were kind of like spotting the sun). Cases could be made for any of the Lightning. Numbers did line up quite like wanted to make it easy. So it goes to Megan Walstad, who initiated that dozen point surge in the second half with the first six.
GAME 5: Paige Bueckers, Hopkins
TRENCH PLAYER OF THE DAY: Mary Burke, Mountain Iron-Buhl