Three graphs added
This is the second part of the 2018 MN State AAU Championships, the 16 minute division games. Here there was no change from the qualifier #1 seeds, all three won a second weekend. But all three did it against a different opponent, and all three were the #3 seeds. The most memorable and compelling game all day came at the ninth grade (2021) level. This is the consensus class to watch at this point. But even this class didn’t have the highest pp100 for the day. That distinction in the 16 minute division went to North Tartan 10 Starks.
9: MN STARS 9 HERSCH 49, NORTH TARTAN 9 SINN 48
This was the MN Stars win of the day and it was coach Josh Hersch’s second championship appearance of the day. They prevented North Tartan from taking the top four age titles with a one point win. They needed to overcome a seven point second half deficit to do it. Long distance shooting paved the road to the comeback win. Paige Kindseth kept knocking down shots to keep the Stars close. The long and lanky NT9S team bottled up Adalia McKenzie holding her to 8. Katie Borowicz struck twice in a row late to give the Stars a six point lead. They needed that margin as NT9S staged their own late run.
10: NORTH TARTAN 10 STARKS 58, MN FURY 2020 GAUNTLET 45
For the third straight year these two teams met and for the sixth straight year NT10S won the title. No other class has a bigger rivalry at this stage. Looking at the score you may think it was over quickly, but NT10S had to scramble since MF20G held an early lead. MF20G was a surprise #3 seed. They used their loss in the qualifier to motivate their squad. As a result, they only got one shot this year to beat NT. In the first half Fury led by six (25-19), but NT cut that deficit to one (29-28) at half. A 7-2 start to the second half set the trajectory for the rest of the game.
This was the highest point total for NT at this age level.
This was Paige Bueckers seventh state title win. She won as a fourth grader playing up with the fifth grade division. On her team? McKenna Hofschild and Destiny Oberg. The team? MN Thunder.
11: NORTH TARTAN 11 COURY 53, MN STARS 11 NELSON 29
For the second straight year NT won at the 2019 division. They faced a previous two year winner, but one that has been absent the last three years. In fact MS11N scored more points when they were in the sixth and seventh grades when they won their titles. The NT defense didn’t let the Stars get any great looks. Once again Macy Guebert continued to shine in spotlight games. Back in the qualifier Guebert nailed 19 points. In the championship she was one off at 18.
This was the highest point total for NT at this age level.
11d2: MN CYCLONES 63, NORTHERN LIGHTS 46
Back in the olden days the D2 championship was the first game on the docket. Today it closed the house. This game featured two northern teams. We already looked at the Northern Lights on Saturday (they are based in Duluth and the Arrowhead). The Cyclones, should probably be re-labeled the MN/ND Cyclones. Some key ingredients are from NoDak. The base of the team is in the Fargo/Moohead area, but they have a far flung roster with kids coming from:
| Where | Distance | direction |
| Kulm ND | 2:30 | SW |
| Devils Lake, ND | 2:37 | NW |
| Bemidji | 2:15 | NE |
| Sauk Centre | 1:56 | SE |
Sauk Centre is the closest of that bunch! It makes for tough practice environments, but this group has size and strength and can hit from the outside. In the game with NL one could tell the difference with the D1 game that just concluded. The difference? Speed and physicality.
| TEAM | POINTS | PP100 | LEADING SCORER |
| MN Stars Hersch | 49 | 77.8 | Paige Kindseth 17 |
| North Tartan Sinn | 48 | 77.4 | Haleigh Timmer 12 |
| North Tartan Starks | 58 | 98.3 | Two with 13 |
| MN Fury 2020 Gauntlet | 45 | 74.1 | Mackenzie Kramer 11 |
| North Tartan Coury | 53 | 98.1 | Macy Guebert 18 |
| MN Stars Nelson | 29 | 55.8 | Three with 5 |
| MN Cyclones | 63 | 96.9 | Katie Entzi 15 |
| Northern Lights | 46 | 73.4 | Macy Hermanson 9 |
TRENCH PLAYER
9: Paige Kindseth, MN Stars 9 Hersch, a pp100 of 188.8 and a 31 score of 29.
10: Lauren Jensen, North Tartan Starks
11/d1: Macy Guebert, North Tartan Coury
11/d2: Katie Entzi, MN Cyclones (Entzi is from Kulm, ND)
PLAYER OF THE DAY: Paige Kindseth