Game of the Year 1896-2023

I never got around to picking a Game of the Year through the decades of Minnesota basketball. I previously had picked 3 games per decade, but it's time for a more thorough job. The games listed in boldface are the ones I will plan on going back to see as soon as I get my time machine running.

Multiple Awards (Minnesota teams)--Minnesota Gophers 18-15 Winona State 4-0 Minnesota Lynx 3-0 Minnesota Gopher women 3-0 Carleton 3-1 Stillwater 2-0 Ascensions 2-0 Buhl 2-0 Red Wing 2-0 Buhl 2-0 St. John's 2-0 White Bear Lake 2-0 Bloomington Jefferson 2-0 St. Thomas (University) 2-0 Minnesota Aggies 2-1 Moorhead 2-1  Mpls. North 2-2 Minneapolis Lakers 2-3 Holy Cross Church 1-1 Mountain Lake 1-1 Marshall 1-1 Augsburg 1-1 Duluth Central 1-2 Hopkins 1-2 Rock Spring Sparklers 0-2 Crosby-Ironton 0-3 Hamline 0-3 Bemidji 0-3

(Non-Minnesotans)--Ohio State 3-0 Phillips Oilers 2-0 Michigan 2-0 Chicago 2-1 Wisconsin 2-1 Indiana 1-1 Crawfordsville (IN) HS 1-1 Harlem Globetrotters 1-1 Columbia 1-2 Iowa 0-2

1896 Minnesota Aggies 9 Hamline 3 in the first intercollegiate game anywhere in the world
1897 Minnesota Aggies 19 Minnesota Gophers 3
1898 Red Wing Company G 22 Minneapolis YMCA 19 marking the end of the YMCA's dominance
1899 Minnesota Gophers 20 Minnesota Aggies 9 after Aggies beat Gophers 10 straight times

1900 Minnesota Lady Gophers 12 Stanley Hall 6 in 1st game ever for Lady Gophers
1901 Minnesota Gophers 42 Wisconsin 15
1902 Minnesota Gophers 32 Yale 23 in a match game for the national collegiate title
1903 Stillwater 26 Minneapolis Central 21, claims the mythical state high school championship
1904 Minnesota Gophers 28 Crawfordsville (IN) HS 23 after Gophers beat Indiana and Purdue easily
1905 Columbia 27 Minnesota 15 as Gophers fail to beat #1 in the nation.
1906 Red Wing Red Men 20 Stockton (CA) 14 in match-up of 2 state champion senior men's teams
1907 Minnesota Gophers 21 Chicago 10 to clinch 1st Big 10 title
1908 Minnesota Gophers sweep Columbia 9-8, 16-11
1909 Chicago 27 Minnesota Gophers 2

1910 Minnesota Gophers split with Chicago 15-10, 15-18
1911 Madison HS 29 Ada 10 in match game for mythical state high school championship
1912 Wisconsin sweeps Minnesota Gophers 22-12, 29-26
1913 Fosston 29 Mountain Lake 27 to win 1st state high school tournament final
1914 Stillwater 30 Winona 4 in state high school final
1915 Red Wing HS 21 Red Wing Company L 19
1916 Virginia 20 St. Paul Mechanic Arts 9 in state high school final
1917 Minnesota Gophers 31 Iowa 19 to clinch Big 19 title
1918 Waseca 29 Duluth Central 10 in state high school final
1919 Minnesota Gophers 26 Illinois 9 to cap undefeated season and national title

1920 Crawfordsville (IN) 21 Mpls. Central 16; Central settles for 3rd in national HS tournament
1921 Indiana 24 Carleton 23
1922 Lexington (KY) 37 Duluth Cathedral 26; Cathedral also takes 3rd
1923 Aurora 24 Austin 14 in state high school final
1924 Carleton wins at Michigan State
1925 Ohio State 32 Minnesota Gophers 20 in 1st game at Kenwood Armory
1926 Gaylord 13 Gilbert 9 in state high school final
1927 Henning 28 Chisago City 18 in state high school Class B tournament final
1928 Ohio State 48 Minnesota 40 in 1st game at fieldhouse
1929 Jesse M. Stasch 27 Holy Cross Church 25 in Minnesota AAU championship

1930 Ascensions 31 Davis Hunt Club (Kansas City) 24 in national AAU
1931 DeLaSalle 23 Jaspar (IN) Academy 21 in national Catholic tournament final
1932 Thief River Falls 21 Chisholm 15 in state high school final
1933 Carleton 34 Wisconsin 29
1934 Dominium Electric 27 Rock Spring Sparklers 20 to win state AAU title
1935 Carleton 29 Minnesota Gophers 26
1936 Buhl 41 Mpls. Edison 32; huge upset, Buhl shoots 50% at a time when 20% is "good"
1937 Minnesota Gophers 34 Northwestern 33 to clinch Big 10 title
1938 Minnesota Gophers 56 Long Island U 41 at Madison Square Garden
1939 Mountain Lake 37 Mpls. Marshall 31 in state high school final

1940 Ascensions 41 Holy Cross 23 in state AAU final
1941 Bemidji State 41 San Diego State 32, beating defending national NAIA champs
1942 Buhl 30 Marshall 29 in state high school final
1943 Washington Bears 42 Rock Spring Sparklers 21 in national professional tournament
1944 Mpls. Henry 51 Crosby-Ironton 42 in state high school final
1945 Minnesota Gophers 45 DePaul 36, holding George Mikan to lowest college total of 11 points
1946 Lynd 58 Crosby-Ironton 47 in state high school final
1947 Duluth Denfeld 46 Crosby-Ironton 44 in state high school final
1948 Harlem Globetrotters 61 Minneapolis Lakers 59
1949 Philips Oilers sweep Hamline 52-38 and 49-46

1950 Minneapolis Lakers 75 Harlem Globetrotters 60
1951 Minnesota Gophers 61 Kentucky 57 Gophers open Williams Arena vs. national champs
1952 Ft. Wayne 19 Minneapolis Lakers 18 famous stall game
1953 Red Wing 92 Braham 73 in Region 4 high school final
1954 North Carolina State 85 Minnesota Gophers 84
1955 Minnesota Gophers 59 Purdue 56 (6 OT)
1956 Minneapolis Roosevelt 101 Blue Earth 54 in state high school final
1957 Minneapolis Roosevelt 73 Bemidji 70 (OT) in state high school 1st round
1958 Minneapolis Lakers 111 Harlem Globetrotters 100
1959 Boston Celtics 173 Minneapolis Lakers 139

1960 Edgerton 63 Richfield 60 (OT) in state high school semi-finals
1961 Duluth Central 51 Bemidji 50 in state high school final
1962 Minnesota Gophers split with Indiana: win 104-100, lose 105-104
1963 Marshall 75 Cloquet 74 in state high school final
1964 Augsburg 72 Duluth Branch 71 for right to play in national NAIA tournament
1965 Michigan sweeps Minnesota Gophers 91-78, 88-85
1966 Edina 62 Henning 55 (3OT) in state high school semi-finals
1967 Moorhead 73 Duluth Central 69 in state high school semi-finals
1968 Moorhead 108 St. Paul Highland Park 89 in state high school 1st round
1969 St. John's sweeps Winona State 53-50, 66-61 (OT) to move on to NAIA tournament

1970 Sherburn 78 South St. Paul 62 in state high school final
1971 St. Thomas 64 Augsburg 63 to move on to NAIA tournament
1972 Ohio State 50 Minnesota Gophers 44 in "basketbrawl"
1973 Iowa 79 Minnesota Gophers 77 to knock Gophers out of Big 10 title
1974 Melrose 58 Bemidji 42 in state high school "overall" final
1975 Little Falls 54 Chisholm 50 in state high school "overall" final
1976 Bloomington Jefferson 60 Hibbing 51 in state high school Class AA final
1977 Prior Lake 52 Duluth Central 49 in state high school Class AA final
1978 St. John's 98 Moorhead State 85 to move on to NAIA tournament
1979 New York Mills girls 61 Albany 52 in state high school girls Class A final

1980 Virginia 58 Minnesota Gophers 55 in NIT final
1981 Kansas 67 Minnesota Gopher women 61 in regional final
1982 Minnesota Gophers 57 Iowa 55 (3OT) en route to Big 10 title
1983 Woodbury 56 Coon Rapids 50 (OT) in state high school Class AA final
1984 White Bear Lake 51 Mpls. North 47 in state high school Class AA final
1985 White Bear Lake 67 Mpls. North 62 in state high school Class AA final
1986 Bloomington Jefferson 52 Duluth Central 51 in state high school Class AA final
1987 Blaine 62 Moorhead 56 (5 OT) in state high school Class AA semis
1988 Concordia (Moorhead) women 65 St. John Fisher 57 for NCAA D3 championship
1989 Duke 87 Minnesota Gophers 70 in Sweet 16

1990 Minnesota Gophers 82 Syracuse 75 in Sweet 16
1991 St. Thomas women 73 Muskingum 55 for NCAA D3 championship
1992 Minnesota Gophers 62 Georgetown 61 for NIT title
1993 Cretin-Derham Hall 72 Elk River 69 (2OT) in state high school Class AA semi
1994 Minnesota Gopher women 81 Notre Dame 76 in NCAA tournament
1995 Mpls. North 54 Staples-Motley 52 in state high school Sweet 16 final
1996 Mpls. North 67 St. Thomas 65 in state high school Sweet 16 semi-final
1997 Wabasso 117 Red Lake 113 (OT) in state high school Class A semi's
1998 Anoka Ramsey CC women 73 DuPage (IL) 48 for NJCAA D3 title
1999 Washington (St. Louis) women 74 St. Benedict's 65 for NCAA D3 title

2000 Minnesota Timberwolves 101 Indiana 100 on half-court shot by Malik Sealy
2001 Lakeville girls 53 Woodbury 52 (OT) in state high school girls Class AAAA 1st round
2002 Minnesota Gopher women 92 Wisconsin 85
2003 Minnesota Gopher women win at #9 Stanford to advance to NCAA Sweet 16
2004 Minnesota Gopher women 82 #1 Duke 75 for a trip to the Final Four
2005 Hopkins 71 Eastview 60 (OT) in state Class AAAA final; Blake Hoffarber's "butt shot"
2006 Winona State 74 Mankato State 71 after trailing by 16 in NCAA D2 regional game
2007 Winona State 69 Minnesota Gophers 64 in exhibition game
2008 Jordan girls 79 Crookston 74 as Chambers scores 47 in state high school girls Class AA semi
2009 Mankato State women 103 Franklin Pierce 94 in D3 women's championship game

2010 St. Paul Johnson boys 86 Hopkins 78 in matchup of 2 state champions
2011 St. Thomas 78 Wooster 54 in NCAA D3 championship game
2012 Osseo boys 87 Hopkins 86 (3OT) state AAAA semi-final
2013 The Minnesota Lynx sweep 7 playoff games without a loss
2014 Lakeville North boys 84 Hopkins 82, Class AAAA final, JP Macura 43 points
2015 Minnesota Lynx 80 Indiana Fever 77, Game 3, WNBA finals, Maya Moore hits buzzer-beater
2016 Minnesota Gopher women 112 Northwestern 106 (2OT) as Rachel Banham scores 60
2017 Minnesota Lynx 85 L.A. Sparks 76 in final game of WNBA playoffs
2018 Cretin 79 Apple Valley 78 Class AAAA final on last-second dunk by Daniel Oturu
2019 Minnesota Gopher men 59 Wisconsin 52, Gophers move to 12-2

2020 St. John's 82 St. Thomas 63, MIAC playoff finals

2021 Chaska girls 67 Hopkins 62, state tournament semi-final match of unbeatens

2022 Minnesota Gopher men 75 at Michigan 65 on December 11, one of the most unbelievable wins ever at any level; Gophers go to 9-1

2023 St. Michael-Albertville girls 71 Hopkins 70, Class AAAA girls state final