The girls season had its first big weeknight of the year on Tuesday night. I saw former White Bear Lake assistant Brian Doughty, now head coach at Apple Valley, return to his old stomping grounds and pin a 59-47 loss on his mentor, Bears coach Jeremy Post. The REALLY big games ended up including a couple of blowouts as #1AAAA Hopkins demolished #6AAAA Lakeville North 83-41, and #3A Mountain Iron-Buhl hammered defending section 7AA champion Mesabi East 86-45.
But, first, the Hub has the Apple Valley-White Bear score wrong. White Bear led 31-30 at the half as Ella Janicki got loose for several 3 pointers, while Apple Valley was scoring off the offensive glass and converting White Bear turnovers into fast break baskets. White Bear led 36-32 early in the 2nd half when it turned the ball over on 3 straight possessions, all trying to run high-low plays from the elbow, and Anna Mutch and Kalena Myers hit consecutive 3s and Myers also converted another fast break basket. Suddenly it was 46-39 Apple Valley, and White Bear could not get a shot to drop after that.
Bottom line: Apple Valley is severely lacking in depth, and when Creighton-bound post Mykel Parham sat down with fouls in the 1st half, the Eagles definitely did not soar. But they have 5 tough, athletic, experienced players who, in the 2nd half, executed on both ends of the floor. White Bear, meanwhile, has 3 experienced guards but, with no inside-out ball movement, they could not shake loose for an open look in the 2nd half.
Meanwhile, Hopkins took a 50-18 halftime lead at Lakeville North and never looked back. Paige Bueckers scored 26 points, Dlayla Chakolis 22, and the Hopkins defense held North's Lauren Jensen to just 6 points. North does not have the firepower to win when Jensen scores 6 points.
And Mountain Iron-Buhl served notice that they will be a force to be reckoned with again in 2019. I talked to coach Jeff Buffetta recently and said, "I'll see you at the Breakdown." He laughed and noted that MIB had not been invited to the Breakdown Tip-Off this year. "Every year we lose some seniors and people keep thinking we must be done!" I guess not.
Player of the Day--Paige Bueckers, Hopkins, scored 26 and helped to hold Lauren Jensen to 6.
Team of the Day--Hopkins girls. As much as I liked the discipline and execution of the Apple Valley Eagles, it is very tough not to pick a team that doubled up Lakeville North on the road!
Coach of the Day--But as much as I like the way coach Brian Cosgriff has Hopkins playing so early in the season, I have to recognize Apple Valley coach Brian Doughty, who has got his team executing and playing together and playing hard, all things that were not a part of the Apple Valley DNA when he arrived there.
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