Class AAA QF Also Go According to Hoyle, But Barely

Class AAA Also Goes According to Hoyle, But Just Barely

The first day of Class AAA state tournament play saw a lot more excitement than Class AAAA, thank goodness. First, the results.

#1 DeLaSalle scored the first 7 points of the 2^ndhalf to turn a 30-28 halftime deficit into a 35-30 lead over Hibbing that they never relinquished. Still, it was a one-possession game at 56-53 inside of 1:00 after an Eve Turner 3. But Hibbing did not score the rest of the way while DeLaSalle did, and won 61-53.

#4 Holy Angels survived #5 Fergus Falls 58-57 after leading 58-50 with 2:23 remaining. A Sabrina Fronning layup made it 58-57 at 0:37, and Fergus got the ball back on a steal by Sam Evavold at 0:22. But Kassandra Caron stripped Ellie Colbeck at :05 and that was that. 

Defending state champs and #2 seed Cooper clobbered Austin 72-40 as the Packers had 21 turnovers and gave up 21 offensive rebounds to Cooper. Sisters Aja and Kierra Wheeler combined for 41 points for Cooper.

Finally, #3 Becker edged Marshall 68-67 on a buzzer-beater 3 by sophomore Courtney Nuest off a pass from sophomore point guard Julia Bengtson. Becker had a 56-44 lead but it’s not their style to sit on a lead. They kept pushing the pace, but suddenly it was Marshall that got hot. They tied it up at 59 at 2:30 on a Kaia Sueker 3, then took the lead on a Jordyn Hilgemann steal-and-2. Marshall made 6-of-10 FT down the stretch, and it was their last missed FT at 0:10 that led to Becker’s game-winning bucket.

Top Performers

Julia Bengtson, Becker, sophomore, point guard, scored 15 points on 4-of-11 shooting. OK, not spectacular. But she ran an efficient Becker offense, adding 7 boards, 3 assists and 3 steals. She is always push, push, pushing and puts tremendous pressure on the defense. 

Frankie Vascellero, Holy Angels, sophomore, guard, scored 19 points for the Stars on 9-of-20 shooting. She has a great shot with nice elevation and a nice high release. Textbook.

Ellie Colbeck, Fergus Falls, freshman, guard, ran the show for Fergus as they almost pulled the upset. She was the primary ballhandler, she scored 20 points on 5 3s, with 5 assists and 5 rebounders. Comparing point guards, Bengtson is quicker and a year older and plays more instinctively and with more abandon. But, Colbeck is also going to be a good one.

Kiani Lockett and Sydney Runsewe, DeLaSalle, freshman, guards, share a spot. Both are tiny but tough. They protect the ball, they find open teammates, and they hit open shots. They combined to score 28 points on 10-of-15 shooting with 7 boards, 3 assists, 4 steals, a block, even, and just 2 turnovers.

Jordyn Hilgemann, Marshall, sophomore, forward, scored 26 points with a real knack for drawing fouls and getting to the FT line. She added 6 boards and 5 steals.

Breakout Performers

Courtney Nuest, Becker, sophomore, guard, scored 18 points, including the game-winner. It’s not so much that it was unexpected, but she has been somewhat overshadowed by Bengtson and Adeline Kent. She is long, lean, athletic and obviously she can shoot it.

Kassandra Caron, Holy Angels, sophomore, forward, came off the bench to score 20 points on 8-of-10 shooting.

Arthel Massaquoi, Cooper, senior, post, has spent her career in the deep shadows of a deep and very good team, but she has come into her own as a senior. Today she came off the bench to score 9 points with 4 boards.

Hibbing seniors Eve Turner, a guard, and Lizzie Tuomi, a forward, share a spot. They combined for 20 points and 18 rebounds.

Emily Meier, Marshall, sophomore, forward, is another one who is not so much a surprise, but still—18 points and 4 assists is a lot to ask of a young big, but that’s what Meier contributed to Marshall’s near-win.

The Lookout

The favorites all won but if you think that, well, Holy Angels and Becker only won by one point, so therefore DeLaSalle and Cooper should be favored. Well, I’d say, yes, and maybe. De defeated Holy Angels by 12 and 17 in the regular season, and an outcome substantially different than that would be a surprise.

Becker and Cooper, on the other hand…Becker beat Kennedy by 14. Cooper beat Kennedy by 14…and 6. Becker beat Como Park 101-86. Cooper lost to Como Park. Becker is going to have their hands more than full inside with Kierra Wheeler. So, this one is a toss-up.