Section Scout: No. 2 Northfield over No. 3 Winona in Section 1AAA semis

The second of two Section 1AAA semifinal games was something of a slugfest as Northfield defeated Winona 53-49. It wasn't pretty from an offensive standpoint as both teams were locked in defensively but ultimately, the Raiders just had a few more shot-makers on the court and they were able to come away with enough easy buckets down the stretch to get the win. Here were some things that stood out from the game: Northfield's zone: The Raiders used a 1-2-2 zone defense in the second half but what really stood out was their collective activity level in it. Many teams play zone and players tend to view that as a ticket to take it easy. The Raiders certainly didn't, opting to trap and apply pressure all around the perimeter. Northfield's got incredible depth (more on that in a bit) and a lot of different types of players it can throw at teams. The Raiders seemed to wear the Winhawks out with a stifling zone defense. Mitchell Stanchina was particularly strong on the defensive end, as were guys like Nicolas Zabel and Carter Hodapp. Winona's bigs: For a while it looked like the Winhawks might be able to pull off what would've been a somewhat surprising win thanks in large part to their frontcourt trio of Dakota Matthees, Logan Smith and Oscar Hedin. Hedin was a force on the defensive side of things, blocking five shots in the second half alone while finishing with 11 points and eight rebounds. (Photo by Winona Daily News) Matthees is a player to watch this summer and into next year as he's one of the top forwards in the Big 9. He finished the game with 22 points and 14 rebounds, knocking down a pair of 3-pointers while also showing excellent touch and toughness inside. Smith scored eight points and hauled in 10 rebounds as well. Line Changes: It's not often at this point in the season that a coach can trust nine or 10 players. Most teams play seven guys, maybe an eighth that can steal a few minutes when fouls pop up. The Raiders played 10 and at one point halfway through the second half, made a legitimate line change, subbing four fresh players onto the court. That was something that took a while for players to get used to at the beginning of the season – playing for a few minutes then going to the bench – but it clearly played a big part in the Raiders' effort to wear the Winhawks down. Standouts/Players to watch: Mason Zick (Northfield, So.) — Zick had his fingerprints all over the Raiders' win Saturday, scoring 16 points off the bench. He had seven points in the first half, almost singlehandedly keeping Northfield in the game. Then with the game in the balance, Zick scored seven points in a key 11-4 run to put the Raiders up by eight with less than a minute to go. At 6-foot-6, Zick's got an impressive set of skills. He's got long arms, great mobility and a sweet shooting stroke out to the 3-point line. He's earned minutes as the year has gone on and it'll be interesting to see what kind of player he is next year with more offensive responsibility. Alex Rasmussen (Northfield, Jr.) — Rasmussen had a rough shooting day in the Rochester Civic Center and scored just seven points but he's been arguably the Raiders' best player for large stretches of the season. At 6-foot-2, Rasmussen projects as more of a wing at the college level. He plays point guard for the Raiders, which has probably helped him develop other areas of his game. Hunter Koep (Northfield, Sr.) — Koep is going to play baseball at North Dakota State University but he's an impressive basketball player as well. at 6-foot-4, Koep is as physical a post player as there is in the Big 9. He had a hard time with Winona's length, but his activity level and relentlessness in the paint played a huge part in the Raiders' win. Terrell Hall/Jake Reeck (Winona, So.) — Hall and Reeck didn't do much in terms of scoring Saturday as the Raider defense was outstanding, but both guys played big roles for a team that exceeded expectations this season. Hall was very good defensively Saturday checking Rasmussen and Reeck was clearly a guy the Raiders made sure to account for on the perimeter. Both are players to watch for the Winhawks this upcoming summer and going forward as they'll be big pieces for a team that should be even better next season.