The State Tournament: Thursday’s Top Performers

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The best of the best from the Class A quarters and the big school semi-finals. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1310206' first='Tommy' last='Ahneman'] of Cretin-Derham Hall (6'10, 2025). Tommy scored 28 points on 12 of 19 shooting, simply dominating the paint.&nbsp; When the other team does not have the size to get length on Tommy, and they don't have strength to go with that size, Tommy can dominated.&nbsp; And he dominated.&nbsp; 15 boards too.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1411178' first='Brayson' last='Boike'] of Dawson-Boyd (6'8, 2025). The SMSU signed forward had one of the performances of his career on Thursday.&nbsp; Heritage Christian has some players but nobody that could deal with skilled and agile going at the rim for 31 points.&nbsp; Boike was 11 of 18 from the field and 8 of 12 at the foul line with nobody capable of slowing him down.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1579885' first='Nolan' last='Groves'] of Orono (6'5, 2025).&nbsp; Orono already had limited options scoring wise, and yesterday the guys around Nolan had trouble scoring more than usual.&nbsp; They needed Nolan to go from He-Man to Zeus scoring wise and he came up an inch short. He scored 31 points making 8 of 20 field goals and 11 of 19 foul shots.&nbsp; He had 31 points and Nolan needed just a few more and they weren't there on Thursday.&nbsp; I don't think there is another player in Minnesota that could be asked to do what Nolan has to, and succeed as many times as he has.&nbsp; Yesterday the opponent was just too deep with talent and Orono lost by a basket.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2103251' first='Ganden' last='Gosch'] of Mankato East (6'5, 2025).&nbsp; Gosch has had a big state tournament so far and his 15 points and 10 rebounds were crucial to East moving on to the state title game.&nbsp; Ganden saw [player_tooltip player_id='1437303' first='Brogan' last='Madson'] struggle shooting (although he had nine assists) and he worked his way to three threes and scores off activity.&nbsp; He also dominated the defensive glass with ten boards.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1560740' first='Dothan' last='Ijadimbola'] of Totino-Grace (6'6, 2026).&nbsp; Dothan had a very good game against Clemson bound [player_tooltip player_id='1572690' first='Chase' last='Thompson'] scoring 17 points on 8 of 15 shooting.&nbsp; At times he was the TG go to guy and he gave his team a chance, it was one of his better games this year.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2103319' first='Alex' last='Lester'] of Nevis (6'8, 2025).&nbsp; Nevis was dominant inside led by Alex with his 21 points and 10 rebound double-double. He had three steals and shot 8 of 15 but it was the eight defensive boards clearing the possession that were big.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1579910' first='Noah' last='Sundquist'] of Cherry (6'3, 2025).&nbsp; The athletic and active forward was unstoppable on Thursday.&nbsp; He drew seven fouls and got to the line ten times making all ten shots.&nbsp; Sundquist scored 32 points with seven rebounds and continues to play like a Class A All State first teamer.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1572690' first='Chase' last='Thompson'] of Alexandria (6'8, 2025).&nbsp; Thompson dominated the paint.&nbsp; He took two threes because his team needed him to dominate around the basket and Chase did just that. Chase scored 33 points on 10 of 22 shooting, and 12 of 13 foul shooting plus he grabbed a dozen boards with six assists.&nbsp; TG couldn't keep him off the offensive boards.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1560867' first='Christian' last='Wiggins'] of Wayzata (6'4, 2026).&nbsp; Wiggins joined [player_tooltip player_id='1560807' first='Isaac' last='Olmstead'] in some key three point makes at key times helping the [program_tooltip program_id='2075965' first='Trojans' last=''] move on to the section semi-final.&nbsp; Wiggins scored a game high 18 points on 6 of 12 shooting plus he played his defensive role well against Cordes plus grabbed four boards.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2118449' first='Mason' last='Witt'] of Alexandria (6'1, 2026).&nbsp; Witt knocked out six threes for the Cardinals and scored 25 big points helping the Cardinals to the state title game. There were other things done but his six threes forced a change and it allowed others the space to work.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->