NHR Playoff Central: March 15
Tonight the first ticket will be punched to the 2017 Minnesota State Tournament. Things are getting very real as the playoffs hit a climax.
The Big Stage. Hopkins vs Wayzata. Get to Osseo and get their early, tonight’s game is the only show in town and everybody will want to be there for the 7pm tip. Wayzata won the first match-up in blow out fashion 81-55 but a different Hopkins team beat Wayzata 70-62 four weeks ago. Since a blowout loss to Champlin Park the Royals redid their offense, the rotation has changed, and they’ve won 11 straight games beating quality teams like Wayzata, Edina, Woodbury, Eden Prairie, and Minneapolis North among others. Wayzata rebounded well themselves with six straight wins. The big game is tonight. Winner goes to state.
Class 7AAAA. I thought these games were listed earlier in the week (which is when I mentioned them) but it looks like the games are tonight and it will be Coon Rapids against Anodver and Forest Lake against Duluth East. Who wins? Your guess is as good as mine. The Cinderella story is Coon Rapids though. Can they get another buzzer beater or great finish in the 3/7 game?
Breck Buzzer Beater. In overtime last night Breck freshman Kerwin Walton picked up a loose ball, found trailing Josh Roddy and Roddy nailed a deep trey at the buzzer to knock Holy Family out of the playoffs. The win made Breck the sub-section champions and puts them against Annandale for the right to go to state.
Annandale Triple Overtime Win. The Cardinals beat Watertown-Mayer 82-76 essentially because they had more of their players on the floor after three overtimes. In a classic game of two really good teams Trae Berhow fouled out in overtime one and then three of his fellow starters did the same throughout this 3OT thriller. Berhow scored 32 and was out-dueled by Jarod Wilken who had a fantastic 43 points. Wilken did not foul out nor did some of the Cardinal starters and their ability to stay on the floor and beat the one Royal starter and JV supporters in the third overtime allowed them to outlast W-M in a great game.
A win and a commitment. Lake Park-Audubon beat Norman County East/U-H and then their standout center Jesse Bergh committed to the Minnesota State-Moorhead staff after the victory. LPA won the north and now they face Ortonville who they face from the south for 6A state.
Prairie Seeds proves a point, now gets North. Heritage Christian has been a spot or two above Heritage Christian in the rankings all year but when they went at it head to head it was Prairie Seeds who grabbed the 74-70 win. Now they face North who crushed Cristo Rey despite another double-double from Jericho Sims.
Extra Extra!…Osseo won by a point and Zach Theisen had a game high 18 points…Red Lake is 4-0 this year vs Cass Lake-Bena…Cathedral beat Pine City 53-49. It was a close game, but not high scoring? Interesting. They will face Melrose….