Eden Prairie defeats Centennial, gives Lake Conference three semifinalists

Eden Prairie's 78-57 victory over Centennial in the final Class 4A quarterfinal Wednesday was more than simply another state tournament victory for a very good girls basketball team.

It was the confirmation of the superiority of the Lake Conference. Three of the four teams still standing in the large-school bracket compete in the Lake, further establishing it as the best girls basketball league in the state. Fellow conference members Hopkins and St. Michael-Albertville also advanced to Thursday's semifinals.

"The conference is the best in the state, bar none," Eden Prairie coach Ellen Wiese said. "Every night we play a Lake Conference team, it's a battle."

Nothing, Weise said, makes a team better than enduring a Lake Conference schedule. "It prepares you for the big stage," Weise said. "There's nothing we haven't faced to this point. We're not going to be shocked, we're not going to be overwhelmed by anything."

Eden Prairie (21-9), fresh from a confidence-boosting victory over then-No. 1 Chaska in the Class 4A, Section 2 final, played perhaps its best game of the season Wednesday. A team that has leaned on its defense all year, the Eagles were on top of their offensive game. They shot 51.7% from the floor, including 9-for-18 from beyond the three-point line.

Eden Prairie outrebounded Centennial 32-27, a margin that was much larger until the final few minutes of the second half, and committed eight fewer turnovers than the Cougars (20-12).

"We were on point all day," Wiese said. "We certainly shot better than we have all year."

Guard Molly Lenz said the victory over Chaska was still paying dividends: "That game just gave us a huge confidence boost."