On paper, it's tough to draw up Friday's matchup any better. The top two ranked Class 4A teams in the state — one being the defending state champion — meet in the mighty Lake Conference. Oh, and they both entered the evening undefeated.
Minnetonka defeats St. Michael-Albertville in battle of girls' basketball powers
Each undefeated to open the evening, the two Lake Conference rivals kept things close before the Skippers went on a 10-0 run after halftime.
By Heather Rule
January 13, 2024 at 2:49AM
The game in a packed gymnasium lived up to the hype with the home team coming away winners as top-ranked Minnetonka defeated No. 2 St. Michael-Albertville 63-54 at Minnetonka High School.
Defense and missed shots spiraled into early turnovers for both teams. Minnetonka had 17 in the first half before a 9-0 run just before halftime.
"You're not going to beat a team like STMA, a Kent Hamre-[coached] team with 17 turnovers in the first half," Minnetonka coach Brian Cosgriff said. "We thought we were fortunate to only be two down at that point."
The Skippers (12-0, 2-0 Lake) kept the momentum up from a 26-24 halftime deficit with a 10-0 run to start the second half, starting with a three-pointer right off the bat from Minnetonka's Aaliyah Crump. The junior guard was consistent all night, scoring the Skippers' first seven points of the game, with solid defense to create turnovers and ending with a game-high 27 points.
"Second half, we came out, played as a team, got each other easy shots," Crump said. "So, I think we really narrowed down those turnovers, and that's what got us the win."
It was a one-point game with a few minutes to go, but Minnetonka pulled away again, also with Crump's help.
The Knights (13-1, 0-1) were without senior guard Ja'Kahla Craft, who averages 25.8 points per game. Craft dislocated her right pinkie Monday against Maple Grove and will be out for a couple of weeks, Hamre said.
In her absence, other players had to step up. Senior captain Ava Haus cashed in five three-pointers as part of a season-high 20 points to help fill the void. Hamre said he was happy with how Haus and the other players have stepped up.
"We're not a real deep team, so I'm asking these kids for more, more, more," Hamre said. "We've got a great bunch of kids and they just keep picking up the pieces."
about the writer
Heather Rule
Six players plus head coach Garrett Raboin and assistant coach Ben Gordon are from Minnesota. The tournament’s games will be televised starting Monday.
