The Week That Was #6: Hot shooters > cold temperatures
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When I put together my game schedule for the coming week I’m never quite sure what to expect. I try to see a variety of contests featuring teams at different levels. I focus on watching prospects I either haven’t seen…
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Continue ReadingWhen I put together my game schedule for the coming week I’m never quite sure what to expect. I try to see a variety of contests featuring teams at different levels. I focus on watching prospects I either haven’t seen before or need to see again, as well as rivalry games and those involving quality programs. It’s a bit of a crapshoot, but last week’s first game turned out to be last week’s best game, and for that distinction, Monday’s double-overtime thriller between Kasson-Mantorville and St. Peter leads our recap of the Week That Was #6.
Game of the Week
Having watched both St. Peter and Kasson-Mantorville over the past couple of weeks I wasn’t planning to see them again so soon, but the potential in this contest was simply too good to pass up. With top-15 freshman Rhyan Holmgren Rhyan Holmgren 5'9" | SG St. Peter | 2024 State MN of St. Peter going up against top-10 sophomore Aby Shubert Aby Shubert 5'8" | CG Kasson-Mant. | 2023 State MN of Kasson-Mantorville, and big senior post Mya Suess Mya Suess 6'1" | PF Kasson-Mantorville | 2021 State MN of the Komets set to do battle with big senior post Morgan Kelly Morgan Kelly 5'11" | PF St. Peter | 2021 State MN (Gustavus) of the Saints, it had the makings of a good one. And it was.
The teams went at it hard from the get-go all the way through the conclusion of the second half when they were still tied at 64 apiece. The Komets got the jump in overtime before freshman Abby Maloney made a long three that tied it and Holmgren’s pair of free throws put the Saints ahead. With 24 seconds left Shubert split two defenders at the top of the key and drove to the basket to score through hard contact and tie the game at 71. Holmgren’s three-point attempt bounced off the rim shortly thereafter and the contest was headed for a second extra session.
The second overtime opened with an Avery Irish Avery Irish 5'11" | CG Kasson-Mantorville | 2021 State MN three-pointer followed by another triple from Maloney. With 30 seconds remaining Army commit Ashlyn Bigelow Ashlyn Bigelow 5'9" | PG Kasson-Mantorville | 2021 State MN cashed in on both ends of a 1+1 to put the Komets ahead by three before Shubert added two more free throws to stretch the margin to five at the 15-second mark. Kelly scored for the Saints with 4.2 seconds to go before Shubert sealed the deal with two more free throws at 2.8. Final score Kasson-Mantorville 82, St. Peter 77. What a game! Two quality programs, two talented teams and a compete level that was off the charts. Shubert finished the game with 26 points while Irish had 22 and Suess scored 19. Kelley led the way for St. Peter with 24 and Holmgren scored 21.
What we watched
We saw 11 complete games during Week #6 – eight of them online and three in person – and another half-dozen partial contests:
- Monday – St. Peter at Kasson-Mantorville, Becker at Chisago Lakes, Northeast Range at Chisholm
- Tuesday – Henry Sibley at South St. Paul, Minnetonka at Wayzata
- Wednesday – Maple Grove at Elk River, Rogers at Centennial
- Thursday – Hopkins at Minnetonka, St. Charles vs Caledonia
- Friday – DeLaSalle at Holy Angels
- Saturday – Prior Lake at Apple Valley
Player of the Week
Ava Privet Ava Privet 5'10" | CG Caledonia | 2023 State MN – sophomore guard, Caledonia
Online viewing opportunities have expanded exponentially this season and that has been one of the few positive developments stemming from the impacts of COVID-19 on high school basketball. As a result we have been able to see far more games played in the outer reaches of the state. Case in point: Thursday’s terrific encounter between St. Charles and Caledonia. There were four great prospects to see in this one: freshman Makadyn Gust of St. Charles and her North Tartan SE teammates Paige Klug Paige Klug 5'10" | SG Caledonia | 2023 State MN and Alexis Schroeder Alexis Schroeder 5'5" | CG Caledonia | 2023 State MN of Caledonia, along with one of the state’s rising stars in Caledonia point guard Ava Privet Ava Privet 5'10" | CG Caledonia | 2023 State MN . The game did not disappoint.
The early portions of the first half were all St. Charles, as the Saints built a comfortable margin that stretched to a dozen or more as the Warriors struggled to put the ball in the basket. With a threesome as potent as Klug, Schroeder and Privet, however, you got the feeling that Caledonia would eventually get its act together. Did they ever.
Caledonia chipped away at the lead all night long and managed to tie the score at 55-all entering the final minute. Caledonia played Russian Roulette with the clock, maintaining possession all the way until the 8-second mark when coach Scott Sorenson called time out. When play resumed the Warriors executed a perfect inbound, set a quick screen and nailed a perfect jump shot for the 57-55 victory. Fun stuff.
Seeing how Privet managed the basketball game and gradually took over the proceedings is not a surprise at all. The #34-rated sophomore prospect’s numbers tell the story of her season. Through nine games, Ava is averaging 28 minutes and is a plus-111. She is shooting 59% from two-point range, 49% from three and 92% at the free throw line for an average of 18.2 points per game. Ava also has 32 rebounds, 30 assists, 22 steals and 20 deflections. Need we say more? This kid is going to be great.
Newcomer of the Week
Jenna Buer – freshman guard, Holy Angels
The stocky 9th grader is a tad unconventional, and she’s hardly a household name, but Jenna impressed us nevertheless at the Prep Girls Hoops Top 250 Expo, the Fall Exclusive and at a number of Minnesota Suns workouts where we have watched her game grow. None of that prepared us – or anyone else for that matter – for what we saw Friday night at Holy Angels against their arch rivals from DeLaSalle.
The Islanders had the early advantage in this one until top-20 senior Frankie Vascellaro Frankie Vascellaro 6'0" | SF Holy Angels | 2021 State MN scored three consecutive baskets for Holy Angels about six minutes into the opening period to inject a little life into the proceedings. By the time Buer entered the contest as the 10th player in the Stars rotation, Holy Angels trailed 14-17. And then Jenna did the following:
- A corner three at 10:40. Nothing but net. 17-17
- A corner three at 10:00. Nothing but net. 22-19
- Another three-pointer at 9:41. 25-21
- A pair of free throws at 8:50. 27-21.
I’m not a math guy, but is that not 11 points in 1 minute and 50 seconds? And then – unbelievably – Jenna was immediately subbed out! Thinking better of his earlier decision Holy Angels coach Dan Woods put Buer back into the game at the 6:45 mark. No sooner had Buer reentered the fray when scored on a sweet little baby jumper that was followed a half minute later by yet another triple to put Holy Angels up by 10. That’s right, in her first 3 minutes and 20 seconds of play Buer had scored 16 points. Not bad for freshmen still finding her way. Jenna’s contribution set the game on a completely different course and by halftime the Stars led by 20. Holy Angels went on to a rather decisive 96-69 victory.
Milestones
Junior Natalie Mikrot Natalie Mikrot 5'6" | CG Moose Lake-WR | 2022 State MN of Moose Lake-Willow River became her school’s all-time leading scorer this week with 1,680 points with another full season available to reach 2,000. This week’s 1,000-point scorers include:
- Senior Mya Suess Mya Suess 6'1" | PF Kasson-Mantorville | 2021 State MN of Kasson-Mantorville
- Senior Kylie Lacey Kylie Lacey 5'10" | PF Dover-Eyota | 2021 State MN of Dover-Eyota (UW-LaCrosse)
- Senior Michaela Dammann Michaela Dammann 6'2" | C Sauk Centre | 2021 State MN of Sauk Centre (Chadron State)
- Senior Destinee Bursch Destinee Bursch 5'9" | CG Eden Prairie | 2021 State MN of Eden Prairie (MSU-Mankato)
- Junior Hope Dudycha Hope Dudycha 5'6" | CG Austin | 2022 State MN of Austin
Notable performances
Duluth Marshall senior Gianna Kneepkens Gianna Kneepkens 5'11" | CG Duluth Marshall | 2021 State #86 Nation MN leads our list of notable performers once again this week. Kneepkens scored 45 points on Tuesday in a win over Superior, Wisc., shooting 19-of-25 from the field and 6-for-9 from three-point range while recording 13 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals and 3 blocks. On Thursday she had 34 points, 14 rebounds, 8 assists and 7 steals while passing University of Iowa/WNBA great Megan Gustafson of Port Wing, Wisc. as the all-time scoring leader in the Northern Minnesota/Wisconsin region. In the same game Marshall 7th grader Ava Meierotto had the best night of her burgeoning career as she nailed 9 triples for 27 points. The class of 2026 is legit.
The Hill sisters of Minneapolis South were on fire in a 90-61 win over Minneapolis Roosevelt this week, combining for 84 points! The Tigers were led by a 52-point performance by senior Jade Hill Jade Hill 5'8" | PG Mpls. South | 2021 State MN (St. Thomas) while her freshman sister Angel Hill Angel Hill 5'8" | PG Minnehaha Academy | 2024 State MN scored 32. Jade is now averaging 33 points per game while Angel is at 17.
Wayzata has a rough start in 2021, losing the first three games of the pandemic-shortened season. Since then the Trojans appear to have gotten back on track by winning seven of their last eight contests. Their latest win came Friday night, a 74-46 defeat of Edina that saw senior Jenna Johnson Jenna Johnson 6'2" | PF Wayzata | 2021 State #52 Nation MN (Utah) have her best performance since returning from a year-long knee injury. Jenna went 19-for-26 (73%) from the field to score 39 points for the Trojans. She is now averaging 19.4 ppg since her return.
On Monday we caught some of the Lake City vs Chatfield game to check up on the Tigers’ many prospects along with Chatfield’s gritty little point guard Tessa McMahon. What we saw was yet another impressive performance from Lake City junior Natalie Bremer Natalie Bremer 5'11" | CG Lake City | 2022 State MN , who had a career-high 32 points. In a 30-second span early in the second half she twice committed grand larceny and cashed in with a transition bucket. By that point she had already reached 32 and was given the rest of the night off. This workhorse just keeps getting better and better.
Other notable performances this week included:
- 40 points for 8th grader Kendall McKee of Breck in a one-possession loss to Maranatha.
- 37 points for sophomore Ashlee Burchette Ashlee Burchette 5'7" | CG Champlin Park | 2023 State MN of Bloomington Kennedy against Chanhassen.
- 34 points for junior Kayla Griffin of Maranatha in a win over St. Agnes. The Aggies’ Brigid Boyle Brigid Boyle 6'0" | SF St. Agnes | 2021 State MN (Wayne State) had 25.
- 32 points for sophomore Taryn Hamling Taryn Hamling 5'9" | PG Grand Rapids | 2023 State MN of Grand Rapids (North Dakota State) in a 69-45 win over Duluth East.
- 32 points for Park Center senior Adalia McKenzie Adalia McKenzie 5'10" | CG Park Center | 2021 State #39 Nation MN in a win over Champlin Park. Adalia followed that up with 34 against Anoka.
- 31 points for freshman Olivia Olson Olivia Olson 6'1" | CG Benilde-SM | 2024 State MN of Benilde-St. Margaret’s against Bloomington Kennedy. Olson also had 11 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 blocks.
- 29 points for sophomore Jordan Munson Jordan Munson 5'8" | CG Tracy Area | 2023 State MN of Tracy-Milroy-Balaton, a career-high, in a 64-60 overtime win over Lac qui Parle Valley.
- 29 points for Chaska junior Mallory Heyer Mallory Heyer 6'1" | PF Chaska | 2022 State #36 Nation MN (Minnesota) as the Hawks beat their neighbors from Chanhassen 85-55.
- 29 points for 7th grader Maddyn Greenway Maddyn Greenway 5'8" | PG Providence Academy | 2026 State MN of Providence Academy in a win over Princeton, which received 26 points from junior Maddie James Maddie James 6'0" | SG Princeton | 2022 State MN .
- 29 points for sophomore Anna Rykienwich of St. Paul Central in a decisive win over St. Paul Harding.
- 27 points for sophomore Brynn Beffert Brynn Beffert 6'0" | PF Hutchinson | 2023 State MN of Hutchinson in a 71-60 win over Jordan.
- 27 points and 22 rebounds for senior Anna Miller Anna Miller 6'2" | C Rochester Mayo | 2021 State MN of Rochester Mayo (Drake) in a win against Austin. Mayo senior Lynnsey Hady Lynnsey Hady 5'10" | SG Rochester Mayo | 2021 State MN (ND Science) had 20 points, including four 3-pointers.
- Junior Nicole Bowlin Nicole Bowlin 5'6" | PG Holy Family | 2022 State MN and sophomore Sophi Hall Sophi Hall 6'1" | CG Holy Family | 2023 State MN were on fire for the Fire as Holy Family triumphed over New Prague. Bowlin had 27 points and 15 rebounds while Hall collected 23 points, 17 rebounds and 9 blocks!
- Freshman Jordan Zubich Jordan Zubich 5'11" | SG Mountain Iron-Buhl | 2024 State MN and sophomore Sage Ganyo each scored 26 points for Mountain Iron-Buhl in a 79-47 win over Tri-City United. Zubich also had 6 rebounds and 5 steals while Ganyo recorded 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 6 steals.
Coming up
These are the games to see in Week #7:
- Monday – Providence vs Maranatha
- Tuesday – Centennial vs Maple Grove
- Wednesday – Rosemount vs Prior Lake
- Thursday – Becker vs St. Michael-Albertville
- Friday – Wayzata vs Chaska
Top photo: Sophomore Ava Privet Ava Privet 5'10" | CG Caledonia | 2023 State MN of Caledonia has been shooting lights out all season.