Nickle Dickle: Part 1
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I started my Saturday afternoon in Waconia checking out some youngsters battling on the blacktop and some old heads well past their prime trying to impress their ladies. The real show was being held inside the St. Joes gym as 3 college commits and one waiting to write her ticket looked to run the table and end their Nickle Dickle experience on top. The Lake 4 consisting of Gopher commits Mara Braun Mara Braun 5'11" | CG Wayzata | 2022 State #21 Nation MN , Nia Holloway Nia Holloway 6'0" | PF Eden Prairie | 2022 State #45 Nation MN , Amaya Battle Amaya Battle 5'10" | PG Hopkins | 2022 State #29 Nation MN and future D1 player Tessa Johnson Tessa Johnson 5'11" | SG St. Michael-Albertville | 2023 State #36 Nation MN looked loose and in good spirits as they were matched up against “The Mustangs” featuring the prolific twins Rachel Kottke Rachel Kottke 5'8" | CG Buffalo Lake-H-S | 2024 State MN , Kristi Kottke Kristi Kottke 5'8" | CG Buffalo Lake-H-S | 2024 State MN , Ellaina Bergstrom and Lily Hubin. Optically, it was a physical mismatch as the Lake 4 towered over their opponents, but from the outset, the Lake 4 struggled to get going on offense and Kottke and company were fired up and ready to go. They seemed to make every open shot and when they missed, they hustled down the offensive rebound. Braun eventually started to heat up from beyond the arc and Holloway started to assert herself in the paint, but they had dug themselves too deep a hole to climb out of and were knocked off 15-12. They would meet up again later as it was double elimination and the second time around they dominated from the outset and would hold off the scrappy squad to advance. The story of the day belonged to “The Sharp Shooters” consisting of Tori McKinney Tori McKinney 6'1" | CG Minnetonka | 2024 State MN , Savannah Gardner Savannah Gardner 5'10" | F Eastview | 2024 MN , Gabby Betton Gabby Betton 5'9" | CG Lakeville North | 2024 State MN and Rainey Welson. They ran the table with a blue collar work ethic playing great team defense and taking and making timely shots to knock off the Lake 4 for the chip. I got my moneys worth (it was a free event) as I also got to watch Maren Westin Maren Westin 5'8" | CG Becker | 2023 State MN , Chloe Brunsberg Chloe Brunsberg 5'11" | SF Southwest Christian | 2023 State MN and Clara Glad Clara Glad 6'0" | SF Rogers | 2023 State MN battle on the hardwood. These girls wanted it and wasn’t just there for the free t-shirts. The 2025 class was also represented as Jordon Ode, Bella, Addie and Lexie Hanna teamed up to play two very hard fought games but ultimately came up short. It was a deep competitive field and any one lucky enough to be in attendance was treated to some of the best that the great state of Minnesota has to offer.