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Mar. 10—MINNEAPOLIS — Talk about the word "resiliency" and the
and Minnahaha Academy girls basketball teams invariably come up.
NLS' resiliency comes from rallying from a 17-point deficit in the
with an unheard-of 13-0 run to beat Fairmont 61-54.
"I was telling somebody I had to stay up and watch the tape because I wanted to be sure we actually won," NLS head coach Mike Dreier quipped.
Minnehaha Academy's resiliency comes from overcoming the loss of its top player, Sinae Hill, a senior who was lost for the season the second game of the year.
Minnehaha and NLS play in the Class AA quarterfinals at 8 p..m. Wednesday at Maturi Pavillion.
"We just have to be as prepared as we possibly can be and play like we're capable of," Dreier said.
Minnehaha and NLS are familiar names in the Class AA tournament field and to each other, at least to fans with a good recent memory.
Minnehaha, a private school in Minneapolis, makes its sixth straight state appearance and its 19th since 2001. Included were state Class AA championships in 2010 and '19 and a Class A runner-up in 2011.
NLS makes its 22nd state appearance in Dreier's 48th season as head coach. He's the state's all-time wins leader The Wildcats are back to state for the first time since 2024. They've won state championships in 1997 and '02 and finished second in '91, '92, '93, '94, '01 and '16.
The Redhawks also played in the NLS holiday tournament for a number of years before a coaching change. Kendall Givens is in his second season as head coach.
This year's squad starts no juniors, has an 18-11 record playing a tough schedule with Class AAAA teams and has a sixth seed.
The Redhawks are led by Gigi Coleman, a 5-foot-8 junior guard. Also key is Briana Foster, a 5-9 sophomore forward and Addison Harris, a 6-0 ninth-grader. Shea Watkins and Georgia Watkins are twin sisters who also play. Shea is 6-foot. Georgia is 5-10. Both are eighth-graders.
Dannsia Anderson, a 5-6 sophomore guard, and Clarris Ross, a 5-8 sophomore, also play key roles.
"They're very good, really athletic," Dreier said. "They're big, too.
"We're going to have to give it everything we've got."
NLS is 29-1 and the No. 3 seed. It is led by a senior class that includes Ayla Caskey, Taylor Munsch, Katelyn Delzer and Roxanne Klein, all starters. Caskey is a 5-7 guard and the Wilcats' leading scorer. She is headed to Hamline University to continue her basketball and track careers. Munsch is a 5-7 senior guard who was the Wildcats' No. 2 runner on its state championship cross-country team.
Delzer is a 5-11 forward and Klein is a 6-0 center. Both play pivotal roles defending the front court and rebounding.
"We are going to have to take care of the ball and we're going to have to rebound," Dreier said.
Also key to the Wildcats are Korbin Tanner, Paycen Rutgers, Kyla Vick and Brooke Barney. Tanner, a 6-2 ninth-grader, is one of NLS' leading scorers. Rutgers is a 5-8 eighth-grader who hit a couple of huge three-point shots in NLS' win over Fairmont in the 3AA final in Marshall. Vick, another ninth-grader, had a pair of second-half three-pointers in that game. Barney is a junior guard.
The Wildcats' lone loss is to Sauk Centre, which is also in the state tournament. The Mainstreeters (23-6) are the seventh seed and play No. 3 Duluth Marshall (22-7) at 6 p.m. just before NLS' game at Maturi Pavilion.
Norwood Young America (22-8) is the tournament's eighth seed and plays No. 1 Providence Academy (25-4) at 6 p.m. Wednesday at Williams Arena. No. 5 Perham (24-4) and No. 4 Rochester Lourdes (24-6) play at 8 p.m. at Williams. NLS beat Norwood 87-61 and 80-61 in Wright County Conference play.
The NLS/Minnehaha winner plays the Sauk Centre/Duluth Marshall winner at 8 p.m. Friday at Williams Arena. The Class AA championship is 6 p.m. Saturday.
Dreier hopes his team is ready. He's enjoyed coaching them.
"They're one of the most cooperative groups I have worked with," he said. "They come every day ready to play.
"I'm just asking them not to have a first half like they did (against Fairmont)" he quipped.
Continue reading...
and Minnahaha Academy girls basketball teams invariably come up.
NLS' resiliency comes from rallying from a 17-point deficit in the
with an unheard-of 13-0 run to beat Fairmont 61-54.
"I was telling somebody I had to stay up and watch the tape because I wanted to be sure we actually won," NLS head coach Mike Dreier quipped.
Minnehaha Academy's resiliency comes from overcoming the loss of its top player, Sinae Hill, a senior who was lost for the season the second game of the year.
Minnehaha and NLS play in the Class AA quarterfinals at 8 p..m. Wednesday at Maturi Pavillion.
"We just have to be as prepared as we possibly can be and play like we're capable of," Dreier said.
Minnehaha and NLS are familiar names in the Class AA tournament field and to each other, at least to fans with a good recent memory.
Minnehaha, a private school in Minneapolis, makes its sixth straight state appearance and its 19th since 2001. Included were state Class AA championships in 2010 and '19 and a Class A runner-up in 2011.
NLS makes its 22nd state appearance in Dreier's 48th season as head coach. He's the state's all-time wins leader The Wildcats are back to state for the first time since 2024. They've won state championships in 1997 and '02 and finished second in '91, '92, '93, '94, '01 and '16.
The Redhawks also played in the NLS holiday tournament for a number of years before a coaching change. Kendall Givens is in his second season as head coach.
This year's squad starts no juniors, has an 18-11 record playing a tough schedule with Class AAAA teams and has a sixth seed.
The Redhawks are led by Gigi Coleman, a 5-foot-8 junior guard. Also key is Briana Foster, a 5-9 sophomore forward and Addison Harris, a 6-0 ninth-grader. Shea Watkins and Georgia Watkins are twin sisters who also play. Shea is 6-foot. Georgia is 5-10. Both are eighth-graders.
Dannsia Anderson, a 5-6 sophomore guard, and Clarris Ross, a 5-8 sophomore, also play key roles.
"They're very good, really athletic," Dreier said. "They're big, too.
"We're going to have to give it everything we've got."
NLS is 29-1 and the No. 3 seed. It is led by a senior class that includes Ayla Caskey, Taylor Munsch, Katelyn Delzer and Roxanne Klein, all starters. Caskey is a 5-7 guard and the Wilcats' leading scorer. She is headed to Hamline University to continue her basketball and track careers. Munsch is a 5-7 senior guard who was the Wildcats' No. 2 runner on its state championship cross-country team.
Delzer is a 5-11 forward and Klein is a 6-0 center. Both play pivotal roles defending the front court and rebounding.
"We are going to have to take care of the ball and we're going to have to rebound," Dreier said.
Also key to the Wildcats are Korbin Tanner, Paycen Rutgers, Kyla Vick and Brooke Barney. Tanner, a 6-2 ninth-grader, is one of NLS' leading scorers. Rutgers is a 5-8 eighth-grader who hit a couple of huge three-point shots in NLS' win over Fairmont in the 3AA final in Marshall. Vick, another ninth-grader, had a pair of second-half three-pointers in that game. Barney is a junior guard.
The Wildcats' lone loss is to Sauk Centre, which is also in the state tournament. The Mainstreeters (23-6) are the seventh seed and play No. 3 Duluth Marshall (22-7) at 6 p.m. just before NLS' game at Maturi Pavilion.
Norwood Young America (22-8) is the tournament's eighth seed and plays No. 1 Providence Academy (25-4) at 6 p.m. Wednesday at Williams Arena. No. 5 Perham (24-4) and No. 4 Rochester Lourdes (24-6) play at 8 p.m. at Williams. NLS beat Norwood 87-61 and 80-61 in Wright County Conference play.
The NLS/Minnehaha winner plays the Sauk Centre/Duluth Marshall winner at 8 p.m. Friday at Williams Arena. The Class AA championship is 6 p.m. Saturday.
Dreier hopes his team is ready. He's enjoyed coaching them.
"They're one of the most cooperative groups I have worked with," he said. "They come every day ready to play.
"I'm just asking them not to have a first half like they did (against Fairmont)" he quipped.
Continue reading...
