WEEKLY ROUNDUP *Top 20s in each class *Mr. Basketball 5 finalists *Pelican Rapids girls 25-0 *Sauk Centre’s record streak Volume 25 Issue No. 14 February 28 2019-20 Banham’s back in MN where they lost to the champions. Lynx trade for They had four players who won Gopher great from Olympics gold medals twice. The core four leaders of that group Lakeville North are now all gone. Maya Moore, their star of stars, stepped away af- By Bruce Strand ter 2018 at the height of her career to pursue other interests. The other achel Banham, a legend for three were just got past their prime. Rboth Lakeville North and the Lindsay Whalen is now coaching Minnesota Gophers, is coming the Gophers, Rebekkah Brunson home to join the Minnesota Lynx. joined the Lynx coaching staff, and 14-year veteran guard Seimone Au- The 26-year-old guard was ac- gustus recently signed with Los An- quired Tuesday in a trade with the geles to finish her career there. Connecticut Sun, where she spent four seasons in the WNBA. The only remaining all-pro is 6-6 center Sylvia Fowles, who joined Banham issued this statement: them in 2015 and was league MVP in their last championship season. “I couldn’t be happier to be coming Rachel Banham was the fourth home and be a member of this his- pick in the 2016 draft by Con- Banham was Miss Basketball in toric franchise. Growing up a Lynx necticutt but her pro career 2011, finishing with 1,957 points. fan, I’ve always admired the way never took off there. As a junior she teamed with 2010 Cheryl and her staff have made the Miss Basketball Cassie Rochel to Lynx into a model franchise in the Connecticut used the fourth overall lead North to a 32-0, state Class 4A WNBA. I can’t wait to see every- pick in 2016 to take Banham. She championship season. They played one at Target Center this summer.” did not become a starter there, how- against each other in the Big Ten as ever, averaging four points and 11.4 Rachel went to Wisconsin. Lynx general manager/coach Cher- minutes per game in four seasons. yl Reeve sent the Sun a 2021 sec- In her spectacular career with the ond-round draft pick. The 5-foot-9 Banham has a good Gophers, Banham scored a Big Ten opportunity for a new start with the record 3,093 points, tied an NCAA “We are excited to welcome Ra- Lynx, who are trying to rebuild af- single-game record with 60 points chel home to Minnesota,” Reeve ter two mediocre seasons. against Northwestern, and averaged stated. “Her ability to shoot the ball 28.6 points as a senior, second-best is something we valued during this The Lynx had the best women’s in the nation. She was Big Ten process and we look forward to basketball team ever assembled Player of the Year, first-team AP having her in a Lynx uniform this anywhere from 2011 through 2017, All-American, and John Wooden season and beyond.” with four championships plus two Award finalist that year. runner-up and one third-place finish Pacesetter Newsletter Minnesota Basketball News February 28 Page 2 Mr. Basketball finalists unveiled The Mr. Basketball committee named five finalists for the 2020 award. They will be recognized April 5 at the Timberwolves’ game against the Pistons, where winner will be announced. Jalen Suggs NATHAN HEISE DRAKE DOBBS dawson garcia BEN CARLSON Minnehaha Academy Lake City Eden Prairie Prior Lake East Ridge Suggs, a 6-5 Heise, a 6-5 Dobbs, a 6-1 point Garcia, a superb Carlson, a 6-9 guard, recruited guard currently guard, leads the athlete in a 6-11 power forward with by everybody and averaging 29.2 star-studded 25-0 frame, averages a tremendously signed by Gon- points and eight Eagles with 18.8 32 points and 10 diverse skill-set, zaga, has led the rebounds for the ppg in his fourth rebounds for the averages 24.7 Redhawks to three Tigers (23-3) has year as a starter Lakers (17-7), runs points and 11.3 Class 2A titles and 97 varsity wins, on teams with a the team from the rebounds for the a No. 1 ranking in two state trips and 86-32 record and point about a third Raptors, after lead- 3A this year. He 2,199 points on his two state trips. A of the time. He av- ing them to their has 2,764 points, ledger. He will play polished all-around eraged 27 last year first state tourna- averages 22.2 this for Northern Iowa. player, his 1,956 has 1,924 career ment last year av- year, and excels as He’s the only non- points includes 83 points, The No. eraging 16 and 11. a passer, rebound- metro finalist. His in state tourna- 31 ranked recruit He’s scored 1,916 er and defender. sister Taylor was a ment games. He’ll in the country, he career points. His And he was Mr. Miss Hockey (for play for D-1 Liberty signed with college team will Football this fall. Red Wing). Baptist in Virginia. Marquette. be Wisconsin. Sauk Centre girls have record home streak auk Centre finished unbeaten at home in girls bas- Class 2A state champions. Sketball for the seventh consecutive season by de- feating Long Prairie-Grey Eagle 59-21 on Thursday Sauk Centre (25-2), ranked No. 2 in Class 2A, resumes evening in the first round of Section 6AA. its bid for another state trip Saturday against Pierz at St. Cloud State, 6 p.m. They were stopped last year The Mainstreeters, coached by Scott Bergman, own with an upset loss to Albany in the sectionals. the longest home-court win streak in Minnesota prep basketball history, boys or girls, with 93 in a row, ac- The previous state girls record home win streak record cording to state hoops historian Matt Pederson. was 76 by Rochester Lourdes from 1989-96. The last team to beat Sauk Centre at home was Osakis, The longest boys home win streak is 85 straight by 49-40, on Jan. 8, 2013. The Mainstreeters finished 27-3 Braham from 2009-16. Braham also has the third-lon- that year and reached the tournament, as they’ve also gest girls home win streak, 74 straight, ending in 2015. done in 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018, when the were Pacesetter Newsletter Minnesota Basketball News February 28 Page 3 The latest round goes to Waseca aseca and Marshall will no longer butt heads in every year,” said Anderson. In Section 2A this year, sectionals but the fierce rivalry continues in the the only other ranked team is No. 7 Minnesota Valley BigW South Conference. Waseca won the latest install- Lutheran. ment 57-55 on Friday evening (Feb. 21) in the annual clash of the two division leaders, in Waseca. In Friday’s thriller, Waseca’s Andrew Morgan hit a turn-around jumper from the elbow with just under a Waseca, state Class 3A runner-up last year, dropped minute left to knot the game at 55. Marshall held the to Class 2A this year and is ranked No. 2. Marshall is ball for a last shot. Ryan Dufault of Waseca tipped ranked No. 5 in Class 3A. away a pass with a few seconds left. With 13 teams in the Big South, they split into East and Kyreese Willingham snagged the ball and threw it West, and the division winners duel at the end of the ahead to Morgan sprinting toward the other basket. season for the overall crown. Morgan was pushed from behind and the referees ruled it a flagrant foul. With eight-tenths of a second left, “The last few years, it’s come down to Waseca and Morgan made one of two free shots, then got fouled Marshall slugging it out,” said Waseca coach Seth An- again on the inbounds pass and again made one of two. derson. “The games have always been great battles.” Morgan logged 16 points and 13 rebounds, Willing- There’s been three highly-ranked teams in Section ham 16 points, and Dufault 12 points and six assists. 2AAA in recent years, with Mankato East also in the For Marshall, Bryce Lance tallied 18 points and Noah fray, which “has left two out of the state tournament Peutz 13. Pacesetter Newsletter Minnesota Basketball News February 28 Page 4 A first for Pelican Rapids: 25-0 By Bruce Strand “Maddie is a great defender, with great court vision, and a high basketball IQ,” coach Korf said. elican Rapids is heading into playoffs with a 25-0 record this season, marking the first unbeaten regu- Greta Tollefson, 5-10 junior, averages 18 points, six re- larP season in the program’s history. bounds and four assists. She’s a starter since eighth grade, and a 1,000-pointer. Anna Stephenson, 5-11 junior, aver- That’s on the heels of last year’s 26-2 season, marking ages 16 points, six rebounds and three assists. the most wins the Vikings ever had. The fun ended in the Section 6A semifinals last Chris Paulson, 5-7 junior year with a 49-46 loss to guard, averages six points Ada-Borup, whom they had and two steals. Riley Paul- beaten 57-54 in the season son, 5-9 senior post, is a opener. solid post defender averag- ing six points and six re- “We have good mix of size, bounds.