Boys Basketball: Three Area Teams Advance To State

A pair of absolutely dominant performances, as well as an overtime thriller, powered Andover, St. Francis and Totino-Grace into the boys basketball state tournament.

Section 7AAAA

As it has been throughout the winter, Andover’s offense was electrifying during the Section 7AAAA tournament, culminating in a 106-79 win over Cambridge-Isanti in the finals held at Chisago Lakes March 16. The win followed victories of 99-82 and 97-48, par for the course for one of the most potent offenses in the state.

“We played great basketball, averaged over 100 points per game and won by an average of 30 points per game,” Andover head coach Jeremy Hable said. “We have an all-state backcourt, and really good shooters, athletes and role players around them. I’ve always believed in playing fast and the players have embraced it.”

Sam Musungu delivered a 45-point performance in the championship round, with Ben Kopetzki totaling 26 points, eight rebounds and six assists.

“Ben and Sam are the hardest workers,” Hable said. “After practice, one of them is typically still shooting and working on their game. They’ve got great character on and off the court. What they’ve done for our program is truly remarkable. With Sam, specifically his will to win is second to none, and he’s incredibly smart, high IQ. Ben is extremely skilled and has a really high IQ as well.”

Landyn Nelson posted 13 points and 12 rebounds, and Luke Dehnicke finished with nine points and nine rebounds.

Section 5AAA

St. Francis came out on top 59-58 in an overtime thriller over Princeton in the Section 5AAA championship game held in Monticello March 16.

“We’re playing our best basketball at the most important time,” St. Francis head coach Kyle Waterworth said. “We’ve won nine of our last 11 and we are currently on a five-game win streak. Our two losses during that stretch were to Hermantown and Princeton — both are top 10 teams in AAA. We were able to avenge the Princeton loss in our section championship game.”

St. Francis started strong, building a 26-21 lead at the half, then weathered a late Princeton charge to take the game into overtime. In the extra period, St. Francis outscored the Tigers 7-6, securing a trip to state.

Matthew Bothun was the top scorer for the Saints with 22 points, with Derek Stone scoring 12 and Wes Johnson adding eight.

“It went well,” Waterworth said. “We were the underdog, so I felt our guys were loose, but ready. Princeton is a top-notch program and had won three of the last four section championships. Getting off to a fast start and having a lead most of the game was huge for our confidence. We knew Princeton was going to make a run at us, they’re too good not to, and they did! We were able to hit some big shots at the end of regulation and in overtime that propelled us to a win.

“We approached the game knowing it was going to be an electric atmosphere versus a very good team. We told our guys to enjoy the opportunity of playing in a section final. From an ‘X’ and ‘O’ standpoint, we knew we had to slow down their high-powered offense. We talked a lot about winning the possession and not getting ahead of ourselves. They average 84 points per game, which leads the state, so we knew we had to be locked in on defense; our guys responded to the challenge. Our defense was the difference. We were the only team to hold them below 60 points all season and we picked a great night to do it. It was a great feeling to finally beat a team that has had our number for so many years! We were picked to finish in the bottom half of our section, so for us to progress like we have, and win the section is something we are really proud of!”

Section 4AAA

Totino-Grace raced to a 25-point halftime lead on its way to a 77-46 win over Mahtomedi in the Section 4AAA finals March 16.

The Eagles had four scorers in double figures, including Patrick Bath (15), Tyler Wagner (15), Tommy Humphries (14) and Zy’Ierre Stewart (11).

Section 4A

Legacy Christian Academy finished as the Section 4A runner-up after New Life Academy won the championship game 71-52 March 17. Dominic Zoa scored 15 points, Aiden Johnson scored 12 and Benjamin Tschida scored 10. The Lions closed with a record of 23-6.

State tournament

State tournament action began March 21.

In the Class AAA quarterfinals at Williams Arena in Minneapolis, top-seeded Totino-Grace opened its quest for a repeat title with an 86-36 win over St. Francis. The Eagles had 14 different players score, led by Bath with 23 points and Taison Chatman with 16. Bothun led St. Francis with 16.

In the Class AAAA quarterfinals at Target Center in Minneapolis, top-seeded Park Center defeated Andover 92-72. Kopetzki scored 22, Musungu scored 17 and Chase Pemberton scored 11 to lead the Huskies.

Totino-Grace was scheduled to face fifth-seeded Alexandria Area in the semifinals March 23, for a spot in the March 25 championship game against the winner between No. 2 Orono and No. 3 DeLaSalle.

St. Francis was scheduled to return to action in the consolation semifinals versus Mankato East March 22. The consolation championship game was scheduled for March 23.

Andover was scheduled to return to action in the consolation semifinals versus Minnetonka March 22. The consolation championship game was scheduled for March 23.

SOURCE: Hometown Source