An old rivalry rekindled at Hamline's historic Hutton Arena

It was a step back in time Saturday afternoon, not just because the annual Pat Patterson Thanksgiving Tournament is played in the historic Hutton Arena on the campus of Hamline University, a gym that oozes nostalgia every day of the week. It is, after all, the birthplace of intercollegiate basketball and a great place to watch a game. No, on this day it was all about the age-old rivalry between Minneapolis North and St. Paul Central. Although the glory days of Faith Patterson at Minneapolis North and Willie Taylor at St. Paul Central did not really overlap, the rivalry has always mattered. Any time there is a sports encounter between North and Central it almost always draws a crowd and brings emotions to a boil. Saturday's game wasn't a masterpiece by any means – in fact it was really a hodgepodge of missed opportunities and ill-timed errors – but it was certainly good fun and the partisans on each side most definitely got their money's worth. North began the game on a tear, building a 16-2 lead before the Minutemen had had rolled out of bed. The Polar vortex was in full force as North came at Central like nasty storm from the west. SPC didn't score its first field goal until six minutes in when point guard Arlandus Montgomery nailed one from downtown to announce St Paul's arrival. The Minutemen gradually chipped a little ice off the windshield, whittling away at the lead possession by possession. By the time the clock ticked down to four minutes left in the half, Central had taken the lead for the first time at 25-24 on a pair of Liza Karlen free throws. The teams traded baskets to the half, at which point North held a 35-32 lead. In the second half, North got off to a quick start, stretching the margin to nine in the first four minutes. Every time Central made a push, North had an answer thanks largely to the athleticism and grit of senior forward Monique Wooten, sophomore wing Alani Pettis, and senior point guard Serena Ballard. Wooten and Pettis were relentless on the boards. In one sequence, Monique missed twice from a traffic jam in the paint and had another shot blocked. She recovered the ball all three times, finally scoring on a put-back. The entire display lasted only seconds but it offered a pretty complete picture of Wooten's athleticism and tenacity. Pettis is a gifted scorer, a power forward in a guard's body, who usually rebounds hard and knows how to finish at the rim. She can go off for 20 or 25 points on a moment's notice. Central whittled the lead down to five in the final minute but, as was the case most of the game, could not pull off the right play at the right time. Forward Teri Sutton hit a desperation three in the waning seconds but it was too little, too late as the Polars returned to Minneapolis with a 63-61 victory. Pettis, Wooten and Ballard combined for 47 points. I have to say that it's frustrating watching Karlen play high school ball. There's no doubt she is a force to be reckoned with, but her most desirable skills are not fully realized with Central as they are when she plays summer ball with the high-octane North Tartan 2019 EYBL squad. At Tartan, the 6'2" sophomore can maximize her size, power and touch because she has a cast of highly-skilled, D1-bound characters to work with. At Central, there is a decided lack of flow, and the Minutemen's ability to execute effectively is inconsistent at best. I'm pretty sure the Big Ten coach who was watching Karlen on Friday afternoon didn't come to see her play point guard, but that's where the #2 player in Minnesota's sophomore class was at times because Central had just seven healthy players available. North was in a similar situation with just eight, having seen the departure of a couple of key pieces along with injuries and the absence for the holiday weekend of the McNeil sisters. Karlen finished the game with 16 points while Montgomery had 17. Senior forward Ellie Gubbrud had 13. City Slickers II: Como Park slips past Moundsview As St. Paul Como Park strolled into the gym Saturday wearing their spiffy new uniforms, coach Alexis Gray-Lawson was seen carrying a diaper bag, not for her young son but for the newest members of her team. OK, that's a literary exaggeration, but only a little. What's true is that Como Park may now be the youngest competitive team in the state (Hopkins might argue that claim) and 8th graders Ronnie Porter, KK Asberry and Jada James stole the show at Hamline in a 63-60 Cougars' win over Moundsview. It's not unusual at city schools to see precocious junior high kids make an impact, but Saturday's performance went above and beyond the norm. Porter must have logged 30 minutes for the Cougars, during which she excelled at both ends of the floor. At 5'3" and wiry, Porter isn't going to run over anyone but her ball-handling skills are outstanding, she has really quick feet, and Porter makes sound decisions on a regular basis. Ronnie also has some serious hops, and grabbed a few rebounds Saturday that nobody that small has any business getting. Her mom is an accomplished coach in St. Paul so Porter's skills have been highly developed since she could walk. Asberry, who starred at Highland Park as a 7th grader and will surely be ranked among the state's best in the class of 2022, is an assertive point guard who knows how to run the show with poise and maturity. Although she is sometimes reluctant to shoot from distance, she did that on Saturday and a whole lot more. James is a 5'10" inch power forward who is not quite as polished as the other two, but she has a frame and temperament that offer tremendous potential. Even 7th grader Shania Van Nett saw playing time in the first half and fit in fine. The 8th graders gave the Mustangs fits with their superior speed and athleticism. Although Moundsview is much improved, and delivered an impressive 70-47 victory over Minneapolis North on Friday, Como's relentless attack was a lot to deal with. The pressure caused Moundsview to travel more often than a salesman with a well-worn suitcase. In the end, however, it came down to two factors: Como's ability to kill clock and make free throws in the final two minutes. Porter, Asberry, and seniors Raiyne Adams and Autumn Tucker displayed some serious handles at the former, while the Cougars made 8 of 10 at the line in the latter. Adams was Como's leading scorer with 18, senior Makayla Van Nett had 12, while Porter, Asberry and James combined for 24. The departure of elite power forward Elaina Jones may not impact Como Park quite as much as we thought.