Game of the Week #8 Preview: Red Wing at Northfield

<p>Some of the very first high school basketball games in Minnesota were played in Red Wing and Northfield a century ago. Observers of the sport back then could scarcely imagine the skill, athleticism and competitive fire with which the girl&#39;s game is played today. They most certainly would not have envisioned the kind of intense rivalry encounter that will take place Thursday in the home of cows, colleges and contentment when Red Wing, the 7th-ranked team in class 3A, meets #4 Northfield. This is the Northstar Girls Hoops Game of the Week #8.</p> <p>At 10-0 in conference play, 11-2 overall, Northfield sits atop the Big 9, Southern Minnesota&#39;s large-school conference. At 8-1 and 11-1 overall, Red Wing is in second place, just ahead of Owatonna. The traditional bigs from Rochester, which dominated the conference in multiple sports before Red Wing and Northfield evened joined the league, are nowhere to be found. That lone conference loss for the Wingers was a tough one, a 46-45 defeat at home to… you guessed it… Northfield. Last year, the two teams split a pair of two-possession games. Two years ago, each team won a nail-biter. Three years ago… well you get the picture.</p> <p>The Raiders are an outstanding basketball team, whose two losses came at their hometown St. Olaf holiday tournament. Northfield was beaten by 4A power Eastview, the still-undefeated #1 team in the state. The other loss was to Wisconsin powerhouse Beaver Dam, which came within a furry pelt of beating Hopkins 24 hours later. Northfield has a pair of close wins over Faribault and Mankato West while Red Wing has largely been unchallenged, winning by an average of 20-plus points. These are some players to watch:</p> <p><strong>Red Wing Wingers</strong></p> <p>Senior <strong>Tayzha Buck</strong> is a big guard who is ranked #43 in the class of 2018. She is part of a highly-accomplished basketball family from the nearby Prairie Island Indian Community that includes sister Tesha, a college senior who has scored more than 1,000 points at the Division 1 level for the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay and the University of New Mexico. Tayzha is very athletic, has nice length and a high basketball IQ. She can shoot it from anywhere, and is Red Wing&#39;s leading scorer at 17 ppg.</p> <p>Junior <strong>Lindsay Reps</strong> is ranked #47 in the Class of 2019. The 5&#39;6" combo guard is a consistent scorer at 14 ppg and knows how to dish the ball to the right player at the right time. She can shoot the three and gets to the free-throw line on a regular basis where she converts at about 80 percent. Northfield&#39;s supporting cast includes sophomores <strong>Kyli Nelson</strong> (10.5 ppg) and <strong>Elle Thorson</strong> (6 ppg), along with <strong>Abi and Dani Deming</strong> and junior <strong>Hanna Rodgers</strong>.</p> <p><strong>Northfield Raiders</strong></p> <p>It is point guard <strong>Grace Touchette</strong> who directs Northfield&#39;s orchestra, and she a highly-skilled conductor who has helped the Raiders make beautiful music for several seasons. The 5&#39;7" senior, ranked #36 in the class of 2018, is a classic 1 who runs the offense with poise and efficiency. You would be hard-pressed to find a more intelligent floor leader than Touchette, a great three-point shooter who is also Northfield&#39;s leading scorer at 12 ppg.</p> <p>Northfield has plenty of size up front, and one of Touchette&#39;s preferred targets is the biggest player of all – 6&#39;4" senior <strong>Annika Hoff</strong>. Committed to Division 1 Cornell, Hoff has tremendous length and is a prodigious shot blocker. The #38 player in the senior class is pretty mobile for her size and is a streaky scorer. <strong>Rachel Kelly</strong> is a 6&#39;2" junior power forward, another nice Touchette target who is averaging nearly 11 points per game. The Raiders receive significant contributions from 6&#39;2" senior post <strong>Annalee Olson-Sola</strong> (6 ppg), along with senior <strong>Clara Noack</strong> (6.2), junior <strong>Emma Carlson</strong> (5.7) and freshman <strong>Annika Richardson</strong> (5.2).</p> <p>Join us in Northfield for a great basketball game. We might even spring for a post-game pint at the Contented Cow.</p> <p><strong>Other games to watch this week</strong></p> <p><strong>Thursday</strong></p> <ul> <li>Waconia at Hutchinson</li> <li>Grand Rapids at Hibbing</li> <li>Wayzata at Park Center</li> </ul> <p><strong>Friday</strong></p> <ul> <li>Lakeville North at Lakeville South</li> <li>Holy Angels at DeLaSalle</li> <li>White Bear Lake at Park Cottage Grove</li> </ul> <p><strong>Saturday</strong></p> <ul> <li>Waseca at Marshall</li> <li>Eden Valley-Watkins at Watertown-Mayer</li> <li>Hopkins at Minneapolis North</li> </ul>