Player of the Week now enters the post-season phase

<p><strong>Sommer Blakemore, 5-8, senior, point guard, and Adalia McKenzie, 5-10, freshman, forward</strong></p> <p>Blakemore was one of just a few veteran influences for the 19-9 Pirates this year as new faces from coach Barb Metcalf to freshman forwards T’Naye Griffin and Adalia Mackenzie became familiar with one another. Everything jelled this week in section wins over Mounds View and then #1-seed Centennial 81-75 in OT. Blakemore scored 27 and 19 in the 2 wins. Meanwhile, McKenzie matured rapidly and scored 19 and 25 in the section wins. The Pirates now face Roseville in next Thursday’s section final.</p> <p><strong>Krystal Carlson, Hastings, 5-11, senior, forward</strong></p> <p>Add Carlson to the list of great players whose careers came to an end last week. She finished up by scoring 20 points each in a 54-50 win over Rosemount and a 61-39 to the state’s #1AAAA team, undefeated Eastview.</p> <p><strong>Sam Haiby, Moorhead, 5-10, senior, combo guard</strong></p> <p>Haiby scored Moorhead’s 1st 12 points and finished with 40 as the Spuds defeated Rogers 78-65 to open Section 8AAAA play last Tuesday 78-65. Maple Grove then defeated Moorhead on Saturday 60-42 at Alexandria. Sam Haiby’s brilliant high school career is over, but there remains the little matter of Ms. Basketball, for which she remains the favorite.</p> <p><strong>Morgan Hill, Mpls. South, 5-11, senior, shooting guard</strong></p> <p>Hill scored 30 points as South opened Section 6AAAA play with a 65-49 win over Robbinsdale Armstrong. She then scored 27 more as the Tigers pulled off the biggest upset of the post-season so far, beating Wayzata 52-47 Saturday at Mpls. Roosevelt. As a result, South gets a shot at Hopkins in the Section 6AAAA final at Roosevelt next Thursday.</p> <p><strong>McKenna Hofschild, Prior Lake, 5-3, junior, point guard</strong></p> <p>The diminutive junior guard poured in 41 points as the Lakers defeated Chaska 78-62 in the 1st round of Section 2AAAA play last Wednesday. She followed that with 32 more against favored Eden Prairie, leading her team to a 64-49 win and a shot at Minnetonka in next Friday’s finals.</p> <p><strong>Frannie Hottinger, Cretin-Derham Hall, 5-11, junior, forward</strong></p> <p>After losing its last 2 regular season games, the Raiders got their mojo back in Section 4AAAA play. Cretin defeated North St. Paul 93-33 and Tartan 63-53, in large part because of Hottinger’s 51 points and solid all-around play. They now face Woodbury in next Thursday’s section final.</p> <p><strong>McKenna Monahan, Glencoe-Silver Lake, 5-8, senior, combo guard</strong></p> <p>The senior guard scored 23 points in each of 2 Section 2AA games, leading her team past Belle Plaine 77-51 and Gibbon-Fairfax-Winthrop 63-48. Her final basket of the week, a 3-pointer, put her across the 3,000 point threshold for her great career.</p> <p><strong>Kya Phillips, Cristo Rey Jesuit, junior, guard</strong></p> <p>Cristo Rey split a pair of Section 4A games, beating Hope Academy 72-35, then losing to #1 seed Mayer Lutheran 81-34. Phillips scored 36 in the 1st game, and 22 more in the 2nd. Cristo Rey won 9 games this season while losing 16 as Phillips averaged 20 ppg and 14 rebounds.</p> <p><strong>Syd Schultz, Owatonna, 5-11, senior, forward</strong></p> <p>Schultz closed out her high school career by scoring 31 points as Owatonna defeated Rochester John Marshall 64-56, and then scored 27 more as the Huskies lost to Lakeville North 73-55.</p>