The Week that Was #4: Tori Nelson and Madi Schirmer top 2,000 while Minnetonka and Stillwater surprise us

Week #4 of the high school basketball season did not get off to a good start on Monday night when Minneapolis South faced Robbinsdale Armstrong. It was a turnover festival of epic proportions, and neither team looked like they wanted to be there. “This is unwatchable!” my friend texted from across the gym, and he was right. Armstrong won the game 52-34, but that hardly mattered. It was an ugly game from start to finish and is best forgotten. The good news is South redeemed itself two nights later with a one-point win at St. Francis. Sophomore guard Jade Hill, the #3 player in the class of 2021, had 19 points in that one while her fellow sophomore Camryn Benjamin scored 18 off the bench. Things got better as the week went along. Here are some highlights from the games I saw, with a few other tidbits from elsewhere also in the mix. Game of the Week Big Lake at Rogers – The Hornets came from 15 down midway through the second half to squeak past Rogers 68-66 on their home floor. It was the proverbial team effort with special recognition reserved for sophomores Caela Tighe and Mia Huberty. Read my <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/2018/12/big-lakes-big-guns-overcame-a-15-point-deficit-as-mia-huberty-and-caela-tighe-reminded-us-why-they-are-prime-time-players/">game recap</a> if you want all the details. Big Lake followed up with a win over Orono on Friday and the Hornets are now 4-2 under first-year coach Scott Antl. Sounds like Eastview’s 56-48 win at St. Michael-Albertville was a great one, too. The Lightning continue to impress, with senior Lauren Glas and junior Brynn Schwanz combining for 30 points in this one. Despite a 20-point performance by McKenzie Kramer, and 13 from 8th grader Tessa Johnson, STMA fell for the first time. Eastview’s only loss is to Hopkins. It was North that prevailed over South in the Lakeville catfight. The Panthers scored a 56-55 win over the Cougars, led by 2020 #2 Lauren Jensen with 22 points. Senior Annie Tschida (UM-Duluth) had 19, while Anna Harvey (Lehigh) scored 24 for South. [caption id="attachment_21070" align="alignnone" width="300"] Sophomore Alexis Pratt of Stillwater was on fire Friday as the Ponies ran away from the Raiders in Roseville. (Photo courtesy Hometown Source)[/caption] Player of the Week Alexis Pratt, sophomore guard, Stillwater – Pratt may be the quickest player in Minnesota. Some nights her diminutive stature is a problem, and she is forced to let fly from the perimeter. Not at Roseville on Friday. Pratt had her way with the normally stellar Raiders’ defense. She was dominant in transition, employing her speed and ball-handling prowess to get to the hoop with great frequency. Pratt finished with 24 points. Other top performances this week included: <ul> <li>Minneapolis Edison senior post Sierra Morrow (NIACC) had 43 points in a win over St. Paul Academy. The 6’2 Morrow was 18 of 36 from the field, and 6 of 8 from the free throw line. She also had 25 rebounds, 4 blocks and 3 steals.</li> <li>Katie Tornstrom of Caledonia had 31 points in the first half and 41 overall against Rushford-Peterson. With the game well in hand, Tornstrom played only a few minutes in the second half or she would surely have topped the 50-point mark. Senior Jordan Zrust of Buffalo, who is committed to Mayville State, also had a 41-point game against Brainerd.</li> <li>Kahlen Jester is what you call a late bloomer, who is finally starting to fulfill her potential. The 6’0 Irondale senior had a career high 28 points for the Knights in win over Coon Rapids. Jester is a multi-dimensional talent who is weighing college opportunities here and on the West Coast.</li> <li>A pair of top sophomores continued to rack up the points as #19 Maggie Czinano scored 30 for Watertown-Mayer Thursday in win over Maple Lake and #20 Jordyn Hilgemann of Marshall had 35 in a win over Worthington.</li> <li>Tori Nelson (South Dakota State) of Henry Sibley passed the 2,000-point mark for her career as did Madi Schirmer of Maple River. We have lost track of all the 1,000-point honorees.</li> </ul> Surprise of the Week Stillwater 78 Roseville 60 – It’s not a surprise that Stillwater won. It was how the Ponies won that raised a few eyebrows. Stillwater had a nice little spurt just before halftime to create some separation. In the second half it never seemed like Roseville was a threat. The rematch on Jan. 29 should be a good one. Overachievers of the Week Minnetonka Skippers – Expectations were low in Minnetonka heading into the season. It’s a rebuilding year, and relying on a freshman point guard who is new to the position isn’t a recipe for success. Things came together nicely this week for the Skippers and Desiree Ware, who scored a big win over Waconia Thursday. Minnetonka has had quality contributions from sophomores Sophie Haydon, Katie Leisen and Piper Terry, as well. Now 5-2, Minnetonka faces Lakeville North on Monday. [caption id="attachment_21069" align="alignleft" width="263"] Reagan Sternquist (left) is having an outstanding basketball season for Big Lake even though it's not her primary sport. (Photo courtesy Hutchinson Leader)[/caption] Multi-sport Athlete of the Week Reagan Sternquist, Big Lake – Reagan has been a revelation this year. The three-sport athlete played a major role in Big Lake’s come-from-behind win at Rogers. The 5’11 soccer star also leads the team in scoring (16) and rebounds (10) and had parlayed her length and athleticism into three consecutive double doubles entering Tuesday’s contest. Honorable mention to senior Erin Shoemaker of Minnetonka, whose 8 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist and 3 steals were crucial in the win over Waconia. Defensive Performances of the Week Jayda Johnston, junior forward, Roseville – With three D1 coaches on hand to watch her work, the #10 player in the class of 2020 held 6’2 post Liza Karlen of Stillwater (#6 in 2020) to just 4 points on Friday night while scoring 18. Meanwhile, Hastings junior forward Mallory Brake had 20 rebounds Friday night to pass the 1,000-rebound mark for her career. Brake, who has been a varsity standout since 7th grade, is averaging 22 points and 12 rebounds per game, with 8 of those boards being of the defensive variety. Freshman of the Week Desiree Ware, guard, Minnetonka – This is Ware’s third season of varsity basketball, having played the past two years at 2A Maranatha Christian Academy. Stepping up to 4A ball at Minnetonka is a major leap in level of difficulty but Ware is starting to figure it out. It was her second-half performance that sparked the Skippers to victory. She had 14 points, including 4 of 5 from three. Honorable mentions to Adeline Kent of Becker and Mya Williams of DeLaSalle. Kent had 38 points for Becker in a win over St. Cloud Apollo. The DTA Academy guard is averaging nearly 20 ppg. Williams made her first start of the season for DeLaSalle and showed she belonged with 17 points and 12 rebounds. The Week Ahead The focus this week is on some of the top 4A match-ups leading into the Christmas tournament season. Here's my viewing plan for the week, subject to change of course: <ul> <li>Monday – Wayzata at Stillwater</li> <li>Tuesday – Edina at Hill-Murray</li> <li>Wednesday – Eastview at Lakeville North</li> <li>Thursday – Moorhead at Maple Grove</li> <li>Friday – Hopkins vs STMA or Roseville vs Wayzata</li> <li>Saturday – U of Minnesota vs Rhode Island</li> </ul> If you know of a player who did something special last week and deserves a shout-out, please send me a message via Twitter (@gmachoops) or email (<a href="mailto:gmachoops@gmail.com">gmachoops@gmail.com</a>) and we’ll do our best to mention it. Top photo: Tori Nelson of Henry Sibley passed the 2,000 mark for career points this week. The senior forward is committed to South Dakota State.