23 teams still boast a perfect record at the midway point

Reaching the halfway point of the basketball season with a perfect record is a nice accomplishment, even in a pandemic-abbreviated 18-game campaign. Entering Wednesday night’s slate of games there were still 24 teams chasing perfection. Now there are 23 as previously undefeated Maple Grove fell to still unbeaten Elk River. That leaves Elk River, Farmington, Hopkins, Chaska, Rochester Mayo, Centennial and Stillwater as the 4A squads with perfect records entering the second half of the schedule. Maple Grove and Elk River were locked in a back-and-forth battle for much of the game with the Elks holding a two-point lead at halftime, and the contest was still in limbo midway through the second period. Then Elk River went on 9-0 run that blew things wide open and gave the home team a 45-35 margin. By the time the teams reached the 5-minute mark, Elk River had turned 9-0 into 17-1 and they were headed for home. Maple Grove could not mount a charge giving the Elks a 61-44 victory. As she often does, senior forward [player_tooltip player_id="109751" first="Johanna" last="Langbehn"] paced Elk River with the St. Thomas commit scoring 19 points while senior [player_tooltip player_id="109794" first="Elly" last="Bahr"] (UW-River Falls) was knocking down shots from everywhere to compile 17. Maple Grove was paced by senior point guard [player_tooltip player_id="109815" first="Kylie" last="Baranick"] (Gustavus) with 19 while junior [player_tooltip player_id="147458" first="Kyla" last="Overskei"] had 11. With senior [player_tooltip player_id="57081" first="Jordyn" last="Lamker"]’s high school career now over – the St. Thomas commit suffered a season-ending kneecap injury two weeks ago – much of the scoring burden has fallen on the shoulders of top-10 sophomore [player_tooltip player_id="108306" first="Kennedy" last="Klick"]. She has been averaging 16 points per game since Lamker went down, but on Wednesday was held to just 4. Elsewhere on Wednesday another of the unbeatens nearly fell off its lofty perch as Centennial struggled to put away a pesky Rogers team. The Cougars led by 8 at the half before the 1-8 Royals demonstrated what we thought they were capable of prior to the season given the amount of talent on their roster. About six minutes into the second half Rogers senior Alex Fuller scored three huge baskets – an and-1 that brought the Royals to within a point, a transition bucket to give her team the lead and a big 3-pointer at the 8:28 mark. That put Rogers ahead 47-43. Fuller continued her second-half heroics a couple of minutes later, following up on her own miss to finish at the rim and keep the margin at four. After Centennial put on a charge to retake the lead, another Fuller triple at the 25-second mark tied the game at 59-59. Centennial had time to execute one last play and they did so to perfection as senior [player_tooltip player_id="6396" first="Jodi" last="Anderson"] (North Dakota) patiently waited for an opening before slicing to the basket through a phalanx of defenders and then elevating for a soft little lay-in with just 3.5 seconds on the clock. Rogers’ long-bomb inbounds pass was intercepted by Cougars senior [player_tooltip player_id="29521" first="Jenna" last="Guyer"] (Green Bay) and Centennial had escaped with a 61-59 win, its perfect record extended to 10-0. Guyer finished the game with 12 points, Anderson had 11 and the Cougars were once again paced by junior [player_tooltip player_id="109182" first="Camille" last="Cummings"] who continued her breakout season with 19. Fuller ended up with 21 for the Royals while top-10 junior [player_tooltip player_id="12718" first="Ellie" last="Buzzelle"] (Grand Canyon) had 15. Who are the unbeatens? Stillwater remained undefeated Wednesday, as well, with a 90-26 win over Irondale to move to 10-0. The Becker Bulldogs have a perfect record in Class AAA as do Marshall, Waconia and St. Paul Como Park. In Class AA Albany, New London-Spicer, Sauk Centre, Stewartville, Esko and Providence Academy are unblemished. There are still six undefeated teams in Class A: Sleepy Eye-St. Mary’s, Fosston, Hancock, Belgrade-Bruton-Elrosa, Pine River-Backus and MInneota. Here’s a rundown on the undefeated teams, including their leaders who are currently ranked in the Prep Girls Hoops Top 150, along with other key personnel. Class AAAA Centennial 10-0

SRs – #20 [player_tooltip player_id="6396" first="Jodi" last="Anderson"] (North Dakota), #22 [player_tooltip player_id="29521" first="Jenna" last="Guyer"] (Green Bay); JRs – #93 [player_tooltip player_id="109182" first="Camille" last="Cummings"]; SOs #86 [player_tooltip player_id="148337" first="Megan" last="Stacy"]; FR #10 [player_tooltip player_id="215953" first="Marisa" last="Frost"]

Elk River 10-0

SRs – #30 [player_tooltip player_id="109751" first="Johanna" last="Langbehn"] (St. Thomas), #126 [player_tooltip player_id="109794" first="Elly" last="Bahr"] (UW-River Falls); JR – #68 [player_tooltip player_id="30168" first="Ava" last="Berg"], #88 [player_tooltip player_id="57942" first="Hope" last="Kanenwisher"]; SOs – #15 [player_tooltip player_id="108309" first="Ella" last="Johnson"], #81 [player_tooltip player_id="186115" first="Jordan" last="Langbehn"], #66 [player_tooltip player_id="108343" first="Natalie" last="Murphy"]; FR #41 [player_tooltip player_id="215982" first="Kayla" last="Christy"]

Farmington 10-0

SRs – #2 [player_tooltip player_id="13045" first="Sophie" last="Hart"] (North Carolina State), #11 [player_tooltip player_id="2109" first="Paige" last="Kindseth"] (Presbyterian), #44 [player_tooltip player_id="109756" first="Peyton" last="Blandin"] (SW Minnesota State), #133 [player_tooltip player_id="231696" first="Maleah" last="Scott"]; JRs – #67 [player_tooltip player_id="147445" first="Rose" last="Wille"]; SOs #96 [player_tooltip player_id="186136" first="Ellie" last="Mogensen"]

Rochester Mayo 10-0

SRs – #16 [player_tooltip player_id="6431" first="Anna" last="Miller"] (Drake), #63 [player_tooltip player_id="146170" first="Lynnsey" last="Hady"] (ND Science), #115 [player_tooltip player_id="178415" first="Elli" last="Collins"], Mullk Hammaldelniel; SOs – #39 [player_tooltip player_id="148328" first="Hannah" last="Hanson"], #110 [player_tooltip player_id="220835" first="Taylor" last="Hill"]

Stillwater 10-0

SRs – #18 [player_tooltip player_id="109738" first="Alexis" last="Pratt"] (Omaha), #52 [player_tooltip player_id="109766" first="Gionna" last="Carr"] (Tennessee State); JRs – #16 [player_tooltip player_id="147443" first="Lizzie" last="Holder"], #37 [player_tooltip player_id="57928" first="Amber" last="Scalia"]; SOs – #68 [player_tooltip player_id="148318" first="Lexi" last="Karlen"]; FR #11 [player_tooltip player_id="178274" first="Amy" last="Thompson"]

Chaska 9-0

SRs – #7 [player_tooltip player_id="57077" first="Kaylee" last="Van Eps"] (Lehigh), #69 [player_tooltip player_id="57170" first="Kelsey" last="Willems"] (Augustana), Kayla Hendrickson; JRs – #4 [player_tooltip player_id="12714" first="Mallory" last="Heyer"] (Minnesota), #96 [player_tooltip player_id="109166" first="Jessica" last="Heir"], #117 [player_tooltip player_id="147447" first="Kendall" last="Karmann"], #121 [player_tooltip player_id="109186" first="Zoe" last="Cutler"]; SOs –#4 [player_tooltip player_id="108301" first="Kennedy" last="Sanders"], #18 [player_tooltip player_id="108310" first="Ashley" last="Schuelke"], #41 [player_tooltip player_id="108341" first="Anna" last="Lenzen"]

Hopkins 9-0

SRs #120 [player_tooltip player_id="57136" first="Audry" last="Ensminger"]; JRs – #1 [player_tooltip player_id="12712" first="Maya" last="Nnaji"], #3 [player_tooltip player_id="12713" first="Amaya" last="Battle"], #24 [player_tooltip player_id="57915" first="Alayna" last="Contreras"], #47 [player_tooltip player_id="109130" first="Selam" last="Maher"], #100 [player_tooltip player_id="109167" first="London" last="Salberg-Thornton"]; SOs – #2 [player_tooltip player_id="108298" first="Taylor" last="Woodson"], #3 [player_tooltip player_id="108348" first="Nunu" last="Agara"], #24 [player_tooltip player_id="108320" first="Kelly" last="Boyle"]; FR – #2 [player_tooltip player_id="178269" first="Liv" last="McGill"]

Class AAA Becker 9-0

SRs – #21 [player_tooltip player_id="2122" first="Julia" last="Bengtson"] (Eastern Illinois), #51 [player_tooltip player_id="29532" first="Megan" last="Gamble"] (Concordia-St. Paul), [player_tooltip player_id="109774" first="Courtney" last="Nuest"] (Bethel), #111 [player_tooltip player_id="109797" first="Alayna" last="Lindquist"] (Northwestern St. Paul); JRs – #35 [player_tooltip player_id="30163" first="Adeline" last="Kent"] (Tampa); SOs – #5 [player_tooltip player_id="108304" first="Maren" last="Westin"], #35 [player_tooltip player_id="108338" first="Dani" last="Nuest"], #70 [player_tooltip player_id="186119" first="Ayla" last="Brown"]

Marshall 9-0

SRs – #39 [player_tooltip player_id="109746" first="Jordyn" last="Hilgemann"] (Northern State), Emily Meier; JRs [player_tooltip player_id="147459" first="Megan" last="Wegner"]

Waconia 9-0

SRs – #26 [player_tooltip player_id="109750" first="Addy" last="Salzer"] (Iona),#100 [player_tooltip player_id="109762" first="Sydni" last="Olson"], Dani Dykstra, Melissa Honnold, Allie Zimmer; JRs – #38 [player_tooltip player_id="109148" first="Audrey" last="Swanson"], #43 [player_tooltip player_id="109135" first="Ava" last="Stier"]

Como Park 6-0

JRs – #20 [player_tooltip player_id="57914" first="Ronnie" last="Porter"], #19 [player_tooltip player_id="57908" first="Kaylynn" last="Asberry"], #59 [player_tooltip player_id="109133" first="Jada" last="James"], #63 [player_tooltip player_id="30186" first="Cloey" last="Dmytruk"], #119 [player_tooltip player_id="109181" first="Shakyla" last="Walker"]; SOs – #13 [player_tooltip player_id="108303" first="Shania" last="Van Nett"] (injured)

Class AA Albany 10-0

SRs – #12 [player_tooltip player_id="109739" first="Paige" last="Meyer"] (South Dakota State), Abbie Christen; JRs – #106 [player_tooltip player_id="109193" first="Maddie" last="Herkenhoff"]

New London-Spicer 10-0

SRs – #148 [player_tooltip player_id="178416" first="Erin" last="Knisley"], [player_tooltip player_id="109820" first="Ava" last="Kraemer"], Grace Deschepper, Emma Hanson, Mackenzie Rich

Sauk Centre 10-0

SRs – #76 [player_tooltip player_id="109770" first="Michaela" last="Dammann"] (Jamestown), Haley Middendorf, Jackie Middendorf, Audrey Zenzen, Claire Neubert; JRs Maddie Nelson, Emma Kittelson; SOs #95 [player_tooltip player_id="186128" first="Jenna" last="Gapinski-Vogt"]

Providence Academy 9-0

SRs – Olivia Klammer; JRs – #70 [player_tooltip player_id="57963" first="Maria" last="Counts"]; SOs – #40 [player_tooltip player_id="148338" first="Grace" last="Counts"], #62 [player_tooltip player_id="148331" first="Kyra" last="Miller"] (injured); FR – Brooke Hohenecker; 7th – [player_tooltip player_id="252381" first="Maddyn" last="Greenway"]

Stewartville 9-0

SRs – #122 [player_tooltip player_id="57138" first="Maia" last="Peterson"], Jolie Stecher, Raina Stecher; SOs – #73 [player_tooltip player_id="148327" first="Haylie" last="Strum"], #85 [player_tooltip player_id="186114" first="Keeley" last="Steele"]

Esko 7-0

SRs – Brenna Stark; JRs – Sarah Wagemaker, Aila Gabel, Jayden Karppinen

Class A Fosston 10-0

SRs – Taylor Kroening, Jaime Carlin, Jenna Manecke, Kora Norland; SOs – Katelyn Vesledahl

Hancock 10-0

SRs – Alexis Staples; JRs – Carlee Hanson, Rylee Hanson, Tori Pahl

Sleepy Eye-St. Mary’s 10-0

SRs – Sophie Porter; Sydney Windschitl; JRs – #15 [player_tooltip player_id="109131" first="Madison" last="Mathiowetz"], Reagan Severson; SOs – Liz Schwint

Belgrade-Bruton-Elrosa 9-0

SRs – #110 [player_tooltip player_id="231694" first="Allisa" last="Knight"] (MSU-Moorhead), Karissa Jones

Pine River-Backus 9-0

SRs – Olivia Adkins, Riley Hirschey; SOs – Ramsey Tulenchik

Minneota 8-0

SRs – #72 [player_tooltip player_id="109764" first="Abby" last="Hennen"], Abby Rost,; JRs – #74 [player_tooltip player_id="109147" first="Natalie" last="Rolbiecki"]