State Tourney preview: The best quarterfinal games to see

After plenty of uncertainty, and a whole lot of bumps in the road, the 2021 Minnesota girls basketball high school state tournament opens play on Tuesday, a month later than usual and 54 weeks after the 2020 tourney was abandoned. The format has changed, and the atmosphere will most definitely not be the same for the teams involved, but the competition promises to be a solid as ever. Play opens Tuesday at 4 p.m. with 14 games on the docket at eight locations around the state. Two more games in the quarterfinal round will be contested on Wednesday. These are the best quarterfinal games to watch in each of the four classes. CLASS AAAA Chaska vs Stillwater, 4 p.m. Tuesday at Osseo The North-South region format has created some interesting first-round match-ups, to say the least, none more interesting than this one. Chaska is 15-0. Stillwater is 21-0. The Hawks played a little bit weaker schedule, which is why the QRF rates Chaska at #6 while Stillwater is #3. These are two powerful teams loaded with high-end talent and the contest is, in every sense of the term, a coin flip. Chaska is led by junior forward [player_tooltip player_id="12714" first="Mallory" last="Heyer"], the #4-ranked prospect in the Prep Girls Hoops class of 2022. Averaging 22 points per game, Heyer is a University of Minnesota commit who has a long track record of coming up big for her team whenever the moment requires. The Hawks offense is quarterbacked by sophomore guard [player_tooltip player_id="108301" first="Kennedy" last="Sanders"], a top-5 prospect in the class of 2023. She averages 15 ppg and offers an enviable combination of skill, savvy and mental toughness. Senior [player_tooltip player_id="57077" first="Kaylee" last="Van Eps"] (Lehigh), ranked 7th in the 2021 class, is the glue that holds this team together. Add defensive stalwart [player_tooltip player_id="57170" first="Kelsey" last="Willems"], sophomores [player_tooltip player_id="108310" first="Ashley" last="Schuelke"] and [player_tooltip player_id="108341" first="Anna" last="Lenzen"], and unheralded impact contributors [player_tooltip player_id="147447" first="Kendall" last="Karmann"] and Kayla Hendrickson and you have a formidable package. Stillwater brings similar talent to the table plus plenty of state tournament experience in recent times. The Ponies are led by senior guard [player_tooltip player_id="109738" first="Alexis" last="Pratt"], a top-20 prospect who has committed to Division 1 Nebraska-Omaha. She averages 20 points, 3.6 assists and 4 steals per game and is a lightning-quick handful for opponents at both ends of the floor. Pratt is joined in the backcourt by top-40 junior [player_tooltip player_id="57928" first="Amber" last="Scalia"], who has made 52 three-pointers this season and averages 16 ppg. Junior forward [player_tooltip player_id="147443" first="Lizzie" last="Holder"], ranked #16 in the class of 2022, averages 10 and 6. Senior [player_tooltip player_id="109766" first="Gionna" last="Carr"] (Tennessee State) is defensive stalwart and a veteran presence. The emergence of sophomore [player_tooltip player_id="148318" first="Lexi" last="Karlen"] has been huge for Stillwater, as are the contributions of freshman [player_tooltip player_id="178274" first="Amy" last="Thompson"], who has been shooting at 70% from three-point range in her last few games. CLASS AAA Becker vs Alexandria, 8 p.m. Wednesday at Perham The Bulldogs and Cardinals meet Wednesday in one of the state’s premier venues – The Hive in Perham – and the action of the court promises to live up to the lofty standards of this unique venue. If you like team basketball, this AAA match-up is for you. Becker’s exploits have been well-chronicled here over the past couple of seasons. The Bulldogs have a record of 16-3, with losses to three outstanding programs in Hopkins, Minnetonka and Holy Angels. The Bulldogs feature a rotation that runs eight players deep led by senior point guard [player_tooltip player_id="2122" first="Julia" last="Bengtson"], an Eastern Illinois commit who is the consummate leader in every sense of the word. The Miss Basketball candidate averages 15 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals per game. As she goes, so go the Dogs. She’s joined in the backcourt by junior [player_tooltip player_id="30163" first="Adeline" last="Kent"] (Tampa), a top-35 prospect with speed, skill and boundless energy. Then there’s shooting guard [player_tooltip player_id="108304" first="Maren" last="Westin"], a top-5 sophomore who connects at nearly 50% from beyond the arc, and utility guard [player_tooltip player_id="109797" first="Alayna" last="Lindquist"] (Northwestern St. Paul), who is a steadying influence. Up front Becker is led by senior forwards [player_tooltip player_id="29532" first="Megan" last="Gamble"] (Concordia-St. Paul) and [player_tooltip player_id="109774" first="Courtney" last="Nuest"] (Bethel). Off the bench sophomores [player_tooltip player_id="108338" first="Dani" last="Nuest"] and [player_tooltip player_id="186119" first="Ayla" last="Brown"] log big minutes. The Bulldogs have made it to the championship game the past two seasons. Alexandria may not boast as many marquee names as Becker but their history of success and togetherness on the court make the Cardinals a formidable foe. Alex is 17-4 with a QRF rating of #9. Their success starts on the sideline. Coach Wendy Kohler has 641 career wins, more than any other female coach in state history. The Cardinals have won the state championship twice, and this will be their 11th appearance overall including 2017, 2018 and 2020. They know what the big show is all about and they aren’t about to get stage fright. Alex has six seniors led by point guard [player_tooltip player_id="109808" first="Mataya" last="Hoelscher"] (Concordia-Moorhead), an all-state selection who has been a summer teammate of Bengtson, Gamble, Nuest and Lindquist for years with the Minnesota Comets. She moves the ball, averages perhaps a dozen points per game, and is the steady hand the steers the ship. She’s joined in the back court by skilled guard Jaya Hattlestad (UW-River Falls) and the very versatile [player_tooltip player_id="109790" first="Lilly" last="Horn"]. Guards Cate Bloom and Myah Kremer round out the senior contingent, along with big forward Alayna Strand (Jamestown). Alex is all about the fundamentals and they do them very, very well. CLASS AA Providence Academy vs Duluth Marshall, 5 p.m. Tuesday at St. Cloud Tech This one offers us a unique opportunity to see two truly elite talents go head to head for the first time. What makes it especially interesting is the fact that one is a senior – the offensive machine that is [player_tooltip player_id="2126" first="Gianna" last="Kneepkens"] of Marshall – and one is only a 7th grader, but as a good a 7th grader as you will ever see. That would be Providence point guard [player_tooltip player_id="252381" first="Maddyn" last="Greenway"], who has proven all season that she belongs in varsity basketball. The seeding in the North Region of class AA is truly baffling (can you spell p-o-l-i-t-i-c-s?) but it has created a terrific first-round contest between 20-1 Providence and 18-2 Duluth Marshall. What Kneepkens has accomplished this season for the Hilltoppers is truly remarkable. The University of Utah commit, who has to be considered the favorite to win Miss Basketball, is averaging 42 points, 13 rebounds and 6 assists per game while shooting 56% from the field. She broke the state record for most 50-point games in a career and has been thoroughly dominant from start to finish. Gianna has made 90 three-pointers and has 114 steals and 26 blocks. Perhaps more importantly for Marshall’s chances, her supporting cast has outperformed all expectations. 7th grader Ava Meierotto and senior Merlea Mrozik (UW-River Falls) are averaging 10 points per game. Freshman Ada Skafte has become a reliable contributor at both ends of the floor. And veteran [player_tooltip player_id="109188" first="Dasia" last="Starks"], who missed most of the season, has averaged 8 and 6 since returning. Junior Laila Monroe contributes 6 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists per game. What Greenway has done in her first season of varsity basketball has been stellar. Maddyn is averaging 21 points, 5 assists and 3 steals per game. In the section final against a hot Southwest Christian team, she put up a career-high 34. She is athletic, super quick, and physically strong. Greenway has a high basketball IQ, is mentally tough and hasn’t been the least big rattled by her older opponents. Up front the Lions boast a significant size advantage over Marshall thanks to sisters [player_tooltip player_id="57963" first="Maria" last="Counts"] and [player_tooltip player_id="148338" first="Grace" last="Counts"], two solid next-level prospects whose games have blossomed playing with Greenway. Maria, a top-75 junior, averages 11 and 10 while Grace, a top-40 sophomore, puts up 13 and 11. Both have recorded 38 blocked shots. Perhaps the most pleasant surprise this season for Providence coach Connor Goetz has been the play of freshman guard Brooke Hohenecker, who is a fixture in the starting lineup and averages 12 points per game. CLASS A Mountain Iron-Buhl vs Cass Lake-Bena, 4:30 p.m. Tuesday at Pequot Lakes It may be a bit of a cliche but it’s not easy to beat a team three times in three meetings during a single season. I watched both of the encounters between Jeff Buffetta’s Mountain Iron-Buhl Rangers and Martin Wind’s Cass Lake-Bena Panthers. Each finished with a score of 74-64 in favor of MIB. Both were thoroughly entertaining contests between two well-coached teams. While the Rangers will have a slight edge in the eyes of most observers, CLB isn’t a team you can easily dismiss. Mountain Iron-Buhl boasts a record of 18-4 and a QRF rating of #4 in class A. The Rangers have won 10 of their last 11 games, with their only blemish being a loss to Mayer Lutheran, who also made the state tournament. MIB certainly knows what the big event is all about. After making the field nine years in a row, the Rangers missed out last season. Now they are back with a firm focus on winning state for the first time. The Rangers are led by one of the emerging stars of Minnesota basketball, 33rd-rated freshman [player_tooltip player_id="178277" first="Jordan" last="Zubich"]. She’s averaging nearly 18 points per game on 68% shooting. She handles the ball, has plenty of range, and is definitely a scholarship-level prospect. Sophomore Sage Ganyo has similar numbers (17.5 ppg, 66% from the field). Also in the backcourt is freshman Hali Savela (9.4 ppg). Up front the Rangers have juniors Ava Butler, [player_tooltip player_id="109152" first="Lauren" last="Maki"] and Jaci Kvas. It’s a formidable group. Cass Lake-Bena has a record of 17-5 with a QRF ranking of #10. The Panthers are led by all-state point guard [player_tooltip player_id="223913" first="Taryn" last="Frazer"], a small but highly-skilled floor general we have seen have a ton of success in AAU ball with the Minnesota Stars. The junior can shoot it with the best of them, and has the ‘it factor’ that all great point guards have. The key to stopping the Panthers is stopping Frazer, which many teams have tried without success. CLB’s lineup includes talented junior guard Krisalyn Seelye, junior forward Amira Laduke along with senior guard Kailee Fineday and 8th grade guard Gabby Fineday. This is the Panthers first trip to state since 2005 when Coach Wind’s father led the program. The Panthers play hard and together, defend with passion and force a ton of turnovers. They also have tremendous support from their community as they proudly represent the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe at the state tournament for the fourth time. <a href="https://www.mshsl.org/2021-state-girls-basketball-brackets">Click here</a> to see the brackets by class on the MSHSL website.