The Week That Was #3: Settling in for the long haul

It was a whirlwind first two weeks of the season with the Thankgiving tournaments and the Breakdown Tip Off Classic overwhelming the senses. We had some great basketball and tons of players to evaluate from more than 40 hours of live viewing over two weekends. Thanks to Ally McGinnis, Brady Peterson and Tony Ragulen for all of their work in that department as we cranked out 10 evaluation articles. Week #3 was a chance to catch our breath and settle in to the routine of the regular season.   Here's what I watched last week:   <ul> <li>Monday – Stewartville at Byron, Farmington at Chanhassen</li>   <li>Tuesday – St. James vs Jackson County Central, Sleepy Eye-St. Mary's vs New Ulm Cathedral, Stillwater at Cretin-Derham Hall</li>   <li>Friday –  Robbinsdale Cooper at Jordan, Chaska vs Minnetonka, Benilde-St. Margaret's vs Eden Prairie</li> </ul>   Friday's games were by far the most entertaining as Tori Schagel scored 36 points in a foul-filled contest to lead EP to the win over BSM. At Jordan, both [player_tooltip player_id='502602' first='Morgan' last='Staloch'] and [player_tooltip player_id='330744' first='Savannah' last='Borowicz'] recorded double-doubles for the Jags in their victory over Cooper.   On the college front, we saw two games live beginning on Wednesday with Central College of Pella, Iowa at North Central University in Minneapolis in a D3 contest and then the Minnesota Gophers epic win in their Big 10 opener Sunday at the Barn against Purdue. Online we watched St. Thomas record road wins against UW-Milwaukee and Purdue-Fort Wayne. We also saw Southwest Minnesota State's upset of Minnesota-Duluth on Saturday.   NOTABLE INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCES   Who doesn't like a good stat line? Well here's a stat line to like courtesy of the twins from Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart in their win over Cedar Mountain. [player_tooltip player_id='304915' first='Rachel' last='Kottke'] went 12-for-20 from the field and 6-for-10 from three-point range for 32 points. She also had 6 rebounds, 5 assists and 5 steals. Meanwhile sister [player_tooltip player_id='304916' first='Kristi' last='Kottke'] scored 22 points on 8-for-12 shooting (6-of-8 from three) along with 13 rebounds, 11 assists and 5 steals. Both sisters are Top 50 prospects headed for St. Cloud State next season.   Mankato West already had a formidable lineup led by Top 10 sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='280354' first='Tucker' last='Downs'], who is one of Minnesota's most exciting young prospects. Big [player_tooltip player_id='412736' first='Romo' last='Smith'] plays a key role up front. But it is the addition of [player_tooltip player_id='422673' first='Ella' last='Mullenbach'] that offers the Scarlets a new dimension. Last week Ella set a school record with 8 triples in a single game. This week she scored 30 points in a win over Albert Lea in which she went 11-of-18 from the field and 7-for-10 from beyond the arc. With teams now having to pay more attention to Mullenbach, Downs becomes more of a threat.   When Minneapolis North and St. Paul Como Park meet up for some hoops there's normally some great end-to-end transition basketball and plenty of points put on the board. Tuesday's encounter in St. Paul was no exception as the Cougars' [player_tooltip player_id='921685' first='Makyia' last='Kenney'] scored 37 points in a 75-66 victory. [player_tooltip player_id='595584' first='Brooklyn' last='Pettis'] countered with 31 of her own for the Polars. Como Park is 5-1 so far this season. North is 4-1.   University of Minnesota coach Dawn Plitzuweit made the trek to see prospect [player_tooltip player_id='205310' first='Tori' last='Oehrlein'] this week and it was well worth the drive as Tori's torrid pace continued. This week Oehrlein scored 34 against Esko and 39 versus Edina, as part of a triple-double that included 16 rebounds and 10 steals. More importantly, Crosby-Ironton is undefeated at 4-0.   [player_tooltip player_id='304938' first='Alexis' last='Rose'] is on the comeback trail. The senior guard from Becker missed a year with a torn ACL. She returned to the lineup at the Breakdown Tip Off Classic and her second outing would lead one to believe that the University of Sioux Falls commit is quickly rounding into form. This week Rose put up 29 points, 14 rebounds and a remarkable 10 steals in a 51-50 win over Annandale. He also hit the go-ahead three-pointer in the comeback win. Lexi is ranked #30 in the Class of 2024.   It has been a slow start to the season for St. Croix Lutheran as the Crusaders have battled a flurry of injuries. That has left St. Thomas commit [player_tooltip player_id='178263' first='Laura' last='Hauge'] and 2026 Top 15 prospect [player_tooltip player_id='362575' first='Callie' last='Oakland'] to carry more than their share of a heavy load. The two were rewarded for their efforts this week in a 74-59 win over St. Paul Como Park. Hauge scored 29 points, 10 assists and 3 steals in the contest while Oakland put up 30 points, grabbed 20 rebounds and had 3 blocks. Rumor has it that Hauge is on the verge of setting a new state standard for the most career three-point baskets. We'll recap that when it happens   Other top individual point producers this week included:   [player_tooltip player_id='302307' first='Elisabeth' last='Gadient'] – The Goodhue senior (MSU-Mankato) scored 34 with 6 threes in a win over Kasson-Mantorville.   [player_tooltip player_id='322999' first='Jocelyn' last='Land'] – The senior forward from Holy Family had 32 points in a 66-59 win over St. Cloud Cathedral. She is committed to D1 Butler University.   [player_tooltip player_id='630244' first='Jazmin' last='Daing'] – The lanky 9th grader has led Rochester John Marshall to its best start in recent memory. The Rockets never seem to post box scores, which won't help Daing's college recruiting, but we do know she scored 33 points with 8 triples against Austin. The 6'1 athlete is a Top 10 prospect.   [player_tooltip player_id='764185' first='Candice' last='Ndomb'] – The Duluth East freshman is making an impact in her first year of competition in Minnesota after moving here from Michigan. Ndomb scored 30 points Friday in the Greyhounds' win over Zimmerman. As we saw at the Prep Girls Hoops Freshman Showcase, Ndomb is an athlete with a world of potential.   [player_tooltip player_id='178271' first='Willow' last='Thiel'] – The Perham senior led the 4-1 Yellowjackets to wins this week over Underwood and Park Rapids. In the two games, the Minnesota-Crookston commit had a pair of double-doubles for a combined 67 points and 26 rebounds.   [player_tooltip player_id='764222' first='Olivia' last='Bungum'] – The freshman guard from United South Central is already making a name for herself. This week against Bethlehem Academy, Olivia recorded a double-double with 30 points and 14 rebounds. She also plays tennis and softball for the school, which is located about a half hour north west of Albert Lea in Wells.   [player_tooltip player_id='344357' first='Evie' last='Schmitz'] – Our final mention of the week goes to the St. Louis Park senior point guard, who is one of the craftiest floor tacticians in the state. Against Robbinsdale Armstrong, Schmitz also showed offer her scoring touch with a 32-point performance. Evie has committed to Grand View University in Des Moines.   PLAYERS TO WATCH FOR   Dan Froelich has done an excellent job building a youth basketball pipeline to Minneapolis Southwest High School over the past decade, and we've seen a steady stream of talent wear the Lakers uniform in recent years. This year's team is led by seniors [player_tooltip player_id='418240' first='Rebekah' last='Gendler'] and [player_tooltip player_id='304931' first='Mya' last='Green'], as well as junior [player_tooltip player_id='778893' first='Alice' last='Ewert']. Froelich is really excited by four freshmen in the Lakers varsity rotation.   <ul> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='764196' first='Greta' last='Eaves'] – The 5'6 guard, makes good decisions with the ball and has the ability to score at multi-levels.</li>   <li>Joszette Andresent – The 5'4 guard is quick with very good handles. She is a gym rat who can shoot it. Andresent was a top track athlete as an 8th grader, too. She can also defend.</li>   <li>[player_tooltip player_id='1255487' first='Elise' last='McMillen'] – The 5'10 guard has quality handles and shoots well. She is a long, athletic defender who is drawing some tough defensive assignments.</li>   <li>Juliet Leistikow – The 5'11 post thrives on banging in the paint and has solid footwork for a 9th grader. Has found herself in the starting lineup a couple of times already.</li> </ul>   One other Southwest prospect of note is junior [player_tooltip player_id='937518' first='Lehla' last='Gaulden'], a 5'11 post who had a combined 33 points and 26 rebounds in a pair of wins over Bloomington Jefferson and Burnsville. She has worked her way up from B squad to varsity in a year.   MILESTONES   [player_tooltip player_id='178273' first='Taylor' last='Tool'] – The quiet senior forward from Delano, who usually lets her big game do the talking, reached the 1,000-point standard on Friday night against Orono. A 6'1 post, Taylor is a Top 40 prospect in the Prep Girls Hoops Class of 2024. Pictured in the banner above, Tool has signed with D2 Northern State in Aberdeen, South Dakota.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-medium"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/12/Hinze-1000.jpg?w=240" alt="" class="wp-image-820370" /></figure>   [player_tooltip player_id='502551' first='Brooklin' last='Hinze'] – The talented 2026 guard from St. Clair and the [program_tooltip program_id='712699' first='Minnesota' last='Rise'] had 26 points in a win over Cleveland this week to top 1,000 career points. That's a ton of points for a player in the first month of her 10th grade year.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-medium"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/12/Gerads_Sand_1000.jpg?w=227" alt="" class="wp-image-820372" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: <a href="https://x.com/GirlsHuskies" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Twitter</a></figcaption></figure>   [player_tooltip player_id='302297' first='Alyssa' last='Sand'] & Kylen Gerads – The do-it-all seniors from Albany both reached the 1,000-point milestone in the same half of the same game last week on the road in Holdingford. The 6'3 Sand is committed to the University of St. Thomas. The 5'11 Gerads has signed with St. Cloud State.   [player_tooltip player_id='478362' first='Morgan' last='Korf'] – The sophomore point guard from Pelican Rapids is a Top 15 prospect already receiving Division 1 offers. Morgan reached 1,000 points herself this week. She'll play at the highest level of AAU next summer with [program_tooltip program_id='712722' first='North' last='Tartan'].   [player_tooltip player_id='392477' first='Brooke' last='Hohenecker'] – The senior guard from Providence Academy is often overshadowed by the many stars in the Lions lineup but her contributions have been crucial to the program's success. Brooke is an elite three-point bomber who has now reached 1,000 points. She'll run D1 track at St. Thomas.   [player_tooltip player_id='1005200' first='Lauryn' last='Ankeny'] – The 2026 guard from Minnewaska led the Lakers in steals last season as a freshman. Last week she set a school record with 12 steals in a single game against BOLD while also scoring in double figures. Ankeny plays AAU basketball for [program_tooltip program_id='713021' first='West' last='Central United'].   [player_tooltip player_id='178265' first='Kadence' last='Hesse'] – The Southwest Minnesota State commit from Sleepy Eye has assaulted the Indians' record book throughout her storied career. This week Kadence did it again by becoming the program's all time steals leader at 401 and counting.   COMING UP   There are a number of nice games on the docket this week. You might want to check these out:   <ul> <li>Monday – it's the Sleepy Eye civil war as Hesse and the Indians of Sleepy Eye HS take on the Knights of Sleepy Eye St. Mary's led by the freshman Mathiowetz.</li>   <li>Tuesday – We'll be at Lakeville North to watch the Panthers take on the Eagan Wildcats. Also on Tuesday it's Wayzata at Chaska and Eden Prairie at Maple Grove.</li>   <li>Wednesday – It's a college doubleheader day as Minnesota hosts Grambling State at 11 a.m. followed by a 7 p.m. game in St. Paul between St. Thomas and Wisconsin, who are led by Como Park product Ronnie Porter.</li>   <li>Thursday – Goodhue at Stewartville should be a good, star-studded matchup as will Jordan at Watertown-Mayer. </li>   <li>Friday – Three games on the schedule that jumped out at us are Alexandria at Benilde-St. Margaret's, Providence Academy at Lakeville North, and DeLaSalle at Robbinsdale Cooper.</li>   <li>Saturday – If you're feeling really adventurous on the weekend you might want to hit the road down I-35 for Johnston, Iowa just outside of Des Moines where the Hopkins Royals will be waving the flag for Minnesota girls basketball at the Johnston Winter Tip-Off.</li> </ul>   Since we can't be everywhere all at once, we welcome contributions for our weekly recap. If you hear of a record set or milestone achieved, or if you are aware on a strong individual performance, please let us know. You can email me at gmachoops@gmail.com or DM me via Twitter (@GMachoops). We'll check it out and include it in the wrap-up space permitting.

It was a whirlwind first two weeks of the season with the Thankgiving tournaments and the Breakdown Tip Off Classic overwhelming the senses. We had some great basketball and tons of players to evaluate from more than 40 hours of live viewing over two weekends. Thanks to Ally McGinnis, Brady Peterson and Tony Ragulen for all of their work in that department as we cranked out 10 evaluation articles. Week #3 was a chance to catch our breath and settle in to the routine of the regular season.