Ally’s top performers on day 2 at the State Tournament
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When we think about State Tournaments in the past, it is the nail-biter battles and fights to the finish that we remember. The Albany vs Providence Academy struggles of the past couple of years, for example, or the classic Eastview…
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Continue ReadingWhen we think about State Tournaments in the past, it is the nail-biter battles and fights to the finish that we remember. The Albany vs Providence Academy struggles of the past couple of years, for example, or the classic Eastview vs Hopkins final of a few years ago. Those games are what the big dance at Williams Arena is all about. On day 2 of the 2024 State Tournament in Minneapolis, however, there were not a lot of close ones with the Class A games being won by an average of 27 points and two of the big-school contests being rather one-sided.
Fortunately, the Hopkins vs Maple Grove thriller in the evening session saved the day and produced some memorable individual performances. With Stewartville and Alexandria both departing in Class 3A, and St. Michael-Albertville and Maple Grove being eliminated in 4A, there were plenty of top performers who exited the proceedings on Thursday and went out with a bang. PGH scout Ally McGinnis watched all of the games in Class 3A and 4A at Williams Arena and these are her top performers, beginning with players who were knocked out of the tournament.
Audrey Shindelar Audrey Shindelar 6'0" | CG Stewartville | 2026 State MN – 2026 guard , Stewartville
After beating St. Peter in the quarterfinals by a margin of just one point, Stewartville went on to face defending Class 3A champion Benilde-St. Margaret’s on Thursday. While the Tigers struggled to get into their offensive rhythm thanks to BSM’s defensive efforts, top 10 sophomore Audrey Shindelar Audrey Shindelar 6'0" | CG Stewartville | 2026 State MN was able to churn out a very nice performance. The 6-foot guard scored a team-high 16 points on 6-of-11 shooting. In addition to the points, Audrey tallied 4 assists and 7 rebounds in the 73-42 loss to the Red Knights. Audrey’s younger sister Danika Shindelar also appeared in the contest for Stewartville. The 8th grader hit a pretty reverse layup in the contest and looks to be a key piece for next season.
Hadley Thul Hadley Thul 6'2" | SG Alexandria | 2025 State MN – 2025 guard/wing, Alexandria
Alexandria star Hadley Thul Hadley Thul 6'2" | SG Alexandria | 2025 State MN had an outstanding performance on Thursday afternoon against DeLaSalle in the Class AAA semifinals. A top 10 prospect in Minnesota’s junior class, Hadley scored 29 points on 9-of-11 shooting, as well as 9-for-12 from the free throw line. Hadley also racked up 5 assists and 5 rebounds. The contest was much closer than the 13-point margin might lead you to believe as the Cardinals fought all game long to stick with DeLaSalle. In the end, the Islanders were able to outlast Alex and come away with the 82-69 win. Several other Cardinals scored in double figures, including Lauren Beyer Lauren Beyer 5'7" | SG Alexandria Area | 2026 State MN (10), Chloe Scholl Chloe Scholl 5'9" | CG Alexandria | 2025 State MN (12), and Allie Haabala Allie Haabala 5'7" | PG Alexandria | 2025 State MN (10).
Ava Cossette Ava Cossette 5'10" | CG Maple Grove | 2024 State MN , Claire Stern Claire Stern 6'0" | SF Maple Grove | 2024 State MN & Jordan Ode Jordan Ode 5'11" | CG Maple Grove | 2025 State MN – Maple Grove
The Maple Grove Crimson put up an incredibly hard fought battle on Thursday night in their semifinal loss to the Hopkins Royals, and it was most definitely the highlight game of the day. After tying things up with a buzzer-beater 3 at halftime, the Crimson fell to a 10-point deficit early in the second half, and spent the rest of the contest trying to claw their way out of the hole. Several players left it all out on the floor, delivering gutsy performances in the biggest moment of their careers to date. Senior Ava Cossette Ava Cossette 5'10" | CG Maple Grove | 2024 State MN (South Dakota) finished with 17 points on 7-of-10 shooting and was a defensive dynamo. North Dakota State senior commit Claire Stern Claire Stern 6'0" | SF Maple Grove | 2024 State MN was in a zone for the second day in a row, making plays and finishing near the basket. Stern had 19 points (7-of-8 field goal attempts) and 8 assists. Junior Jordan Ode Jordan Ode 5'11" | CG Maple Grove | 2025 State MN (Michigan State), the 2nd-rated prospect in the Class of 2025, had 21 points and 7 rebounds, also coming away with a nasty gash on her chin. Despite their best efforts, Maple Grove was unable to close the gap and fell 84-78 to the Royals.
DAY 2 BREAKOUTS
Erma Walker Erma Walker 6'0" | PF Hopkins | 2027 State MN – 2027 forward, Hopkins
Of all of the outstanding players we watched on Thursday, the most impressive performance we witnessed was delivered by one of the youngest players on the floor. Hopkins freshman Erma Walker Erma Walker 6'0" | PF Hopkins | 2027 State MN put on a clinic in the paint Thursday night in the semifinal matchup against Maple Grove. From the tip, Erma was on her offensive A game, burying players in the lane to score from the 3-to-5 foot range. The 6-foot forward was incredibly efficient, making 14 of her 16 shots. She finished with a season-high 30 points, as well as 9 rebounds, although it felt more like 19. Walker will be a key piece for the Royals on Saturday when they face off against Minnetonka in the Class 4A championship game. After a breakout performance on Thursday, one of the top prospects in the Class of 2027 made it obvious she is up to the task.
OTHER TOP PERFORMERS
Hopkins has advanced to the State Championship game by putting together two dozen team-first performances in what has been a most impressive three-month run to the final. Their win over Maple Grove was no exception. In addition to Walker’s excellence, the Royals had strong performances from Tatum Woodson Tatum Woodson 5'9" | CG Hopkins | 2025 State MN (14), Lauren Hillesheim Lauren Hillesheim 5'10" | SG Hopkins | 2025 State MN (11), and Florida commit Liv McGill Liv McGill 5'7" | CG Hopkins | 2024 State MN (20).
Benilde-St. Margaret’s leader Olivia Olson Olivia Olson 6'1" | CG Benilde-SM | 2024 State MN (Michigan) finished with 32 points and 7 rebounds on 12-of-23 shooting in the semifinal win over Stewartville. Junior Zahara Bishop Zahara Bishop 5'10" | CG Benilde-St. Margaret's | 2025 State MN had a second strong game in a row at State, tallying 18 points. Benilde will face off against DeLaSalle in Saturday’s championship game.
The Islanders moved on to the finals after a 82-69 win over Alexandria. As has been the case all season, it was junior guard Aneisha Scott Aneisha Scott 5'6" | PG DeLaSalle | 2025 State MN who set the pace for DLS. The flashy floor general finished the contest with 29 points, 5 rebounds, 4 steals, and 11 assists. That’s what you call a stat line! Junior forward Jordyn Johnson Jordyn Johnson 6'1" | PF DeLaSalle | 2025 State MN had 20 points, and sophomore guard Maddy Blaylark Maddy Blaylark 5'7" | CG DeLaSalle | 2026 State MN finished with 12 points and 5 rebounds on 6-of-8 shooting.
Minnetonka put together a clinical dismantling of St. Michael-Albertville in the final contest of day 2 in Minneapolis. Tonka junior Aaliyah Crump Aaliyah Crump 6'1" | SF Minnetonka | 2025 State MN was unbelievably good from the opening tip as she sparked the Skippers to a fast start. In the end the score was 67-49 but it wasn’t really that close as Brian Cosgriff’s team put together a textbook performance. Crump, the top prospect in Minnesota’s Class of 2025, finished with 29 points and 9 rebounds. Sophomore Lanelle Wright Lanelle Wright 5'8" | PG Minnetonka | 2026 State MN had 15 points and 7 assists while senior Tori McKinney Tori McKinney 6'1" | CG Minnetonka | 2024 State MN (Minnesota) scored 13 points and grabbed 11 rebounds.
PGH scout Ally McGinnis did the player evaluations for Class 4A and 3A on Thursday