Day 1 at State offered stories and standouts

It didn't take us long to get into the mood for a great opening day at the State Tournament on Wednesday. The good folks who came to support Minneapolis Roosevelt – hundreds of them in full voice – set the tone in the day's first game. The Teddy faithful filled one whole side of the Maturi Pavilion on the campus of the University of Minnesota, and the collective enthusiasm was palpable. Their energy and excitement for their school prompted the question: When was the last time a team from Minneapolis was in the State Tournament?   Back in the late 2000s, teams from Minneapolis and St. Paul were staples at the big dance. The powerhouse St. Paul Central squads come to mind along with talented outfits from Minneapolis South and Minneapolis North. But that was 15 years ago. North and South last appeared in the State Tournament in 2009, and it has been 10 years since Chase Coley, who went on to a nice college career at the University Iowa, led Minneapolis Washburn to State. The other Minneapolis schools – Southwest, Edison and Patrick Henry – have never accomplished what Roosevelt did this season.   You can't help but be happy for the core group of seniors who came to Roosevelt and stayed, who worked their tails off year round and built the Teddies into a team to be reckoned with. They did the same in the spring and summer on the Prep Girls Hoops Circuit with [program_tooltip program_id='713420' first='Minnesota' last='Diamond Elite']. Players like [player_tooltip player_id='339197' first='Olivia' last='Wren'], Jayla Bennett, [player_tooltip player_id='520264' first='Cady' last='Davis'], [player_tooltip player_id='461348' first='Jaida' last='Walker'] and Tamara Behl formed the backbone of a great unit for coach Tyesha Wright, who deserves a ton of credit for bringing all the pieces together into a collective whole.   On Wednesday, Roosevelt fell behind 10-2 to mighty Benilde-St. Margaret's but they rallied to put together a terrific first half and only trailed by 5 points at the break. In the second period, however, reality hit as BSM went to a punishing zone defense that stymied what Roosevelt was running, enabling the Red Knights to generate a monster 25-0 run to secure a 75-40 victory.   What was most impressive, however, was how the Teddies (pictured above celebrating Davis' 1,000-point milestone earlier this season) carried themselves despite the challenges presented. They worked hard, stayed composed, never wavered in their commitment to the goal, and made their throng of supporters proud. For fans of Minneapolis basketball – indeed for fans of Minnesota basketball – it was an admirable effort. Congrats to everyone in the Teddies family for a great season.   DELASALLE DELIVERS ON DAY ONE   The Islanders are no strangers to the big stage at the State Tournament. Located on Nicollet Island in downtown Minneapolis, DeLaSalle has won numerous state championships and challenged for several more. They looked like potential champs on Wednesday, too, in an 81-49 Class 3A win over Totino-Grace, a game in which DLS featured a balanced attack from the likes of [player_tooltip player_id='296527' first='Aneisha' last='Scott'] (14 points), [player_tooltip player_id='478363' first='Maddy' last='Blaylark'] (14),  [player_tooltip player_id='667778' first='Laila' last='Moses'] (13) and [player_tooltip player_id='595567' first='Jordyn' last='Johnson'] (11). That's a far cry from how things were when Islanders coach James Fassett took Anoka to the State Tournament in one of the most remarkable appearances of all time.   The Tornadoes were struggling back in 2011 and completed their regular season with a less-than-stellar record of 2-24. As we know, most sections in Minnesota let everyone participate in the postseason and it's possible to get hot at just the right time. That's exactly what Anoka did, ending a 12-game losing streak in the opening round at Duluth Central for their first playoff victory in a decade. Then Anoka beat Duluth East and before knocking off two more rivals. That's right, after winning just two games all year, the Tornadoes qualified for the State Tournament where they could have been a Cinderella story for the ages.   Alas, the glass slipper didn't fit quite right as Anoka fell 64-40 to mighty Lakeville North. The Panthers were led on that night by a 27-point performance by none other than WNBA and University of Minnesota star Rachel Banham. With a record of 26-3, and riding a 15-game winning streak, Coach Fassett's Islanders hope to take a much more conventional route to some postseason hardware.   BREAKOUT PERFORMERS   Every year at the State Tournament we see the emergence of players who use the opportunity presented by the biggest showcase of girls basketball in Minnesota to deliver a breakthrough performance. Right on cue, we saw some good ones on Wednesday. Here are four to remember.   Sarah Poepard – 2028 guard, White Bear Lake   One of our first games of the day was a matchup between #1 seed Hopkins and unseeded White Bear Lake. While the contest was not particularly close, we did get to witness our first breakout performer of the day. 2028 guard Sarah Poepard showed off some of her ample skills against the Royals. From the moment she came off the bench, Poepard demonstrated her aggressiveness on the offensive end, attacking the driving lanes and knocking down open three-point shots. We were impressed by the 8th grader's unshaken confidence, even when facing off against a championship-caliber team like Hopkins. Sarah finished the game with a team-high 11 points, including three made triples.   [player_tooltip player_id='337633' first='Bella' last='Hanna'] – 2025 forward, Maple Grove   Junior [player_tooltip player_id='337633' first='Bella' last='Hanna'] of Maple Grove drew a tough defensive assignment in Wednesday's game against Lakeville North. The 5'10 forward spent the majority of the contest battling in the paint with 6-foot-4ish Vanderbilt commit, [player_tooltip player_id='335641' first='Trinity' last='Wilson']. And while Bella didn't exactly hold Wilson scoreless, she did a tremendous job holding her own down low, despite giving up half a foot in height to her opponent. Hanna made some shots on the other end as well, joining [player_tooltip player_id='215944' first='Ava' last='Cossette'] and [player_tooltip player_id='205298' first='Jordan' last='Ode'] as the only Crimson players in double figures. Guts, determination, and perseverance go a long way on the basketball court, and Bella has plenty. The Crimson needed every ounce they could get yesterday as they squeaked by to the semifinals.   [player_tooltip player_id='344333' first='Cail' last='Jahnke'] – 2026 guard, St. Michael-Albertville   With the graduation of Ms. Basketball winner and South Carolina freshman Tessa Johnson, the Knights of St. Michael-Albertville have needed several players to step up and try to fill those shoes. Sophomore guard [player_tooltip player_id='344333' first='Cail' last='Jahnke'] showed on Wednesday that she has the capabilities to play a big role for her team on the biggest stage of all. In Wednesday's matchup against Rosemount, Cail showed off what she can do on the offensive end of the floor. With Jahnke standing at about 6-foot-2, there was nothing the Irish could do to match her combination of length and athleticism. The top 5 prospect took advantage, elevating over defenders for rebounds and jump shots, and running the length of the floor in far fewer strides than her opponents. Cail led all scorers with 22 points plus 7 rebounds in the 68-57 win over the Irish.   [player_tooltip player_id='918767' first='Anna' last='Westby'] – 2025 forward, Rock Ridge   Anna cuts an imposing figure when she steps onto the basketball court. She has a big frame and a strong build with the kind of presence that causes the other team to look over during warmups and ask, ‘Who is that girl?' On Wednesday afternoon, in her team's first appearance at the Class 3A State Tournament, Westby answered that question and more. The 5'11 forward delivered a strong performance, demonstrated her ability to power to the hoop, defend at a high level, shoot the ball from distance with a smooth stroke, and make big plays on behalf of the Wolverines. Westby went 8-for-18 from the field for 20 points and pulled down 15 rebounds. Against a strong Alexandria squad that is difficult for opponents to manage, it was impressive. The thing is, 20 and 15 is Anna's average season on behalf of the newly amalgamated programs of Eveleth and Virginia. Despite falling 67-50 to the Cardinals, Rock Ridge was pretty good Wednesday in their biggest moment and Westby's breakthrough performance was a major reason why.   PGH scout Ally McGinnis contributed to these evaluations.

It didn't take us long to get into the mood for a great opening day at the State Tournament on Wednesday. The good folks who came to support Minneapolis Roosevelt – hundreds of them in full voice – set the tone in the day's first game. The Teddy faithful filled one whole side of the Maturi Pavilion on the campus of the University of Minnesota, and the collective enthusiasm was palpable. Their energy and excitement for their school prompted the question: When was the last time a team from Minneapolis was in the State Tournament?