Some dynamite duos you’ll want to see at State

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Everyone is excited to see the big stars the Minnesota high school State Tournament – the [player_tooltip player_id='205310' first='Tori' last='Oehrlein'], [player_tooltip player_id='252381' first='Maddyn' last='Greenway'], [player_tooltip player_id='178269' first='Liv' last='McGill'], [player_tooltip player_id='177728' first='Olivia' last='Olson'], [player_tooltip player_id='252387' first='Aaliyah' last='Crump'] variety – but it's twice as much fun when teams have a one-two punch leading the way. Here are a few of the dynamite duos who stood out in section play, talented twosomes you'll definitely want to see beginning Wednesday in Minneapolis.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='215957' first='Gabby' last='Betton'] <strong>&amp;</strong> [player_tooltip player_id='335641' first='Trinity' last='Wilson'] <strong>– Lakeville North</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Gabby and Trinity both had excellent performances on Friday night in their section final against Lakeville South. Wilson, a top 5 prospect and Vanderbilt commit, had one of her&nbsp;top scoring games of the season, putting up 23 points and gathering a plethora of rebounds. Standing about 6'4, Trinity is a major threat in the paint on both ends of the floor, especially against smaller teams. The Panthers will take on Maple Grove in the first round and exploiting the size advantage in the post could be a major key to success for North.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Betton, a Division 1 commit to Loyola Maryland, has been a staple for the Panthers all season. She is the team's leading scorer, averaging nearly 15 points a game. On Friday, she put up 13 and 3 assists, and was consistently finding ways to keep attacking the basket and affecting the game, even when the shots were not falling. The top 15 prospect is a defensive force in the backcourt, too. She&nbsp;has quick feet and hands, and guards the ball with a high level of intensity. Both Betton and junior guard [player_tooltip player_id='346182' first='Elayna' last='Boe'] will need to bring their defensive A game if they wish to stop [player_tooltip player_id='205298' first='Jordan' last='Ode'] and the Crimson on Wednesday.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='565312' first='Ari' last='Peterson'] <strong>&amp;</strong> [player_tooltip player_id='296515' first='Hope' last='Counts'] <strong>– Providence Academy</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Providence Academy's frontcourt duo had some outstanding performances in the section 5AA playoffs. The junior Counts had back-to-back double-doubles, with 12 points, 10 boards, and&nbsp; 6 assists against Holy Family, and 13 points and 12 rebounds in the 101-84&nbsp; win over Jordan. The 6'2 forward has been a staple in the starting lineup for the Lions. In addition to her ability to score around the rim, Hope has a strong midrange shot and is an excellent rebounder and passer. The top 20 prospect is averaging just over 9 points per game, as well as nearly 9 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 blocks.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>When preparing to play Providence, coaches know who the Lions' biggest scoring threat is. As one of the top point producers in the state at 34 ppg, [player_tooltip player_id='252381' first='Maddyn' last='Greenway'] is a nightmare of a defensive assignment. But what the Lions have shown lately is that they have several more players who are capable of putting up 20+ points in any given game. In Friday night's section final against Jordan, the 8th grader Peterson posted 24 points, going 8-of-11 from two-point distance and 2-of-3 from three. Peterson averages a consistent 12.2 points and 7 boards per game. Friday was her 5th game this season where she scored 15 or more.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>WHICH OTHER DUOS COULD SHINE?</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Obviously Wilson, Betton, Counts and Peterson are big names, the kind of talented players that most girls basketball fans in the Twin Cities are familiar with. There will also be some gifted athletes from outstate Minnesota at Williams Arena this week whose names may not be as well-known among casual observers . Here are three more duos of note.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='660615' first='Cora' last='Grismer'] <strong>&amp;</strong> [player_tooltip player_id='178271' first='Willow' last='Thiel'] <strong>– Perham</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Cora and Willow face a monumental task in the opening round on Wednesday going up against the two-time defending champions from Providence. There's no way Perham should be put in the position of a 7th or 8th seed, but that's what happens when you have the current seeding system. The fact of the matter is, the big post Thiel and the speedy guard Grismer have the goods to hang in with the Lions for longer than most folks expect.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Willow is a walking double-double, a powerful post player who can rebound with the best of them and has a soft touch around the rim. She has faced top talent in AAU basketball and isn't likely to be intimidated down low. In three playoff games, Thiel has 109 points on 42-for-62 shooting plus 47 rebounds. As for Grismer, well she can fly. When we watched Perham's section win over Barnesville, it was Cora who shut down MSU-Moorhead commit [player_tooltip player_id='595564' first='Abby' last='John'] while taking and making big shots. Perham loves to pound the ball inside to Thiel, but the speed and shooting of Grismer and [player_tooltip player_id='502604' first='Kaia' last='Anderson'] will be a constant threat, as well.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='764292' first='Aaliyah' last='Williams'] <strong>&amp;</strong> [player_tooltip player_id='502563' first='Lauren' last='Hust'] <strong>– Rochester Lourdes</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Lourdes is will be up against it on Wednesday trying to deal with the size, speed and experience of Albany, a Class 2A tournament-tested team that will be heavily favored. That doesn't mean we won't see some special stuff from Williams, who is one of the most exciting freshmen in the state. Ditto for Hust, a no-nonsense competitor who plays hard and scores in large numbers.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Williams is utterly fearless. She's quick and fast and skilled. We've known of Aaliyah's potential in the Class of 2027 for some time. In watching the Eagles win over Winona Cotter in the Section 2AA final last week, it's obvious that her time is now. Williams has definitely raised her level and lifted her team as a result. Williams makes up for a lack of size by being very crafty, with an innate sense of how to find seams and elude defenders to score at the rim. The super-athletic guard appears to love the big moment, and there's none bigger that this. Pushing 6 feet, Hust is a top 100 sophomore, who is a prolific scorer and rebounder with a physical presence. She can handle the ball, gets up and down the court at pace, and shoots at a high level. Like Williams, Hust is a scrappy competitor who will give her all.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='671973' first='Brynlea' last='Mahlen'] <strong>&amp;</strong> [player_tooltip player_id='716895' first='Lexi' last='Mahlen'] <strong>– Foston</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Every year it seems there is a sister duo of note at the State Tournament. Providence Academy has had the many Counts girls in recent seasons. The Borowicz sisters from Roseau dominated a few years back. This year, there's the dynamic duo of [player_tooltip player_id='304915' first='Rachel' last='Kottke'] and [player_tooltip player_id='304916' first='Kristi' last='Kottke'] of Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart, an identical pair of top 50 seniors bound for St. Cloud State. You may not be quite as familiar with the Mahlen girls from Fosston.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Brynlea (UM-Crookston commit) is a 5'9 guard who sees the floor well and gets the ball to where it needs to be while leading her team in assists. She is a consistent point producer for the Greyhounds, thanks to a nice mid-range game, the ability to make frequent threes and a quality scoring touch. Defensively she is always a threat to force a turnover. Her younger sister Lexi is a 5'11 sophomore ranked in the top 80 in the Class of 2026. Lexi is more subtle than spectacular, but she is incredibly impactful in most games. Her versatility is impressive as is her length. She's sneaky fast, quicker than you expect and skilled enough to score off the bounce or from distance. An excellent rebounder with physical presence, Lexi will need to bring all of that and more to the table against the Kottkes and BLHS. The Mahlen family are basketball royalty in Northwest Minnesota. Perhaps there's another state title in their future.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>PGH Scout Ally McGinnis contributed to this article.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->