Championship Sunday: Drama aplenty in 8th and 9th

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There never seems to be a shortage of drama on Championship Sunday when the stars come out to sparkle, the action is extra intense, and the winners are crowned at the annual AAU State Tournament. This year's finals at Shakopee High School were no different, particularly in the 9th grade championship game between [program_tooltip program_id='712722' first='North' last='Tartan'] 2027 EYBL and [program_tooltip program_id='712687' first='Minnesota' last='Fury'] 2027 UAA. We're here to recap that exciting contest along with the 8th grade title game. We'll bring you the best of the 10th and 11th grade battles in a separate article.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[program_tooltip program_id='712722' first='North' last='Tartan'] EYBL captures the 9th grade crown</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>After pulling off a dramatic finish in Sunday morning's 9th grade semifinal &nbsp;– the Fury came from behind to better [program_tooltip program_id='714566' first='Minnesota' last='Stars'] 3SSB Antl by a single point – Sam Ebbenreiter's 2027s could not have started off with a bigger bang than they did in the championship game. Just 5 minutes had elapsed before the Fury were having their way with a 10-point lead. Then [program_tooltip program_id='712722' first='North' last='Tartan'], which had handled [program_tooltip program_id='713348' first='E1T1' last=''] Queens in the semis, finally got rolling. Their run was sparked by [player_tooltip player_id='377584' first='Ava' last='Cupito']'s driving bucket followed quickly by a three-pointer from [player_tooltip player_id='567389' first='Sydney' last='Friedly']. With under 6 minutes left in the half, [program_tooltip program_id='712722' first='North' last='Tartan'] took the lead for the first time on a [player_tooltip player_id='667778' first='Laila' last='Moses'] score that capped a 17-6 run. Thanks to Cupito's three triples and a resurgent offense, [program_tooltip program_id='712722' first='North' last='Tartan'] had cut the lead to just one at the break.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The teams were neck and neck for much of the second period. By the time [player_tooltip player_id='644100' first='Annika' last='Kieser'] of the Fury made a pair of free throws at the 4:49 mark, the margin was just two points. Then the squads went on a scoring rampage the likes of which you will seldom see, engaging in an endless sprint from one end of the floor to the other and back with limited defense and plenty of fireworks. They combined for six baskets in just 40 seconds! By the time <strong>Jordan Christofferson</strong>'s long-bomb inbounds pass found [player_tooltip player_id='529357' first='Emma' last='Millerbernd'] in a coast-to-coast sprint-and score, [program_tooltip program_id='712722' first='North' last='Tartan'] was up three at 61-58. With no timeouts remaining, the Fury were in a pickle – until [player_tooltip player_id='498661' first='Pressley' last='Watkins'] found just enough space from Caitlin Clark range to launch a desperation three that banked off the glass and in. That tied the game and Watkins was also awarded a free throw but she missed.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>That left [program_tooltip program_id='712722' first='North' last='Tartan'] with a mere 9.6 seconds to execute some heroics of their own. Inbounding the ball at midcourt, Millerbernd found Christopherson with her feet on the three-point line and her back to the basket. Jordan made the catch, hesitated for a split second, and then took off on a counterclockwise curl to the basket, getting up a contested hook shot over her defender. The ball hit the glass, bounced down onto the rim, took a funky little hop and fell through the cylinder to give [program_tooltip program_id='712722' first='North' last='Tartan'] a 63-61 victory and some shiny new championship rings.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Christofferson finished with 15 points. The big power forward from West Fargo Horace capped off two great weekends for [program_tooltip program_id='712722' first='North' last='Tartan'], no doubt raising her recruiting stock in the process. She is a huge physical presence in the paint and has excellent skills, as well. Prep Girls Hoops North Dakota has not ranked the Class of 2027 yet, but when they do you'd have to think Christofferson will be near the top of the list.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Cupito, who just joined [program_tooltip program_id='712722' first='North' last='Tartan'] after starting the season with the [program_tooltip program_id='712665' first='Metro' last='Stars'], scored 16 points in the contest while Millerbernd had 10. In addition to her last-minute bomb, Watkins made another five triples for 20 points in total. Ramlall finished with 13 points while [player_tooltip player_id='659118' first='Alivia' last='Bell'] had 12.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Top 8 finishers in Division 1</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list {"ordered":true} --> <ol><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[program_tooltip program_id='712722' first='North' last='Tartan'] EYBL</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[program_tooltip program_id='712687' first='Minnesota' last='Fury'] UAA</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[program_tooltip program_id='714566' first='Minnesota' last='Stars'] 3SSB Antl</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[program_tooltip program_id='713348' first='E1T1' last=''] Queens</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[program_tooltip program_id='712699' first='Minnesota' last='Rise'] Busse</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[program_tooltip program_id='712687' first='Minnesota' last='Fury'] S40</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[program_tooltip program_id='714566' first='Minnesota' last='Stars'] Lindahl</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[program_tooltip program_id='712722' first='North' last='Tartan'] Elite</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ol> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Division 2</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Champion: Southern [program_tooltip program_id='712687' first='Minnesota' last='Fury'] 2027</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Runner-up: [program_tooltip program_id='712697' first='MN' last='Crossfire'] South Mester</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Division 3</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Champion: Southwest [program_tooltip program_id='712687' first='Minnesota' last='Fury'] 2027</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Runner-up: [program_tooltip program_id='779294' first='Northern' last='Lights']</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:image {"id":908254,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/05/Sarah-Poepard-photo-crop-2852x1873-1715614982.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-908254" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[program_tooltip program_id='712687' first='Minnesota' last='Fury'] takes home the 8th grade title</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>While the 8th grade championship game could not quite match the drama we witnessed in 9th grade, the caliber of play was no less impressive. The Fury's 2028 UAA team, coached by Tim Peper, features a ton of talent as per usual, including sharpshooter [player_tooltip player_id='716527' first='Ashna' last='Ramlall'] of Rosemount, lengthy post [player_tooltip player_id='644896' first='Logan' last='Miller'] of Andover, talented wing [player_tooltip player_id='772240' first='Sarah' last='Poepard'] of White Bear Lake (pictured above), and energetic guard [player_tooltip player_id='667771' first='Brooke' last='Soash'] of Champlin Park. Ditto for Scott Lauinger's [program_tooltip program_id='712722' first='North' last='Tartan'] 2028 Nike team, whose roster includes giant post [player_tooltip player_id='644878' first='Sahara' last='Wilson'] of Lakeville North, elite point guards [player_tooltip player_id='806429' first='Amelia' last='Mills'] of Rochester Mayo and [player_tooltip player_id='644898' first='Ally' last='Moore'] of Orono, plus emerging star [player_tooltip player_id='908260' first='Maggie' last='Dyer'], also of Mayo.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Fury, which had defeated [program_tooltip program_id='714566' first='Minnesota' last='Stars'] OU in a hard-fought semifinal win, got the early jump with an 18-11 lead by the midway mark of the opening half before [program_tooltip program_id='712722' first='North' last='Tartan'] assembled a quick 8-0 run. That spurt spawned even more solid execution on offense for Lauinger's squad. By the time the game reached its midway point, the Fury found themselves down by 10 to [program_tooltip program_id='712722' first='North' last='Tartan'], which had knocked off an impressive [program_tooltip program_id='713021' first='West' last='Central United'] squad to reach the championship game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Fury's response was immediate as they opened the second period with renewed energy and went on a sprint. Miller cashed in on an and-1 opportunity after bullying her way to the basket before Ramlall buried a long pull-up three. Then Poepard went end to end to score and [program_tooltip program_id='712722' first='North' last='Tartan']'s lead had been cut to just two. The teams traded leads throughout the period before the Fury found an extra gear in the home stretch. It was Poepard who provided much of the spark. When the lead was just three, the 6-footer knocked down a baseline jumper, scored again a minute or so later, and then nailed both ends of a one-and-one opportunity in the final minutes. That gave the Fury a 9-point margin from which [program_tooltip program_id='712722' first='North' last='Tartan'] never recovered.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With 42.9&nbsp; seconds still on the clock, [player_tooltip player_id='644902' first='Piper' last='Ohnstad'] completed a pair of free throws to stretch the Fury lead to 11. After that it was all just window dressing as the Fury took care of their business to capture the 8th grade hardware with a 61-54 victory. Ramlall finished the game with 18 points while Poepard had 12. Mills led [program_tooltip program_id='712722' first='North' last='Tartan'] with 16 and Dyer had 12.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Top 8 finishers in Division 1</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list {"ordered":true} --> <ol><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[program_tooltip program_id='712687' first='Minnesota' last='Fury'] UAA</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[program_tooltip program_id='712722' first='North' last='Tartan'] Nike</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[program_tooltip program_id='713021' first='West' last='Central United'] Blue</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[program_tooltip program_id='714566' first='Minnesota' last='Stars'] OU</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[program_tooltip program_id='767539' first='Minnesota' last='Comets'] Boone</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[program_tooltip program_id='712697' first='MN' last='Crossfire'] Herman</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[program_tooltip program_id='714566' first='Minnesota' last='Stars'] DeSart</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[program_tooltip program_id='714566' first='Minnesota' last='Stars'] Hobbs</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ol> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Division 2</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Champion: [program_tooltip program_id='712352' first='Air' last='Minnesota'] Bromeling</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Runner-up: [program_tooltip program_id='713214' first='Minnesota' last='Starks'] Lindquist</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Division 3</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Champion: [program_tooltip program_id='712697' first='MN' last='Crossfire'] Kuehnel</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Runner-up: [program_tooltip program_id='712697' first='MN' last='Crossfire'] Langmade</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list -->