The Week That Was #11: Here come the kids

Eleven weeks down, five to go. We've made it through the depths of January, the season is two-thirds complete and the finish line is in sight. It's hard to believe just how much happened over the past seven days with [player_tooltip player_id='205310' first='Tori' last='Oehrlein'] and [player_tooltip player_id='252381' first='Maddyn' last='Greenway'] topping 4,000 career points, a ton of great action at the Breakdown Community Clash, and so much more. In fact there were so many milestones reached last week that we published a separate story to cover them all. <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/2025/02/rewriting-the-record-books-during-week-11/">Click here</a> to read about all of the record-setters. Keep scrolling to see what else we liked about The Week That Was #11.   READY FOR A BREAKOUT   [player_tooltip player_id='766676' first='Skyler' last='Mancini'] – 2027 forward, Chanhassen   The Breakdown event was spread across three sites on Saturday: St. Michael-Albertville hosted five girls games with three at Becker and two more at Delano. We couldn't be everywhere at once so we watched the Class 3A showdown between Marshall and Orono via the NSPN livestream along with the Chanhassen vs Delano contest. Every time we looked, Skyler was making buckets for Chanhassen. We've been high on Mancini's potential for some time now. At well over 6 feet, with tons of length and ample natural abilities, we believe it's only a matter of time before Skyler lives up to her prospect ranking of #28 in the sophomore class. That time may have begun Saturday night.   Mancini put up 14 points in the first half and 23 in the second as the Storm pulled off the 71-66 upset victory over the Tigers on their home floor. Skyler's 37-point outburst eclipsed both her previous season high of 17 (reached in back-to-back games in December) and her season average of 10.9 ppg. She sits third on the team in scoring behind two other sophomores – [player_tooltip player_id='763004' first='Lyla' last='Hentges'] and [player_tooltip player_id='630241' first='Kate' last='Arnold']. Every time we watch Skyler she seems more comfortable on the floor, and her finishing around the basket improves as a result. She's rushing less and executing more and we're excited about what comes next. Often overshadowed in summer ball on a Fury UAA squad that includes top 10 prospects such as [player_tooltip player_id='498661' first='Pressley' last='Watkins'], [player_tooltip player_id='578467' first='Amisha' last='Ramlall'] and [player_tooltip player_id='659118' first='Alivia' last='Bell'], perhaps this is the year we'll see Skyler's big breakthrough.   YOUNG TALENT TO WATCH   Every week new prospects emerge from the woodwork and catch our attention, and many of them continue to make waves as the season progresses. Top 30 freshman [player_tooltip player_id='897052' first='Tatum' last='Morrison'] of Deer River has been cited here numerous times. She put up a career-high 42 points last week against Northwoods and is averaging better than 24 points per game. We told you about the potential of 2027 guard [player_tooltip player_id='1145711' first='Reagan' last='Essig'] of Triton two weeks ago. Last week she had a 33-point performance against Plainview-Elgin-Millville.   Here are four more talented kids you should know about.   [player_tooltip player_id='1110548' first='Elin' last='Retzlaff'] – The 7th grader from Hillcrest Lutheran Academy in Fergus Falls has made her presence known in a hurry on one of the state's premier Class A squads. The 17-1 Comets have one of the more talented young small-school lineups in Minnesota including the crafty 2030 guard. Last week, with starters [player_tooltip player_id='653851' first='Ella' last='Knutson'] and [player_tooltip player_id='565313' first='Elsa' last='Retzlaff'] out of action due to injury and illness, Elin stepped up in a big way to score 35 points against Wheaton-Herman-Norcross. I wonder how many 7th graders have ever scored 35 in a game.   [player_tooltip player_id='886920' first='Regan' last='Hemberger'] – The 9th grader from Perham pulled off some drama last week against a strong Pelican Rapids squad led by top-20 junior [player_tooltip player_id='478362' first='Morgan' last='Korf'], who had 36 points in the game. Trailing 69-64 in the final minute of play, Hemberger nailed a pair of three-point baskets to give the Yellowjackets a 70-69 victory. Her game winner with 18 seconds to go tied a school record with 8 triples in the game. Averaging 12 points per game on the season, Regan (top photo) is shooting 45% from three (65-for-146). She's had three games with 7 triples and now one with 8. Hemberger is a member of the 2028 [program_tooltip program_id='713021' first='West' last='Central United'] AAU team that includes 10th-ranked [player_tooltip player_id='904190' first='Malin' last='Youngberg'] of Little Falls and #17 [player_tooltip player_id='565313' first='Elsa' last='Retzlaff'] of Hillcrest Lutheran.   [player_tooltip player_id='1175103' first='Morgan' last='Rysdam'] – The 2027 guard from Braham has come out of nowhere this winter for the Bombers. We haven't seen her live yet, but she looks very good on video and her numbers speak volumes on a 15-7 squad that has been ranked in the Class A top 10. Rysdam is a 5'8 guard with tremendous length that serves her well defending out on the perimeter where she generates a lot of steals and reaching to the sky for rebounds where she also excels. Morgan has long strides and good pace. She can definitely stroke it from distance, too. Her performances include a triple-double against Mille Lacs with 20 points, 12 rebounds and 12 steals. She scored 32 against Mountain Iron-Buhl, 26 versus Swanville and 30 against Ogilvie. Morgan will play AAU for the first time this spring as part of the new Opportunity 10 North squad, a group that includes varsity regulars from Foley, Forest Lake, Minneapolis Roosevelt and elsewhere.   [player_tooltip player_id='764227' first='Savannah' last='Mehan'] – The 2027 guard from Legacy Christian loves to shoot the 3-ball. We saw that back in 2023 when she put her long-distance prowess on display at the Prep Girls Hoops Freshmen Showcase. Whenever we've watched Mehan she has had her hands in the ready position for a catch-and-shoot opportunity. Fast forward to recent days and Savannah has nailed 9 three-pointers in a game for the Lions not once but twice. Averaging just under 15 ppg, Mehan has made 83 triples on the season and counting.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-thumbnail"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/02/Rylie-Cother-image-rotated.jpg?w=150&h=150&crop=1" alt="" class="wp-image-597515" /></figure>   A 61-POINT PERFORMANCE   [player_tooltip player_id='550001' first='Rylie' last='Cother'] – 2025 guard, Jackson County Central   Like the youngsters cited above, the first time Rylie got noticed was back when she was entering her freshman year of high school in Jackson, and was showing signs of long-term potential to play at the collegiate level. Now in the twilight of her high school career, the Winona State commit has blossomed into one of the top scorers in the state. Last Monday she put up a remarkable 61 points in a win over Maple River, the 5th highest single-game output in Minnesota history. Pictured above, Cother has scored a remarkable 152 points in her last three games.   The state record for points in a single game is held by current University of Utah star Gianna Kneepkens of Duluth Marshall, who scored 67 in 2021. McKenna Hofschild of Prior Lake (Colorado State) had a 63-point game at the Breakdown Tipoff in 2018. Last February Karly Jusczak of Pine City (South Dakota) scored 63 against Ogilvie while her opponent Grace Heins had 62. Cother's 61 will sit in 5th place for now. [player_tooltip player_id='252381' first='Maddyn' last='Greenway'] had a 60-point outburst in 2023.   WHO'S HOT IN CLASS 4A?   Owatonna (15-4) has rolled off 13 straight victories, a streak that stretches all the way back to mid-December. After a win over Mankato West to begin the week, the Huskies pulled off one of the most dramatic decisions of the year at Austin on Friday. That's when senior guard [player_tooltip player_id='633295' first='Maryn' last='Pool'] nailed a half-court buzzer beater to steal a 54-52 win over the Packers. The Huskies boast one of the biggest front courts in the state with seniors [player_tooltip player_id='520261' first='Ava' last='Olson'] (Bemidji State) and [player_tooltip player_id='453735' first='Lexie' last='Klecker'] and junior [player_tooltip player_id='773413' first='Jessica' last='Fisher'].   We watched Maple Grove (17-2) win their 10th game in a row on Saturday night in a 32-point victory over Minnetonka, a game in which Crimson senior [player_tooltip player_id='205298' first='Jordan' last='Ode'] recorded her 2,000th career point. Led by a veteran core that includes seniors [player_tooltip player_id='337633' first='Bella' last='Hanna'] (Michigan Tech), [player_tooltip player_id='206227' first='Lexi' last='Hanna'] (Missouri-St. Louis) and [player_tooltip player_id='339162' first='Addie' last='Hanna'] (Augustana), and junior [player_tooltip player_id='344332' first='Kate' last='Holmquist'] (Montana), Maple Grove has now won 16 of its last 17.   A resurgent Eastview (16-3) is on a similar sprint having won nine games in a row and 16 of their last 17. Led by seniors [player_tooltip player_id='212488' first='Myah' last='Maull'] (Winona State) and [player_tooltip player_id='520263' first='Bra'ja' last='Torry'], the Lightning have another crop of talented youngsters working their way up the food chain, too. Eastview's three losses are to power programs Wayzata, Providence Academy and Eden Prairie. With coach Molly Kasper pulling the strings, the Lightning appear to be in the driver's seat in Section 3AAA where Rosemount is the primary obstacle.   Wayzata (15-4) may not have strung together quite as many victories in a row as the aforementioned teams but it's who they've beaten that really catches our attention. The Trojans have won 8 of their last 9 including triumphs over Hopkins, St. Michael-Albertville, Minnetonka (twice), Prior Lake and Lakeville North, all top 10 teams in the most recent Minnesota Basketball News rankings. Wayzata's four losses have been to Maple Grove (twice), Prior Lake and Eden Prairie. Senior guard [player_tooltip player_id='212489' first='Sophie' last='Hawkinson'] has been on fire and we'll have more on her later in the week.

Eleven weeks down, five to go. We've made it through the depths of January, the season is two-thirds complete and the finish line is in sight. It's hard to believe just how much happened over the past seven days with Tori Oehrlein Tori Oehrlein 5'11" | CG Crosby-Ironton | 2026 State MN and Maddyn Greenway Maddyn Greenway 5'8" | PG Providence Academy | 2026 State MN topping 4,000 career points, a ton of great action at the Breakdown Community Clash, and so much more. In fact there were so many milestones reached last week that we published a separate story to cover them all. Click here to read about all of the record-setters. Keep scrolling to see what else we liked about The Week That Was #11.