2025 Class AA Championship Game Notes

The Horace Hawks capped off an unbelievable season with a State Title victory over the Bismarck Century Patriots. It was a very physical game that was well-coached by both teams. The Patriots ran out of juice but had a great game plan that gave the Hawks trouble throughout the contest. They were able to create a pace that kept things close until about halfway through the second half when freshman phenom [player_tooltip player_id='555488' first='Lakyn' last='Donnelly'] started to heat up. Credit to Coach of the Year Brent Hintz for leading his team to the title. It is a lot of pressure on a coach when he knows how much talent he has and to lead them to their potential is an impressive feat.   The Patriots have a lot to be proud of. They were the number 4 seed heading into the WDA tournament and ended up capturing the WDA tournament title. Coach Welstad is one of the best coaches in the state and was able to lead his squad to a State-Runner up, something to be incredibly proud of.    Game Stats: 13 Points, 22 (!) Rebounds, 8 Offensive Rebounds, 1 Block, 56% FG   Jaiden was voted to the All-Tournament Team and was voted Tournament MVP. She was the focal point for Century's game plan, electing to sag off of other Hawks to try to plug up the lane and make things difficult for Jaiden. Jaiden did a great job of trusting her teammates by passing a handful of key skip passes for great scoring opportunities for her teammates. She was an absolute beast on the boards and played terrific defense. She has a lot to be proud of by finishing off her career as a state champion.     Game Stats: 20 Points, 3 Rebounds, 3 Assists, 2 Steals, 4 3PT Makes, 44% FG, 40% 3PT   Keelie was voted as the Player of the Game by WDAY Sports and for good reason. The Patriots dared Keelie to shoot from outside to start the game and Keelie delivered 4 three point makes tonight. She was able to make the correct decisions all night and was able to play her patented tough on-ball defense. Keelie played great tonight and was critical to the Hawks winning.     Game Stats: 11 Points, 5 Rebounds, 1 Block, 44% FG   Jordan is an incredible athlete and talent out on the floor. She plays harder than anyone out on the court and did a nice job tonight of letting the game come to her. She was really solid defensively. It was really hard for any Patriot to drive in the half-court due to Jordan's excellent defensive effort. Jordan was also voted to the All-Tournament Team. She had a terrific weekend.     Game Stats: 19 Points, 7 Rebounds, 5 Assists, 2 Steals   If you hadn't heard about the freshman from Horace, you will after this weekend. Lakyn had an impressive weekend and was voted to the All-Tournament Team. She came to play all weekend and played her best when her best was required. She was the separating factor in the second half. Century did a nice job of containing her in the first half, being held to only 2 first half points. She came out the second half and let it be known why she is the #1 ranked freshman in North Dakota. Her ability to make shots was key to calming the storm when the Patriots kept hanging around. She played great and will be playing in this tournament for years to come.     Game Stats: 17 Points, 3 Rebounds, 2 Steals   Zoie was really good tonight and laid it all out on the floor for her team. She was the most consistent player for the Patriots and used her veteran leadership to give her team a chance to compete. She is very tough driving to the rim and had many finishes through contact. She really shines defensively. Zoie was voted to the All-Tournament Team after an awesome weekend of hoops. She is just an all-around tough player and epitomizes what it means to be a Century Patriot.     Game Stats: 7 Points, 7 Rebounds, 4 Assists, 3 Steals, 1 Block   Abby was also voted to the All-Tournament Team after a great weekend of play. She is a very gifted athlete and someone who has a high ceiling as a prospect. I like how tough she is defensively and her use of her quick first step offensively. She plays the game the right way and will be better for playing in a game like this one. The Patriots will rely on her if they want to get back to this game next season.     Game Stats: 13 Points, 3 Rebounds, 2 Steals, 43% FG   Olivia is a young talent for Century and someone I am excited to see as she progresses throughout her high school career. She was an efficient scorer tonight and the second leading scorer for the Patriots behind Zoie. She did a great job of battling down low defensively against Jaiden and made things difficult for the Hawk star. She moved well on the pass and had great positioning in the post. She was well-coached heading into this game and is going to be a great player the next two seasons.    Congrats to two great teams on a great night of hoops.

The Horace Hawks capped off an unbelievable season with a State Title victory over the Bismarck Century Patriots. It was a very physical game that was well-coached by both teams. The Patriots ran out of juice but had a great game plan that gave the Hawks trouble throughout the contest. They were able to create a pace that kept things close until about halfway through the second half when freshman phenom Lakyn Donnelly Lakyn Donnelly 5'6" | PG Horace | 2028 State ND started to heat up. Credit to Coach of the Year Brent Hintz for leading his team to the title. It is a lot of pressure on a coach when he knows how much talent he has and to lead them to their potential is an impressive feat.