North Tartan’s top freshmen capture the 2028 crown

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>On paper it's unlikely you'll find two more evenly-talented squads than the best [program_tooltip program_id='712722' first='North' last='Tartan'] and the [program_tooltip program_id='712687' first='Minnesota' last='Fury'] have to offer in the Class of 2028. Each team has speed, athleticism, size and skill, and they're loaded with top-shelf talent. Tartan's EYBL squad boasts five players in the top 20 of the Prep Girls Hoops 2028 rankings. Ditto for the Fury UAA, who have five top 20s and two more between 20th and 25th. Last year it was the Fury who triumphed at the AAU State Championships. This time it was [program_tooltip program_id='712722' first='North' last='Tartan']'s turn as they parlayed a couple of big runs into an impressive 56-36 victory to take home the 9th grade title.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[program_tooltip program_id='712722' first='North' last='Tartan'] got a quick jump right out of the gate on Sunday afternoon at Shakopee High School. Following the obligatory post-game celebration photos at the conclusion the 2029 championship game, I exited the gym for a quick necessity break. I assure you that not a single minute was squandered on the way there or back, but by the time I had returned to my chair Tartan was already up 14-4. The game ebbed back and forth after that with the margin remaining between 7 and 11 points.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>At the 4:30 mark, Fury wing [player_tooltip player_id='918684' first='Quinn' last='Kemper'] of Edina executed a stunningly good spin move at full tilt, pivoting around her defender, elevating posthaste and switching hands at the last moment to finish with a soft left-handed touch. It was a “Wow!” moment that closed the gap to just 5 points. When the period came to a conclusion, the Fury trailed by just six.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Then came the 2nd half, and it came at the Fury fast as Tartan blitzed the defending champions with a series of quality baskets. That included a jump shot in the lane by forward [player_tooltip player_id='815083' first='Amelia' last='Ecker'] of East Ridge, a hard-nosed bucket by Rochester Mayo's [player_tooltip player_id='908260' first='Maggie' last='Dyer'], a three-point score by [player_tooltip player_id='948888' first='Mallory' last='McBeth'] of Wayzata and a nice finish by Orono's [player_tooltip player_id='644898' first='Ally' last='Moore'] on a deep dive to the basket. That all added up to an 11-0 sprint that put the Fury down by 17 and scrambling. They never recovered. Before long Tartan was up 20, the clock was running, and the girls in dark blue were trying on their championship rings.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Dyer, Ecker and McBeth finished with 11 points each. No Fury player reached double digits as 7th-ranked freshman [player_tooltip player_id='772240' first='Sarah' last='Poepard'] scored 7 while Kemper and [player_tooltip player_id='644897' first='Natalie' last='Heyer'] had 6 points apiece. So did elite point guard <strong>Lakyn Donnelly</strong> of Fargo, who was on loan with the Fury for the tournament and finished 2nd in scoring in the division.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In this game, as she did all weekend, Moore ran the show with poise and precision. The 4th-ranked Dyer continued her run of success. Ecker dominated down low with an occasional assist from [player_tooltip player_id='1209369' first='Kenley' last='Evers'] off the bench. Guards [player_tooltip player_id='908286' first='Lauren' last='Robison'] and [player_tooltip player_id='630285' first='Adele' last='Changamire'] did quality work as usual. But two players who deserved special recognition Sunday and throughout the two-week tournament are McBeth and [player_tooltip player_id='905146' first='Harper' last='Vossen']. Although the pair combined for an impactful 18 points per game, it was their defensive excellence that needs illumination.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>McBeth, ranked #18 in the Class of 2028, is one of the most fundamental players in the grade, a workhorse who shows up game after game and puts her athleticism, length and IQ on display. Vossen, #43 among Minnesota freshmen, was a complete unknown when she originally showed up at an open tryout and somehow made the top team. That's extremely rare. Now Vossen is the unsung warrior, a steely competitor who is incredibly reliable, with a valuable set of tools and the dogged determination to use them however coach Scott Lauinger wants. At Woodbury, Vossen leads her team in scoring. On Sunday she prevented her opponents from doing likewise.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Top finishers in Division 1</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list {"ordered":true} --> <ol class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[program_tooltip program_id='712722' first='North' last='Tartan'] <strong>EYBL</strong></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[program_tooltip program_id='712687' first='Minnesota' last='Fury'] <strong>UAA</strong></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[program_tooltip program_id='713021' first='West' last='Central United'] <strong>Blue</strong></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[program_tooltip program_id='714566' first='Minnesota' last='Stars'] <strong>3SSB</strong></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[program_tooltip program_id='712697' first='MN' last='Crossfire']<strong> Elite</strong></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[program_tooltip program_id='712665' first='Metro' last='Stars']<strong> 3SSB</strong></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ol> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>D1 Scoring Leaders</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='904190' first='Malin' last='Youngberg'] – [program_tooltip program_id='713021' first='West' last='Central United'] <strong>Blue</strong> (73)</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><strong>Lakyn Donnelly</strong> – [program_tooltip program_id='712687' first='Minnesota' last='Fury'] <strong>UAA</strong> (62)</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='908260' first='Maggie' last='Dyer'] – [program_tooltip program_id='712722' first='North' last='Tartan'] <strong>EYBL </strong>(60)</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><strong>Megan Krenn</strong> – [program_tooltip program_id='712697' first='MN' last='Crossfire'] <strong>Elite</strong> (55)</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='716527' first='Ashna' last='Ramlall'] – [program_tooltip program_id='712687' first='Minnesota' last='Fury'] <strong>UAA</strong> (52)</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='565313' first='Elsa' last='Retzlaff'] – [program_tooltip program_id='713021' first='West' last='Central United'] <strong>Blue</strong> (48)</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><strong>Libby Bartz</strong> – [program_tooltip program_id='712722' first='North' last='Tartan'] <strong>EYCL </strong>(47)</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='992429' first='Tessa' last='Goodman'] – [program_tooltip program_id='712722' first='North' last='Tartan'] <strong>Elite</strong> (46)</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='990974' first='Sarah' last='Carlson'] – [program_tooltip program_id='712697' first='MN' last='Crossfire'] <strong>Elite </strong>(45)</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='991284' first='Sydney' last='Towne'] – [program_tooltip program_id='1229871' first='Southwest' last='Fury'] (45)</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Division 2</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Champion: [program_tooltip program_id='718403' first='Minnesota' last='Freeze']</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Runner-up: [program_tooltip program_id='712700' first='Minnesota' last='Suns'] <strong>S40</strong></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Division 3</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Champion: [program_tooltip program_id='713420' first='Minnesota' last='Diamond Elite'] <strong>McMillan</strong></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Runner-up: [program_tooltip program_id='712362' first='Legacy' last='Hoops'] <strong>Gold</strong></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list -->