Bombs away: It's raining threes in Perham

When the old American Basketball Association popularized the three-point line in the early 1970s, it was considered a novelty – a passing fad that would go away once order had been restored to the professional game. That's not what happened. Instead, shooting the three became an integral part of modern basketball to the point where it's hard to remember how the game used to be played.   The emphasis on shooting from distance is huge in many high school programs in Minnesota. Once again this winter, the bombs have been dropping in Perham where the Class 2A Yellowjackets, with a record of 9-1, are on pace to lead the state in three-point shooting – again. Twice in the past three seasons Perham has made more threes than anyone, including 262 last winter.   “The three has been a big part of our game for a while,” said Perham coach T.J. Super. “We've had shooters who have put in the time, with girls like Katie Johnson, Mya Morris, Greta Hillukka and Sydney Anderson all making over 75,000 shots in a summer. But we've never had so many girls do it where we have a whole team of varsity level three-point shooters. It got to a point last year where, analytically, we should've been shooting more threes than twos”.   The expanded use of analytics has been driving the increase in the number of three-point shots taken across the basketball landscape. The high-profile success of bombers like Steph Curry and Caitlin Clark has only fueled the trend. “Stats like effective field goal percentage, points per possession and offensive rating have shifted the emphasis towards three-point shooting as a metric to winning,” said Super. “Twice this season we've been down by 8 – that's a possible five possessions needed to take the lead if you're getting twos. Three possessions and three 3s later, we were up one.”   The current group of Yellowjackets is on pace to land north of 300 triples in 2025-26. Perham is averaging more than a dozen threes per game. There are five players in the rotation shooting over 40% including three of the top 20 in the state: [player_tooltip player_id='502604' first='Kaia' last='Anderson'], [player_tooltip player_id='886920' first='Regan' last='Hemberger'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1265080' first='Quinn' last='Hanson'].   We've come to expect excellence from Anderson – she's committed to Division 2 Southwest Minnesota State – and the veteran is delivering. The lone senior on the Perham roster, Anderson has made 32 threes with a success rate of 43% Hemberger has been exceptional from beyond the arc, even though most teams are game planning around stopping her from shooting. She's made 29 so far. Hanson is a freshman off the bench who is the third-leading scorer on the team, pushing 10 ppg. She can also shoot the three but gets to the basket often.     Junior Addy Draeger is another starter whose defensive contributions have been invaluable. Sophomore Sophie Nelson is the starting point guard who contributes across the board, including her exceptional defending. Sophomore post Lauren Gjerde has improved steadily and is averaging 11 points and 6 rebounds per game. Freshmen [player_tooltip player_id='1264870' first='Ashtyn' last='Kunza'] is a strong playmaker who can also shoot the three. And 7th grader Claire Pilgram has worked her way into the rotation, parlaying her length, quickness and defensive instincts into a regular role. She's a name you're going to know in the years ahead.   “For all the talk of our shooting, the biggest on-court difference in our team has been our defense and depth,” said Super, whose team is averaging 15 steals per game. “Girls have really bought into what we're trying to accomplish on defense and it shows every night.”   The players are also sold on living the team's motto: “Sometimes Me. Sometimes You. Always US.”   “This isn't just something we say,” Super explained. “It's something we believe in, a belief that we prove when things aren't going well. Girls have loved to see each other's successes, even when they've been struggling. In practice, the atmosphere is fun and it's electric. There is a genuine care in the gym that you can feel.”

When the old American Basketball Association popularized the three-point line in the early 1970s, it was considered a novelty – a passing fad that would go away once order had been restored to the professional game. That's not what happened. Instead, shooting the three became an integral part of modern basketball to the point where it's hard to remember how the game used to be played.