The Week That Was No. 4: Mother Nature returns

Death, taxes, and Minnesota weather. One thing we can always count on – even in this age of climate uncertainty – is that Minnesota weather will wreak havoc on the high school basketball schedule. From heavy snowfalls to biting winds and the subsequent arctic deep freeze, we've seen it all over the past seven days. That didn't stop the action entirely, however, including a visit by one of the state's powerhouse programs to the basketball hinterlands. That's where we'll begin our recap of The Week That Was No. 4: Mother Nature returns.   Game of the Week   The Twin Cities region is blessed with an abundance of elite girls basketball. On almost any night, fans can find top-tier matchups featuring Division I prospects playing the game the right way. That depth doesn't exist everywhere in the state.   Southeastern Minnesota offers the next strongest concentration, with programs like Stewartville, Goodhue, Byron, Rochester Mayo, and others. Up north, there's Duluth Marshall and Mountain Iron-Buhl, but the depth isn't there. That's why it matters when Twin Cities powers like Benilde-St. Margaret's, Providence Academy, Minnehaha Academy and Hopkins are willing to travel. On Thursday, the defending Class 4A state champions made a 300-mile roundtrip to face Class 3A Marshall.   First, credit Marshall coach Dan Westby for scheduling the contest. With just three games under their belt – none against elite competition – most coaches would pass on a matchup with a Hopkins team carrying four strong wins and a one-point loss to Iowa powerhouse Dowling Catholic. Credit also goes to Hopkins coach Tara Starks, who has never been afraid to say yes to challenges that push her defending state championship players to grow on and off the court.   Marshall made life difficult early, defending with discipline and physicality (as always) and battling for every square inch of floor space. Hopkins struggled to score, and the Tigers built an early lead despite the obvious disparity in speed, quickness and individual skill. Then the Royals found their rhythm.   At 9:10 of the first half, [player_tooltip player_id='897934' first='Lanaia' last='Durant'] knocked down a three. At 9:01, [player_tooltip player_id='377584' first='Ava' last='Cupito'] finished in transition. Moments later, Durant forced a turnover and scored on the run to give Hopkins its first lead. By halftime, the score was tied at 37.   The Marshall crowd buzzed with optimism – something that often happens when teams hang with Hopkins early. As is usually the case the Royals ended that hope before fantasy turned to reality. Hopkins opened the second half on a 7-0 run that ballooned into a 20-4 sprint, pushing the lead to 57-41. Marshall had a few spurts, but Hopkins pulled away for an 80-57 win.   Cupito, continuing her steady return from injury, led Hopkins with 22 points. [player_tooltip player_id='659130' first='Jaliyah' last='Diggs'] added 21, Durant finished with 17, and [player_tooltip player_id='644107' first='Inarah' last='Nesbitt'] added 10. Perhaps most impressive, the Royals held Marshall standout [player_tooltip player_id='589276' first='Taleigha' last='Bigler'] (Southwest Minnesota State commit) to just one point. [player_tooltip player_id='1194474' first='Reese' last='Drake'] paced the Tigers with 22.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/09/659-Sarah-Poepard-1.jpg?w=915" alt="" class="wp-image-996441" /></figure>   Fitting Right In   Several transfers have made immediate impacts this season for their new teams, but few have blended in as seamlessly as [player_tooltip player_id='772240' first='Sarah' last='Poepard'], who moved from Mahtomedi to Hill-Murray.   The Pioneers' identity understandably centers on [player_tooltip player_id='377583' first='Mya' last='Wilson'], the No. 1 prospect in the Class of 2027, and her younger sister [player_tooltip player_id='923286' first='Ashlee' last='Wilson'], the early favorite to top the 2030 rankings. Mya is averaging nearly 24 points and 12 rebounds per game, while 8th-grader Ashlee is posting 18 points and 6.5 boards. It was not at all clear entering the season how or where Poepard would fit under new coach Betty Trull. Four games in, the answer is obvious. “Sarah is a true competitor and was a perfect fit for our program from day one,” Trull said. “She plays with the pace and intensity that reflect how we want to play.”   Against quality opponents, Poepard's numbers speak for themselves:   • Eden Prairie – 18 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 blocks • Cretin-Derham Hall – 19 points, 11 rebounds, 3 steals • Delano – 15 points, 4 rebounds, 2 blocks • Two Rivers – 17 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists   Poepard is shooting 52% from three and 93% from the free-throw line. Ranked 8th in the Class of 2028, the 6-footer already holds mid-major Division I offers. “She's rebounding, driving, and getting to the free-throw line, which forces defenses to guard her honestly,” Trull said. “She plays an unselfish role on this team, and that says a lot about her character.”   Milestones   Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart senior [player_tooltip player_id='773408' first='Lily' last='Hubin'] became the Mustangs' all-time leading scorer last week, surpassing 2,000 career points. Earlier this season, the Southwest Minnesota State commit set a school record with 12 made threes in a single game.   Cedar Mountain junior [player_tooltip player_id='498657' first='Aubrey' last='Steffl'] continued her ascent, becoming the Cougars' all-time scoring leader– boys or girls – surpassing Tyler Pendleton's mark of 1,856. The 2,000-point milestone isn't far off.   Minnetonka senior [player_tooltip player_id='252383' first='Lanelle' last='Wright'] rewrote the Skippers' record book by becoming the program's all-time assists leader. Wright, a top-10 senior, is committed to Grand Canyon University.   Several others joined the 1,000-point club in the past couple of weeks:   • [player_tooltip player_id='1257459' first='Amira' last='Williams'] (Faribault) • [player_tooltip player_id='764209' first='Kylie' last='Southworth'] (St. Peter) • [player_tooltip player_id='829629' first='Sophia' last='Amundson'] (Two Rivers) • [player_tooltip player_id='886897' first='Lillian' last='Morrisey'] (Hayfield-Schaefer Academy)   Duluth Marshall seniors [player_tooltip player_id='927227' first='Cairin' last='Berger'] and [player_tooltip player_id='478376' first='Anna' last='Saari'] both reached 1,000 points in the same game. Big Lake junior [player_tooltip player_id='594874' first='Ashley' last='Fitzgibbons'] needed 21 points Friday versus North Branch to hit the 1,000 mark. She scored 28 in the first half and finished with a school-record 44 in the game.   The Next Level   I watch a lot of college basketball, but rarely at the high-major level. Most Minnesota prospects end up in mid-major Division I or Division II programs, and that's where the most relevant lessons exist. Sunday offered two excellent examples.   The 1 p.m. game featured the University of St. Thomas earning a convincing 70–50 win over Drake at the shiny new Lee and Penny Anderson Arena in St. Paul. The game included several former top prospects, including Alyssa Sand, Laura Hauge, Savannah McGowan and Autumn McCall for the Tommies, along with Shannon Fornshell of the Bulldogs. The standout, however, was 2019 Roseville graduate Jada Hood. You can <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/2025/12/seven-years-later-jada-hood-is-still-chasing-the-dream/">read my story</a> from Sunday about Jada's unusual seven-year college basketball career.   At 7 p.m. Concordia-St. Paul hosted Southwest Minnesota State in a Northern Sun Conference matchup loaded with familiar names, including Nicole Maenke, Kylan Gerads, and Audrey Swanson for SMSU plus Lydia Haack, Leah Dengerud, Ashley Schulke, Avery Moeller and others for CSP. SMSU pulled out a hard-fought 70–67 win. It was a terrific basketball game in all aspects.   For players aspiring to play at the next level, these games are invaluable. Watching regional college basketball live offers a clear-eyed look at what it truly takes to play at that level. Do it and you'll thank me down the road!

Death, taxes, and Minnesota weather. One thing we can always count on – even in this age of climate uncertainty – is that Minnesota weather will wreak havoc on the high school basketball schedule. From heavy snowfalls to biting winds and the subsequent arctic deep freeze, we've seen it all over the past seven days. That didn't stop the action entirely, however, including a visit by one of the state's powerhouse programs to the basketball hinterlands. That's where we'll begin our recap of The Week That Was No. 4: Mother Nature returns.