Top Performers at the Winter Lakes Classic, part 1

Now that we have reached the month of February, the season of Breakdown USA basketball events is coming to a close. This past Saturday, Breakdown hosted the Winter Lakes Classic, their second-to-last tournament of the high school season. While the action took place a couple hours north of the Twin Cities at Alexandria Area High School, I caught up on the action from home via livestream. Despite there being only three girls games on the schedule, there was plenty of action and standout performances to see. Because of this, we'll be splitting the event's top performers into multiple parts. Here is part 1.   [player_tooltip player_id='764204' first='Kahlen' last='Suelflow'] – 2027 Guard, Sauk Centre   Known as a tremendous three-point shooter, Suelflow (pictured above, left) showed just what she's capable of at the Winter Lakes Classic. Against New London-Spicer, the Sauk Centre junior started the game hot, using her quick, consistent release to hit three shots from long range in the first few minutes, allowing the Mainstreeters to build an early lead. When the outside shots weren't there, Kahlen looked for her teammates, threading the needle on post-entry passes in particular. Throughout the contest, the 5'4 guard continued to space the floor, making sharp cuts when the ball wasn't in her hands and relocating to get open catch-and-shoot opportunities. By the time the final buzzer sounded, Suelflow had hit four more shots from beyond the arc. She finished with a team-high 21 points against the Wildcats.   [player_tooltip player_id='947971' first='Elly' last='Herickhoff'] – 2026 Forward, Sauk Centre (Southwest Minnesota State)   Along with Suelflow, Herickhoff (pictured above, right) led the way for Sauk Centre at the over the weekend. Standing at 6'2 with a lengthy frame, the Mainstreeters senior locked down the paint on the defensive end. Elly blocked shots in the lane, fought relentlessly for rebounds, and got on the ground to wrestle for jump balls. On offense, the Sauk Centre post fought for positioning on the block, using a strong seal to get open looks at the rim. Whether finishing with a simple drop step, or turning and hitting a fadeaway jumper, Herickhoff put the ball in the hoop in a variety of ways. She finished with an efficient 16 points in the win against New London-Spicer, handing the Wildcats their first loss of the season.   [player_tooltip player_id='567389' first='Sydney' last='Friedly'] – 2027 Guard, Benilde-St. Margaret's   The junior guard led the way for Benilde-St. Margaret's over the weekend, dropping a game-high 16 points against Alexandria. Friedly got the offense going early, attacking the basket and finishing through contact at the rim. In the second half, things opened up from the perimeter where the 5'9 guard drained four shots from the three-point line, several of which she hit from the notoriously difficult corner spot. On the other end of the floor, Sydney excelled in the team's half-court press, picking up steals and pushing the ball up the floor in transition. A top-25 ranked prospect in the class of 2027, Friedly is averaging just over 11 points a game, plus 4 assists and 2 steals.   [player_tooltip player_id='786398' first='Zaida' last='Jenkins'] – 2028 Guard, Benilde-St. Margaret's   Jenkins showed off her prowess as a versatile scorer at the Winter Lakes Classic. In Saturday's matchup against Alexandria, the 5'10 guard created open looks for herself from all over the floor. She showed off her ability to get to the rim, using an explosive first step and creative handle on the ball to get downhill. Zaida also scored off floaters in the lane and found catch-and-shoot opportunities on the perimeter. She finished with 11 points against the Cardinals. On the other end of the floor, the Red Knights sophomore used her length and superior athleticism to create deflections and get stops, both on the perimeter and in the paint. There's no doubt that Jenkins will be crucial for Benilde as we head towards the postseason.   [player_tooltip player_id='498661' first='Pressley' last='Watkins'] – 2027 Guard, Benilde-St. Margaret's   As she so often does, Watkins put on a true two-way performance over the weekend. On the defensive end, the Red Knights played in a press that stifled their opponent's offense. Using her high degree of quickness and defensive intensity, Pressley grabbed steal after steal, leading to points in transition. On offense the 6'0 combo guard displayed her high basketball IQ, both as a playmaker and a scorer. The Benilde-St. Margaret's junior found plenty of looks on the perimeter, only pulling the trigger when she had the time and space to shoot. Watkins' efforts in shot selection paid off; she knocked down three shots from beyond the arc, finishing with 11 points against Alexandria.

Now that we have reached the month of February, the season of Breakdown USA basketball events is coming to a close. This past Saturday, Breakdown hosted the Winter Lakes Classic, their second-to-last tournament of the high school season. While the action took place a couple hours north of the Twin Cities at Alexandria Area High School, I caught up on the action from home via livestream. Despite there being only three girls games on the schedule, there was plenty of action and standout performances to see. Because of this, we'll be splitting the event's top performers into multiple parts. Here is part 1.