Class A's cream rises to the top at the State Tourney

[player_tooltip player_id='766677' first='Sienna' last='Duininck'] is one of the craftiest point guards in Minnesota. [player_tooltip player_id='498658' first='Morgan' last='Mathiowetz'] is an artist on the hardwood. [player_tooltip player_id='1110548' first='Elin' last='Retzlaff'] is one of the great young guns of the new era. As for Mountain Iron-Buhl? Well, they are once again the class of the field. On Thursday at the high school State Tournament, we saw them all make it clear that the cream of Class A truly does rise to the top when March turns to madness.   Here's a rundown on just how well the state's best Class A performers performed on day 1.   Duininck got it done   From the opening tip on Thursday it was obvious what Kelliher/Northome's plan was to contain the elusive Duininck and it was never going to be pretty. She was under attack from the get-go as the Mustangs turned up the heat and got up in Sienna's kitchen.   “Our plan was to physically wear her down,” said KN coach Kevin Waldo. “We had Allie Lundin on her for most of the game, just trying to wear her down full court, but she didn't wear down very well. I mean, she got buckets inside. When we could stop her, it seemed like everyone else was hitting shots.”   That approach was nothing new for Central Minnesota Christian. They've seen all manner of methods employed to stop their 24 points-per-game scorer. “That's very common,” said Bluejays coach Brian Nelson. “We see it in the half-court and three quarter-court quite a bit, but from end-to-end tonight was a little different. Plus, you've got 2,000 people in the building going crazy.”   “Hats off to them. They're a really physical team, a fast team,” he said. “We haven't seen the speed that they played with tonight, the defensive physicality that they play with. It was a testament to our girls. They were tough. We made winning plays all night, and I couldn't be more proud of them.”   We've watched Duininck many, many times in AAU where the referee's whistles are employed far less often and the athletes are bigger and stronger and more menacing than the typical Class A opponent that comes to play in Prinsburg, population 520. “I think it's helped a lot,” Sienna said of her extensive spring and summer experience on the Adidas Circuit, a level of performance that has earned her the #29 ranking in the Class of 2027. “Just the physicality of AAU has really helped, especially when we see face guarding like we did tonight.”   Duininck always seems to take the defensive aggression in stride. She certainly did on Thursday. “I just have to stay mentally strong and know that my teammates have my back no matter what,” she said. “They're going to push me down, I'm going to fall down, but I just have to keep getting up and keep my head up.”   That she did. Duininck went 11-for-16 from the field in the 82-69 win, scoring 30 points with 10 rebounds, 8 assists and 8 steals. Her Kelleher/Northome counterpart [player_tooltip player_id='782558' first='Kate' last='Thayer'] turned in an elite performance, as well. She had a triple-double with 29 points, 11 rebounds, 12 steals and 6 assists.   Marvelous Morgan   Since 7th grade, it has been obvious that [player_tooltip player_id='498658' first='Morgan' last='Mathiowetz'] (top photo) was going to be special. We saw it in middle school when she lit it up in AAU. We saw it early in her high school career when she began to dominate nearly every game. We saw it at last year's State Tournament where Sleepy Eye St. Mary's earned a top-four finish. And we saw it on opening day for Class A at the State Tournament where the North Dakota State commit seized the reins and never let go.   Mayer Lutheran scored the first 6 points of the contest. Then Mathiowetz took over, recording the Knights' first 10 points of the game and 18 of their first 20. By halftime, the 9th-ranked junior in Minnesota had 28 points with five triples. By game's end Mathiowetz had played every minute and scored 41 points on 8-for-16 shooting from the field (6-of-10 from beyond the arc) and 7-of-7 at the free throw line. SESM advanced with a 73-57 win.   Hillcrest was hitting   The Hillcrest Comets only know one way to play: Fire the ball from here there and everywhere and watch it fall through the cylinder – over and over and over. Led by the elite 8th grader [player_tooltip player_id='1110548' first='Elin' last='Retzlaff'], the Comets nailed three after three after three on Thursday to send New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva home early. Hillcrest shot 42% from three-point range and made 14 overall in an 83-55 win.   “Our girls love to shoot, and we encourage it,” said Comets coach Hannah Clark. “They're not afraid to put up shots and I think that's what makes us tough to guard. At any given time, anyone can score, and they shoot it with confidence.”   Nobody had more self-belief on Thursday than the 8th grader who scored 31 points. It was Elin's second consecutive 30-point game, capping a progression that has seen her game grow exponentially during her second season of varsity basketball. With size, strength and toughness beyond her years, the younger sister of top-20 sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='565313' first='Elsa' last='Retzlaff'] is one of the premier college prospects in the Class of 2030. “She's amazing. She really is,” Clark said. “Elin has just stepped it up these last couple of games in this playoff run and now today in the State tournament.”   “On our team, on any given night, anyone can score,” Elin said. “With the defense focused on Elsa and Ella (Knutson), it gave me the opportunity to score, and then it just helped to get into rhythm.”   The Comets share the ball so well – they had 20 assists on 29 field goals – and they genuinely do not care who gets the glory from night to night. “Just knowing that we're all encouraging one another and that we're not just playing for ourselves but we're also playing to the glory of God,” [player_tooltip player_id='653851' first='Ella' last='Knutson'] said. “That's just so fun because the community that we have together, we know that we're not just playing basketball because we like to play basketball, but it's for a greater purpose.”   “I think one of the unique things about our team is we are so unselfish,” Clark added. “We could care less who gets the points… whether it's Ella, whether it's Elin, whether it's Elsa, they just want to win the game, so whoever they see has a hot hand, they're going to get them the ball and they continue to encourage them to shoot.”   Knutson, who is committed to Northwestern College in Iowa, finished with 15 points. Elsa totaled 18. She and Elin combined for 8 of the 14 triples while sophomore Stella Molie made three. Clark's personal experience on the big stage – she played at the University of Iowa – has been helpful as the Fergus Falls-based team has prepared for the big dance.   “Only 32 teams get to get to play in the State Tournament, so it's a real big opportunity for them,” Clark said. “I just continue to say, take it all in and enjoy it because it does go fast. I want them to just savor every moment.”   The Rangers roll   MIB was a heavy favorite heading into day 1 at State and they put on a clinic in a #1 vs #8 matchup with Braham. It began as a one-sided, multi-pronged attack in the opening period. The Rangers started the first game of the day with a 9-0 lead that sparked a 31-4 run and 31-point margin at the half. In the second period, the game devolved into a street fight.   MIB was in foul trouble, which neutered their high-pressure defense to a degree. Braham fought their way back thanks largely to the work of top 35 junior [player_tooltip player_id='1175103' first='Morgan' last='Rysdam'], who had 24 second-half points, 32 in all. She was 10-for-16 from the field, 4-of-7 from three, and had 9 rebounds. Braham post Jenna Beck scored just 4 points in 22 minutes but her ample presence was felt in the second half with a physical brand of basketball that left a trail of banged-up bodies in her wake.   It was not enough for the Bombers as the 29-1 Rangers advanced to the semifinals with a 75-62 win. Senior [player_tooltip player_id='560398' first='Aniyah' last='Thomas'] (UW-Superior) led MIB with 22 points on 9-for-15 shooting (4-for-8 from three). Three other Rangers reached double figures: 6-foot junior post [player_tooltip player_id='764223' first='Paige' last='Norman'] with 15, top-50 sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='991034' first='Izzy' last='Wiita'] with 13 and 30th-ranked junior [player_tooltip player_id='659121' first='Anna' last='Neyens'] with 12.

Sienna Duininck Sienna Duininck 5'7" | CG Central MN Christian | 2027 State MN is one of the craftiest point guards in Minnesota. Morgan Mathiowetz Morgan Mathiowetz 5'8" | PG Sleepy Eye St. Mary's | 2027 State MN is an artist on the hardwood. Elin Retzlaff Elin Retzlaff 5'8" | CG/SF Hillcrest Lutheran | 2030 MN is one of the great young guns of the new era. As for Mountain Iron-Buhl? Well, they are once again the class of the field. On Thursday at the high school State Tournament, we saw them all make it clear that the cream of Class A truly does rise to the top when March turns to madness.