State Tournament experience paid off on opening day

Been there, done that. In the world of State Tournament basketball, you simply cannot assign a value to having played in Minnesota's biggest basketball event before. We saw that scenario play out on multiple fronts Wednesday as teams like Hill-Murray and Chanhassen and East Ridge learned first-hand just how hard it is to win on your maiden voyage to the big dance.   Hill-Murray entered the State Tournament as a team to watch. Loaded with elite talent like 2027 #1 [player_tooltip player_id='377583' first='Mya' last='Wilson'], 2028 #8 [player_tooltip player_id='772240' first='Sarah' last='Poepard'] and 2030 #1 [player_tooltip player_id='923286' first='Ashlee' last='Wilson'], the Pioneers have been flying high all season. Built on a platform of speed, skill and a license to free-wheel without fear, this was a group to be reckoned with. We took our seats for the 12 p.m. contest at Maturi Pavilion ready for a #4 seed vs #5 seed matchup with Cretin-Derham Hall that most figured would be decided by the narrowest of margins.   Then came the noise and the lights and the pomp and circumstance that is the State Tournament. Cretin put the pressure on quickly and the Pioneers were caught flat-footed. Trailing 12-0 early, the game was nearly five minutes old before Hill-Murray scored their first point. Suddenly the much-ballyhooed Hill-Murray attack looked human.   “We were just trying to adapt,” Mya said. “They got a pretty hot start and we didn't. I think it was kind of hard to come back from that, but we tried our best the entire game and we fell short. I feel like we brought intensity, we brought effort. It was just like the atmosphere is loud and there's a lot of fans and I feel like it's a lot different.”   She's right. It is different at the state tournament. The crowds on Wednesday were the largest we've seen in years. It was deafening. I spend a lot of time at this event talking with college coaches about players and prospects. That was tough on Wednesday for a old  guy who's hard of hearing!   The Raiders, on the other hand, looked right at home on the Pavilion court where this young group made their surprise debut one year ago. They won their opening round game and lost a close one in the semis last March. They learned. They grew. They got better.   On Wednesday, elite freshman [player_tooltip player_id='897060' first='Madeleine' last='Hamiel'] played like a cagey veteran from start to finish. Ranked 3rd in the Prep Girls Hoops Class of 2029, Hamiel attacked constantly, disrupted often, and scored frequently. Hamiel is a handful on an average day. On this day it would have taken 20 hands to stop her as Maddie scored 34 points, had 12 rebounds and 8 steals as the Raiders scored an 84-65 quarterfinal win.   “Every girl that played tonight played last year, as well,” said CDH coach Tara Gunderson. “I think that experience really helps.”   Hill-Murray coach Betty Trull clearly understood how her players felt in the moment. It was her first rodeo, too. The freshman coach has done an outstanding job of creating a fun, positive environment where the athletes can play freely and celebrate each other's successes. What they discovered on Wednesday was just how much remains to be learned.   “Yeah. I mean, to be honest, when you're on a big stage, it does kind of expose you,” Trull said “It exposes your team culture, it exposes your effort, your mental toughness. And I think for us, we have all the talent in the world. We have kids that are really resilient and they practice hard, they play hard. I think for us, it's just stepping up in big moments.”   Chanhassen makes history   Chanhassen High School is less than 20 years old with a history in girls basketball that hasn't written many headlines. That changed this year as the Storm made it to the State Tournament for the first time. After stunning many with their win over powerhouse Minnetonka in the Section 2AAAA final, the Storm had their debut on Wednesday at Williams Arena against 2nd-seed Rosemount, a deep and talented crew whose poise and experience are well-earned.   It was a competitive contest with Chanhassen's starting five doing their utmost to stay within striking distance. Led by Division 1 recruits [player_tooltip player_id='766676' first='Skyler' last='Mancini'] (St. Thomas), [player_tooltip player_id='630241' first='Kate' last='Arnold'] (South Dakota) and Lyla Hentges (St. Thomas), the Storm were remarkably effective against a much deeper Rosemount roster that includes University of Minnesota commit [player_tooltip player_id='578467' first='Amisha' last='Ramlall'].   “It felt surreal,” Hentges said when asked what it was like to have her name announced on the public address system and to hear the massive Chan student section erupt. “It's crazy that there's just so much support there. And that everybody's there believing in you.”   Coach Bart Ininger said the girls had some opening-night jitters. “I do think the big stage kind of got to us a little bit,” he said.. “We played a little tight at the beginning and you can't do that against a team like Rosemont. They jumped on us early. To our credit, even though we didn't play the way that we're capable of, we cut into their lead in the second half and had some opportunities to cut into it even more. For us, it was a learning experience.”   “We just try to talk to our kids all the time about being in the moment and enjoying the moment because this is not guaranteed at all,” Coach Inninger said. “We just enjoyed it all, but we wanted to come out and compete and get after it and ran into a great team.”   Hentges, who scored 17 points against the Irish, and her teammates believed a trip to State was possible, and they delivered. “I think from the beginning of the season we just always had that belief," she said. "We all work really hard. We're all very close and we all have each other's backs. So I think we've always had that belief in ourselves.”   Despite years of experience and State Tournament appearances in 2021, 2022 and 2024, it was Irish coach Chris Orr who made the rookie mistake on day 1. “I forgot to order the bus!” he said. They did not forget how to win. Final score: Irish 71 Storm 56.   Mayo had just what the doctor ordered   Back in the day, Rochester Mayo was a regular at the State Tournament with a dozen appearances and state championships in 1995 and 1997. The last time the Spartans participated, however, was 11 years ago when star performers [player_tooltip player_id='806429' first='Amelia' last='Mills'] and [player_tooltip player_id='908260' first='Maggie' last='Dyer'] were in pre-school. There were no nerves in their return, though, as the Spartans earned a 73-71 win over Monticello. We've seen Mills do some incredible work over the years but this was her finest performance on the biggest stage. Amelia went 11-for-18 from the field, 4-of-5 from three, for 26 points with 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 6 steals.   “We knew today was going to be a battle and that's kind of what we prepared for,” said coach Andy Bromeling. “I've been saying it for a long time: It's heart over height, and our kids just work their butts off no matter what the situation is, no matter what the score is. That's why you go 29-1. You just don't give up."   "We have so much experience,” he added. “We might be young, but the moment's not too big and that's what I told them. Don't worry about the wins and losses. Just enjoy the moment because this is a life-changing thing for you.”

Been there, done that. In the world of State Tournament basketball, you simply cannot assign a value to having played in Minnesota's biggest basketball event before. We saw that scenario play out on multiple fronts Wednesday as teams like Hill-Murray and Chanhassen and East Ridge learned first-hand just how hard it is to win on your maiden voyage to the big dance.