CRETIN-DERHAM HALL TOOK ON WAYZATA IN A BOYS’ BASKETBALL CONTEST

Cretin-Derham Hall took on Wayzata in a boys’ basketball contest. Cretin came into the game with a record of 5-0. Wayzata came into the game with a record of 5-2.

Both teams came out and looked to push the down the court.

Cretin looked to take time off the clock in the first half. They wanted to get the ball into the big man’s hands.

The score went back and forth throughout the first half. Neither team was able to go on a run in the early goings.

With about 12:00 left to go in the first half Cretin went on a mini run.

With 9:25 left to go in the first half the score was Cretin-Derham Hall 17 and Wayzata 12.

Wayzata went on a run after that. They were able to get within a point at 17-18 with 7:30 left to go in the first half.

Both teams continued to push the ball in transition.

CJ Neumann for Cretin-Derham-Hall found his shot late in the half. His teammates were able to get the ball to him where he was comfortable. Neumann did a good job of finishing around the basket.

Cretin-Derham Hall did a good job of scoring baskets in transition. As soon as the ball was out of the net one of the Cretin-Derham Hall guards got the ball and was off to the other end trying to score a basket.

At halftime the score was Wayzata 32 and Cretin-Derham Hall 29.

Cretin-Derham Hall came out in a zone defense to start the second half. They wanted to slow down Wayzata.

Wayzata continued to make their shots that they put up. Wayzata went on a run in the beginning of the second half.

Cretin-Derham Hall trapped Wayzata near half court. They were looking for them to turn the ball over.

With 6:45 left to go in regulation the score was Wayzata 59 and Cretin-Derham Hall 43.

Wayzata was all over the court. All of their players boxed out and went after loose balls.

Cretin-Derham Hall went on a run late.

Wayzata was able to withstand Cretin-Derham Hall’s run at the end of the game. Wayzata came away with the 68-64 victory over Cretin-Derham Hall.

TOTINO-GRACE TOOK ON HILL-MURRAY IN A BOYS’ BASKETBALL CONTEST

Totino-Grace took on Hill-Murray in a boys’ basketball contest. Totino-Grace came into the game with a record of 3-2. Hill-Murray came into the game with a record of 4-4.

Hill-Murray wanted to control the ball in the contest. On the offensive end they took their time with the ball, as they wanted to find their shots.

Both teams found their shots early on. The scoring went back and forth for a period of time in the first half.

Totino-Grace went on a run with about 10:00 left to go in the first half.

Hill-Murray looked inside to their big men for scoring chances.

Both teams looked to push the ball down the court.

Totino-Grace took their time on the offensive end. They passed the ball around the three-point arch for a while, as they wanted to burn a lot of time off the clock.

The game was close throughout the first half.

At halftime the score was Hill-Murray 27 and Totino-Grace 23.

As the second half got underway Hill-Murray came out in a zone defense.

Hill-Murray went on a run to open the second half. They were able to find their shots early and often.

Totino continued to make their shots in the second half. Hill-Murray made that hard for them because of the defensive pressure that they were using.

Hill-Murray played hard throughout the game. They were able to go on a run midway through the second half.

Hill-Murray came away with the 72-52 victory over Totino-Grace.

ST PAUL CENTRAL TOOK ON HOLY ANGELS IN A BOYS’ BASKETBALL CONTEST

The St Paul Central Minutemen took on the Holy Angels Stars in a boys’ basketball game. Holy Angels came into the game with a record of 2-6. St. Paul Central came into the game with a record of 3-3.  

 

The game was close throughout the first half. Neither team was able to go on a run throughout the first half.

Both teams applied full court pressure. Holy Angels went to a zone defense.

St. Paul Central looked to get the ball into the hands of Malik Akil Glass. Glass did a good job of driving to the lane.

Holy Angels was able to make their shots late in the half.

At halftime the score was Holy Angels 24 and St. Paul Central 12.

St. Paul Central came out on fire as they were able to start the half on a run. They looked to Markus Taylor-Knighten for their scoring. He was on.

St. Paul Central went on a run midway through the second half.

The score went back and forth in the second half. Both teams dove on the floor for loose balls and they both crashed the boards.

Holy Angels continued to go hard after Central as they were able to apply pressure and get them out of their rhythm.

The game was close throughout the contest.

I thought that Dwayne Cannady did a good job of defending his player. Cannady slowed down his opponent on the offensive and he was able to be his defender off the dribble.

Central went back to a full court press. They did a good job of making it tough for Holy Angels to make shots.

Glass continued to take the ball strong to the basket. He was not afraid to make an extra pass or pass up a shot if his teammates had a better shot.

The game came down to the wire. Holy Angels came away with the 56-53 victory over St. Paul Central.

MINNEAPOLIS SOUTHWEST TOOK ON ST. AGNES IN A BOYS’ BASKETBALL GAME

The Minneapolis Southwest Lakers took on the St. Agnes Aggies in a boys’ basketball contest. Both teams came into the game with records of 3-5.

Southwest looked to get into their offensive sets from the start of the game. They took their time on the offensive end.

St. Agnes came out in a zone defense. They looked to spread Southwest out.

Southwest also looked to get out and run with the ball. Transition baskets were a huge part of Southwest’s game plan.

Southwest also went to a zone defense. Both teams traded baskets early in the contest. Neither team was able to go on a run.

Rodney Pierce-Tyler did a good job of finding the basket in the first half. He took it hard to the basket and was able to get to the free throw line. On the defensive end Pierce-Tyler was able to slow down his defender.

Southwest took their time with the basketball, as they passed the ball around the three-point line.

The score went back and forth for a period of time in the first half. Both teams did a good job of going after loose balls as they were diving on the floor to go after them.

Southwest did a good job of defending the zone defense. They didn’t get frustrated in it. St. Agnes was in the zone for most of the first half.

For Southwest Aaron Bell-Bey did a good job of getting to the basket. He was able to make a short jump shot from inside the paint area.

St. Agnes went on a run late in the half. They were able to knock down a few shots in a row. Southwest had trouble finding their shots late the half.

At halftime the score was St. Agnes 35 and Minneapolis Southwest 21.

As the second half got underway both teams came out playing very aggressively. They each took the ball hard to the basket.

St. Agnes came out on fire they were able to continue to shoot the ball well. St. Agnes did a good job of switching screens. They were able to get through them well.

Julius Williams for Southwest took the ball hard to the basket. Williams lead a run midway through the second half.

Southwest continued to play aggressively though out the second half. They continued their run.

I thought that both teams played well and hard throughout the game.

St. Agnes came away with the 57-48 victory over Minneapolis Southwest.

MINNEAPOLIS SOUTHWEST TOOK ON CRETIN-DERHAM HALL IN A BOYS’ BASKETBALL CONTEST

Minneapolis Southwest took on Cretin-Derham Hall in a boys’ basketball contest. Southwest came into the game with a record of 3-3. Cretin-Derham Hall came into the game with a record of 3-0.

Southwest looked to push the ball up the court to start the game off. They were able to hit their shots at the beginning of the game.

With 15:52 left to go in the first half the score was Southwest 7 and Cretin-Deham Hall 3.

Southwest continued to hit shots. They were able to get into their offense and get the shots that they wanted.

Southwest looked to push the ball up the court. They looked to get the ball into Will Kalberg-Tylor’s hands. Kalberg-Taylor did a good job of running the Southwest offense. He was able to knock down shots in the first half.

Cretin-Derham Hall went on a run and they tied the game at 23 with 6:30 left to go in the first half.

Jon Geske for Cretin-Derham Hall found his shot and was able to knock down a midrange jump shot.

Southwest played aggressively throughout the first half. Southwest did a good job of controlling the ball in the first half. They were able to find their shots.

Rodney Ross also found his shot late in the half. He provided an offensive spark for Southwest.

At halftime the score was Cretin 36 and Southwest 34.

As the second half got underway both teams came out playing aggressively. They each dove on the floor after loose balls and go after rebounds.

Southwest continued to move the ball on the offensive end. They wanted to take time off the clock.

For Southwest Aaron Bell-Bey did a good job of looking for his teammate in the low block. He wanted to post up his player and looked to drive it strong to the basket.

The scoring went back and forth for a period of time in the second half.

Both teams took a lot of three-point shots in the second half. Neither team was able to make the three-point shot but they were both taking a lot of them.

The game was close throughout the second half. Neither team went on a run in the second half.

Cretin went on a run midway in the second half. Southwest had a hard time finding the basket. They did not give up as Southwest continued to go hard at Southwest.

Cretin came away with the 74-62 victory over Minneapolis Southwest. Southwest was not able to withstand Cretin’s run in the middle of the half.

HILL-MURRAY TOOK ON ST. PAUL CENTRAL IN A BOYS’ BASKETBALL CONTEST

Hill-Murray took on St. Paul Central in a boys’ basketball contest. Central won the tip. Hill-Murray started the game in a man-to-man defense. They wanted to apply pressure to Central from the beginning of the game.

The game got off to a quick start as each team got the ball up the court in a quick fashion. Both teams were able to trade baskets early on.

Hill-Murray went on a run midway through the first half. Central was not able to hit their shots to fall in the first half. They did not give up though as they were able to go hard after Hill-Murray.

Both teams made their shots down the stretch in the first half.

Central went on a run late in the half.

At halftime the score was Hill-Murray 35 and Central 31.

St. Paul Central came out of the halftime break in a man-to-man full court press. They wanted to get Hill-Murray out of the game.

Hill-Murray went to a zone defense. They wanted to spread Central out. Hill Murray went on a run early in the half.

Hill-Murray looked to keep the ball out of the hands of the Central players in the second half. They did a good job of that.

St. Paul Central didn’t get bothered by the pressure that Hill-Murray applied.

St. Paul Central trapped Hill-Murray and they looked to steal the ball. They were able to turn Hill-Murray over in the second half.

Central went on a run late in the contest. They cut the deficit to one with 2:00 left to go in the contest.

The game came down to the wire. The score went back and forth in the last 2:00 of the contest.

Hill-Murray came away with the 64-62 victory over St. Paul Central.

HOLY ANGELS TOOK ON WAYZATA IN A BOYS’ BASKETBALL CONTEST

The Holy Angels Stars took on the Wayzata Trojans in a boys’ basketball contest. Holy Angels came into the contest with a record of 1-5. Wayzata came into the game a record of 3-2.

Holy Angels started the game in a man-to-man defense. They were very active on the defensive end. They looked to get Wayzata out of sync early on.

Wayzata looked to a full court press. They wanted to pressure Holy Angels and that made it difficult for them to get the ball down the court. Wayzata used that to their advantage as they were able to score baskets off of turnovers.

Both teams looked to get out and run. They each wanted to score baskets in transitions. Wayzata was better at that early in the contest.

Wayzata got out to a quick start. They were up by a score of 6-2 with 13:00 left in the first half. Holy Angels had trouble making shots.

Holy Angels did not give up or get down. They kept on shooting their shots.

Holy Angels had trouble running their plays. Players were not in the right places on the floor. Wayzata was able to use that to their advantage as they were able to get steals off of bad passes.

Holy Angels went to a zone defense with about 7:00 left to go. They wanted to slow down Wayzata when they were on offense.

Holy Angels could not find their shots in the first half. They also had a few 5-second calls that went against them. The Holy Angels players got frustrated because they didn’t think that they were getting the call that they deserved.

At halftime the score was Wayzata 27 and Holy Angels 16.

Wayzata continued to look to push the ball down the court in the second half. They continued to use the full court press and were able to frustrate Holy Angels in the second half.

Wayzata took a lot of time off the clock when they were on offense. They held the ball and swung it around the three-point line. That made Holy Angels players come out and guard them around the three point line.

Holy Angels went on run midway through the second half. They got within six at 27-33 with 10:33 left to go in the contest.

Both teams continued to push the ball down the court in the second half. Holy Angels did not give up. They played aggressively throughout the game.

Wayzata didn’t give up. They also played well. Wayzata came out on fire to start the game and they didn’t let Holy Angels catch them.

In a hard fought game by both teams Wayzata came away with the 52-41 victory over Holy Angels.

HOLIDAY BASKETBALL TOURNAMENTS GET UNDERWAY

It is holiday time and that means spending time with the family and friends. The holiday times are also a time when holiday basketball tournaments get underway across the state. Monday December 27, 2010 teams will fan out across the state to partake in the annual tradition.

Along with basketball there are also many high school hockey, wrestling and other winter sports activities that will take place throughout the week.
 
Check out the Minneapolis Star Tribune for the local tournament schedule.

SOUTH DAKOTA STATE UNIVERSITY TOOK ON THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA IN A MEN’S BASKETBALL CONTEST

South Dakota State University took on the University of Minnesota in a men’s basketball contest at Williams Arena. South Dakota State University came in with a record of 8-3 overall.  
 

Minnesota came into the game with a record of 10-1. Minnesota was ranked number 16 in the country in Division 1 men’s basketball teams according to the USA Today/ ESPN coach’s poll for the week ending December 20, 2010.

For Minnesota point guard Al King Nolen was back in uniform after a foot injury. Nolen missed a few games with foot problems.

The Gophers won the opening tip. They looked to take their time on the offensive end. Trevor Mbakwe scored the Gophers first basket on a layup on the first play of the game. The Gophers looked to get everyone involved in the offense from the beginning of the game.

South Dakota State looked for Nate Wolters to get them into their offensive flow. Wolters was not afraid to shoot the ball from anywhere on the court.

With 15:56 left to go in the first half the score was Minnesota 8 and South Dakota State 7.

The Gophers continued to push the ball up the court after the media timeout. Al King Nolen Jr. entered the game with 15:12 left to go in the first half.

South Dakota State used a lot of time off the clock when they were on the offensive end. They were able to go on a run after the media timeout. South Dakota State was able to put the clamps on the Gophers offensively for a period of time in the first half.

With 11:09 left to go in the first half at the second media timeout the score was South Dakota 17 and Minnesota 12.

Chip Armelin played aggressively in the first half. He was able to come up with a nice steal and was able to make a slam dunk. That got the crowd into the game.

Devoe Joseph came on fire midway through the first half. He was able to drain a few three-point shots.

With 7:59 left to go in the first half the score was Minnesota 22 and South Dakota State University 21.

The score went back and forth throughout the later part of the half. Neither team was able to go on a run.

The Gophers played well throughout the first half. I thought that they took the ball hard to the basket. South Dakota State University didn’t back down to the Gophers.

With 3:48 left to go in the first half at the final media timeout the score was Minnesota 29 and South Dakota State University 25.

The Gophers played well late in the half. At halftime the score was Minnesota 34 and South Dakota State 29.

The Gophers got the ball to start the second half. Joseph launched a three point shot and made it to start off the half.

Sampson found his three-point shot in the second half. He was not to keep shooting the ball.

South Dakota State made a comeback in the second half. They were able to make a run at the Gophers.

With 15:38 the score was Minnesota 46 and South Dakota State 43.

With 14:19 left to go in the second half Walker banged his knee and was helped off the floor by teammates and team medical staff.

The Gophers continued to run their plays in the second half. They played very aggressively on both ends of the court.

With 10:44 to go in regulation the score was Minnesota 55 and South Dakota State University 49.

South Dakota State continued to get the ball into Wolters hands. He went hard to the basket and tried to draw fouls.

Mbakwe picked up his fourth foul with 8:33 left to go in regulation.

With 7:51 left to go in regulation the score was Minnesota 61 and South Dakota State University 60.

The Gophers continued to play hard in the half. They were on some wrong ends of a few questionable calls. They used that to their advantage though as they kept on pounding the ball to the rack.

With 5:25 left to go in regulation the score was Minnesota 68 and South Dakota State University 64.

The Gophers went on a run after that timeout. With 3:04 left to go in regulation South Dakota State called a timeout to settle down there troops.

South Dakota State University applied full court pressure as they looked to get rattle the Gophers.

With 2:42 left to go in regulation the score was Minnesota 73 and South Dakota State University 66.

I thought Williams of the University of Minnesota played well. He was able to come up big and knock down some shots at key points in the game.

The Gophers were able to come away with the 85-73 victory over South Dakota State University.

The leading scorers for South Dakota State University were Clint Sargent with 23, Nate Wolters with 16 and Jordan Dykstra finished with 12 points.

The Gophers were led in scoring by Colton Iverson and Blake Hoffarber each with 15 points. Rodney Williams had 13 for the Gophers.

After the game Minnesota’s Tubby Smith addressed the media and talked about the 85-73 victory over South Dakota State. Also Devoe Joseph and Al King Nolen Jr. addressed the media to talk about the victory. 

BLAINE TOOK ON OSSEO IN A BOYS’ BASKETBALL CONTEST

The Blaine Bengals took on the Osseo Orioles in a boys’ basketball contest. Blaine came into the contest with a record of 2-1. Osseo came into the game with a record of 4-0. Osseo was ranked #3 in the state.

Osseo came out in an aggressive man-to-man defense to start the game. They wanted to make Blaine work for all of their baskets that they put up.

Blaine looked to get the ball into their 6’7" center Zach Romashko. He posted up on the low block. His teammates looked for him to score from that low block area.

Osseo guard Terez Wayne VanPelt did a good job of getting his team into the offense. VanPelt was quick with the ball. The Blaine players had a tough time guarding him.

Osseo also looked to get the ball into the hands of Darren James Herbert. Herbert was all over the court. He was very aggressive with the ball.

Osseo applied full court pressure. They wanted to slow Blaine down from the beginning of the game. One of the keys for Osseo was for them to try to contain Romashko.

The scoring went back and forth early in the contest.

Blaine took their time on the offensive end. They looked for Romashko as their inside presence.

The score was close in the first half. Neither team was able to go on a run.

Will Johnson for Osseo was very aggressive under the basket. Johnson also got the ball on the low block and powered the ball hard to the basket. On the defensive end Johnson was able to clamp down his opponents and deter them from scoring.

Joey Sonnnenfeld for Osseo was another player who was all over the court. He was a workhorse on the wing.

VanPelt knew where his teammates were on the floor and he was able get them the ball where they could score the easy basket.

Romashko did a good job of going hard to the basket. Tanner Schumacher for Blaine did a good job of knocking down three point shots. He was very confident in his shots.

Blaine did a good job of knocking down their shots that they put up. Osseo had trouble making theirs.

The first half went back and forth. At halftime the score was Blaine 26 and Osseo 25.

As the second half got underway Osseo came out on fire. They stepped up the intensity on both sides of the ball.

Blaine continued to go strong after Osseo. Blaine really got after it. They got Osseo out of their game in the first half.

Both teams played very aggressively in the contest. They dove on the ground after loose balls and there were many tie-ups as they both went for the ball.

Osseo didn’t give up. They battled back. I thought that that they received some questionable calls from the officiating crew midway through the second half.

Osseo stepped up their defensive pressure.

With 5:42 left to go in regulation the score was Blaine 46 and Osseo 41.

Both teams shot the ball at a frantic pace late in the contest. The intensity picked up but they both shot the ball quickly in their offenses.

With 3:24 left to go in the contest the score was Blaine 54 and Osseo 46.

Osseo looked to trap Blaine. They made them work for every shot they could take.

The game came down to the wire. Osseo tried to make a comeback late in the contest but was unsuccessful.

Blaine came away with the 61-53 victory over Osseo.

MINNEAPOLIS SOUTH TOOK ON RICHFIELD IN A BOYS’ BASKETBALL CONTEST

The Minneapolis South Tigers took on the Richfield Spartans in a boys’ basketball contest. Both teams started out looking to push the ball down the court.

For South they looked to get the ball into Thomas Edison Ford’s and Mohammed Adbifatah Mohammed’s hands.

South started the game on fire as they were able to knock down quick shots from all over the court. There was nothing that Richfield could do. They did try to slow South down.

Richfield came alive though. They were able to go on a run and tie the game at 9 with 14:30 left in the first half.

Jared Noonan came off the bench and was able to step up and play good defense. He was able to slow down his defender. With 13:13 left to go in the first half Noonan picked up a technical foul for shoving his defender.

Wibisono Marjonio MacDonald came into the game with about 13:00 left to go. MacDonald took the ball hard to the basket. He was able to blow past his defenders and take it hard to the basket.

Richfield did a good job of taking the ball to the basket. South was aggressive on both ends of the court.

South’s pressure was able to get to Richfield. South was able to turn Richfield over and they were able to score.

Mohammed did a good job of getting the ball up the court for South. He was so quick with the ball he was able to blow by his defenders.

Both teams did a good job of running with the ball. They each wanted to get the ball out of the net and run with it.

The defense that was displayed by both teams was very good. Neither team gave up easy baskets in the first half.

Evans did a good job of getting the rebound and going up with it. He was able to get fouled and get to the line many times in the first half.

The pace was very quick late in the half as both teams looked to score baskets in transition. The score went back and forth late in the half.

At halftime the score was Minneapolis South 43 and Richfield 41.

As the second half got underway Richfield came out on fire. They were able to knock down their shots that they were putting up.

Deshawn Jones stepped for Richfield as he was able to knock down a few three point shots. That gave Richfield a 50-47 lead with 15:30 left to go in regulation.

Mohamed continued to work hard to get the ball in the second half. His teammates did a good job of getting him the ball on the court. Mohamed was not afraid to drive hard to the basket.

For Richfield Shawn Ray Bear flew down the court with the ball. He was able to score baskets in transition.

The game was close midway through the second half. Then Richfield went on a run midway through the half.

MacDonald came back into the game and played well on the defensive end. He was all over his opponent.

Both teams traded baskets in the second half for a period of time.

Isaiah Wilson for South came off the bench and looked to launch three point shots. He was unsuccessful with the first three attempts he put up but was still determined to pull them.

Richfield pulled away with about 4:00 left to go in the contest. South was not able to make their shots down the stretch.

Noonan came to life late in the contest as he was able to hit his shots that he put up.

Richfield came away with the 96-68 victory over Minneapolis South.

I thought that Bear, MacDonald and Noonan all played well for Richfield. I also thought that Mohamed played well for South.

I was joined by the Twin Cities Hoops Czar. Check out his thoughts of the Minneapolis South vsersus Richfield battle.

MINNEAPOLIS SOUTH TOOK ON RICHFIELD IN THE BOYS’ BASKETBALL JUNIOR VARSITY CONTEST

The Minneapolis South Tigers took on the Richfield Spartans in a boys’ basketball junior varsity game. The JV team was made up of mostly sophomores and juniors.
 
Both teams came out shooting the ball. They both were able to hit their shots early in the contest. The score went back and forth throughout the first half.

Richfield looked to get to get to ball into the hands of Wibisono Marjonio MacDonald’s hands. MacDonald was all over the court. His teammates looked for him to score.

With 11:30 left to go in the first half the score was Richfield 12 and Minneapolis South 8.

Richfield took their time on the offensive end. They were able to get the ball to their inside post players who would take it strong to the basket.

Both teams did a god job of shooting the ball in the first half.

Richfield went on a run with just 9:00 left to go. South didn’t back down. They kept on playing strong defense.

Richfield used a full court press. They were able to get South out of their rhythm. Richfield was able to score off of the steals that they were creating.

With 6:47 left to go in the first half the score was Richfield 22 and South 10.

MacDonald did a good job of trapping the ball on the defensive end. He was really able to go after his defender.

South was not able to make a basket for a period of time in the first half. Richfield was able to capitalize on that and they were able to score a few quick baskets.

With 3:06 left in the first half the score was Richfield 26 and South 12.

Richfield continued to shoot the ball well late in the half.

South went to a zone defense late in the half. They wanted to try to spread Richfield out.

At halftime the score was Richfield 30 and South 17.

As the second half got started both teams came out firing on all levels. Both teams really got after it as the defense stepped up on both ends of the floor.

South tried to trap Richfield when they reached half court. They were not able to get Richfield out of their offensive pattern.

MacDonald only played the first half of the game. Due to Minnesota High School League rules a basketball player is only allowed to play three halves in a night. MacDonald could play two halves of the varsity game. That is why he didn’t play in the second half.

Richfield continued to score easy baskets throughout the second half. They were able to come away with the 47-23 victory over Minneapolis South.

ST. THOMAS ACADEMY TOOK ON CRETIN-DERHAM HALL IN A BOYS’ BASKETBALL CONTEST

St. Thomas Academy took on Cretin-Derham-Hall in a boys’ basketball contest. Cretin-Derham Hall came into the game with a record of 2-0. St. Thomas Academy came into the game with a record of 2-0.
 

Both teams got off to a fast start as they each looked to push the ball in transition. St. Thomas came out in a man-to-man defense. They looked to slow down Cretin-Derham Hall when they were on offense.
 

Cretin-Derham Hall’s Raijon Kelly came up big in the first half as he was able to find the basket and make his shots. His team did a good job of getting him the ball. Kelly made most of his shots inside of the paint.
 

St. Thomas Academy had a hard time finding their shots in the first half. They did not give up as they kept shooting the ball.
 

Both teams went back and forth in the first half. St. Thomas Academy didn’t back down. They kept on going after Cretin-Derham Hall.
 

Both teams were diving on the floor for loose balls. Neither team gave up in the first half.
 

At halftime the score was Cretin-Derham Hall 36 and St. Thomas Academy 26.
 

As the second half got underway St. Thomas Academy came out in a tough man-to-man defense.
 

Both teams played very aggressively in the game. Kelly continued to play hard in the second half. He went after loose balls. With 14:16 left to go in the second half he went down with a leg cramp. He was attended to by the trainers and walked off under his own power.

Cretin-Derham Hall continued to make their shots in the second half.

St. Thomas Academy went on run midway in the second half. They cut the deficit to 10.

Cretin-Derham Hall got sloppy with the ball. They had many turnovers late in the contest. St. Thomas Academy made a run late in the contest.

The game went back and forth. I thought that both teams played well. Cretin-Derham-Hall came away with the 65-61 victory over St. Thomas Academy. Cretin-Derham Hall was led in scoring by Raijon Kelly with 21 pts. St. Thomas Academy was led in scoring by Thomas Sjoberg who scored 26 points.

I was joined by the Twin Cities Hoops Czar. Check out his thoughts on the St. Thomas Academy VS Cretin-Derham Hall game.

BENILDE-ST. MARGARET’S TOOK ON HOPKINS IN A BOYS’ BASKETBALL CONTEST

Benilde-St. Margaret’s took on Hopkins in a boys’ basketball contest. Hopkins came into the game with a record of 3-0 and Benilde-St. Margaret’s came into the game with a record of 2-0. The game got off to a quick start. Both teams were able to get into their offense early on.

Hopkins used a full court man-to-man defense. They looked to push the ball in transition. Siyani Chambers for Hopkins looked to get into get the ball into his teammates hands. He was not afraid to shoot the ball himself if he felt that he had an open shot.

Benilde-St. Margaret’s was not afraid to shoot the ball. They looked to get the ball into either Isaiah Zierdan’s hands or Sanjay Lumpkin’s hands.

With 12:16 left to go in the first half the score was Hopkins 22 and Benilde-St. Margaret’s 15.

Benilde-St. Margaret’s looked to take their time on the offensive end. They wanted to take as much time off the clock as they could. Head coach John Moore instructed his players to pass the ball around the three point line and look inside to their big man for scoring chances.

Andre Travaris McDonald for Hopkins was all over the court. On the defensive end McDonald was able to slow down his opponents. On the offensive end he was able to constantly hit a mid-range jumper. McDonald and Joe Coleman worked well together on the offensive end. They were able to feed each other and give each other assists.

With 7:55 left to go in the first half the score was Hopkins 33 and Benilde-St. Margaret’s 19.

Hopkins did a good job of getting out in the faces of the Benilde-St. Margaret’s players when they were on offense. That made it difficult for the Benilde-St. Margaret’s players to shoot the ball.

Coleman did a god job of creating offensive. He did not force shots. He made his defenders come out and defend him. Sometimes Benilde-St. Margaret’s players would try to trap him. Coleman did a good job of getting rid of the ball before he got into trouble.

Chambers was able to knock down the three point shot late in the half. He was very aggressive with the ball and was not afraid to shoot it.

In a fast pace first half the score at halftime was Hopkins 54 and Benilde-St. Margaret’s 39.

Benilde-St. Margaret’s looked to run with the ball to open up the second half. They came out on fire as they went on a run.

Hopkins was able to get their hands into the passing lanes of Benilde-St. Margaret’s passes. That made for some tough passes and deflections. Both teams did a good job of scrambling for the balls and going after loose ones.

The pace was fast and furious in the second half. Neither team slowed down. I thought that the pace favored Hopkins as they were able to score in transition more easily than Benilde-St. Margaret’s. 

Benilde-St. Margaret’s didn’t give up. They kept battling throughout the second half. They didn’t step down to Hopkins. They kept on going after them and didn’t quit.

In a game that saw a fast pace, Hopkins was able to get a quick lead and they never let it go. Hopkins came away with the 99-55 victory over Benilde-St. Margaret’s.

I thought that both teams played well throughout the game. Hopkins was just too much for Benilde-St. Margaret’s.

THE OSSEO ORIOLES SURVIVE THE ANOKA TORNADOS

The Osseo Orioles took on the Anoka Tornados in a boys’ basketball contest at Anoka. Osseo came into the game with a record of 3-0. Anoka came into the game with a record of 2-1.

Anoka started the game in a man-to-man defense. They wanted to get into the faces of the Osseo players.
 
Osseo also started out in a man-to-man defense. Osseo did a good job of communicating on the defensive end. They did not want to give up any easy shots.
 
Anoka looked to push the ball in transition. Their guards did a good job of pushing the ball and setting the tempo. Peter Johanson for Anoka found his shot early on for Anoka.
 
Osseo took their time on the offensive end. They had a tough time shooting the ball early in the first half. Osseo didn’t get down. They just kept on fighting.
 
Anoka went to a full court press. They applied pressure from full court. Osseo didn’t seem to get bothered by their pressure.
 
Osseo did a good job of breaking the press. Anoka stepped back to a zone defense. Anoka’s Eli Guptil came in and knocked down some key three-point shots. Osseo was able to counter their runs with runs of 
their own.
 
With 8:41 left to go in the first half the score was Anoka 21 and Osseo 19.
 
The game was close throughout the first half. Neither team was able to go on a run.
 
Osseo strung some baskets together late in the first half. They made a run at Anoka.
 
With about 3:00 left to go in the first half VanPelt knocked knees with another player. He was taken out of the game. He was looked at by the trainer and reentered the game with 1:46 left go in the half.
 
At halftime the score was tied at 26.
 
As the second half got underway both teams continued to go after each other. The game went back and forth. Neither team gave up.

Osseo tried to go on a run to open up the second half. They looked to swing the ball around the perimeter and took their time on the offensive end.

Osseo went on a run midway through the second half. Anoka kept on playing strong.
 
With 10:20 the score was Osseo 42 and Anoka 38.

VanPelt did a good job of taking the ball strong to the basket. He was able to score on drives to the basket.
 
Osseo was able to shut down Anoka on the offensive end. Anoka could not handle Osseo’s pressure.
 
Osseo pulled away late in the contest. Osseo came away with the 65-54 victory over Anoka. I thought that both teams played well. I thought that Spencer Grow and Brandon Lindquist played well for Anoka. 

For Osseo I thought that they played hard and together. I thought that Darren James Hebert, Joey Sonnefeld and Terez Wayne VanPelt played well as did all of the Osseo team.
 

BENILDE-ST. MARGARET’S TOOK ON HOLY ANGELS IN A BOYS’ BASKETBALL CONTEST

Benilde-St. Margaret’s took on Holy Angels in a boys’ basketball contest. Benilde-St. Margaret’s came into the game with a record of 1-0. Holy Angles had a record of 1-2.

Benilde-St. Margaret’s won the tip. They looked to push the ball from the start. They looked to get the ball into Isaiah Zierden’s hands.

Holy Angels looked to take a lot of time off the clock on their first few possessions. They passed the ball around the perimeter. Benilde-St. Margaret’s did a good job of getting their hands into the passing lanes and deflecting the passes.

Benilde-St. Margaret’s started the game in man-to-man then they switched right into a zone defense. They wanted to keep Holy Angels from getting the ball inside.

Evan Battle came off the bench for Benilde-St. Margaret’s. Battle did a good job of going after loose balls on both ends of the court.

Neither team was able to make shots that they were putting up. They didn’t panic. Both teams applied full court pressure.

Benilde-St. Margaret’s looked to trap the ball. That didn’t seem to bother Holy Angels at all as they were able to break the trapping pressure.

Battle was very aggressive on the defense end. He was in his opponents’ face and was able to alter his shot.

Holy Angels ran a motion offense. They used a lot of passing and cutting. Holy Angles wanted to take a lot of time off the clock.

The score went back and forth in the first half. Both teams had their trouble slowing each other down and stepping up and defending the three point shooters.

Sanjay Lumpkin was all over the court for Benilde-St. Margaret’s. He dove on the floor after loose balls and he was directing traffic telling his players where they should be on the offense end.

Holy Angels’ Alex Anderson did a good job off the bench running the offence. He took his time and he created a lot of one-on-one opportunities. Anderson did a good job of getting past his defender and taking it strong to the basket.

Benilde-St. Margaret’s went on a run late in the half. Holy Angels was not able to score baskets for a period of time late in the half. Benilde-St. Margaret’s was able to take advantage of that as they were able to find the basket.

The first half was very physical. Both teams got after it on both ends of the court.

At halftime the score was Benilde-St. Margaret’s 18 and Holy Angels 14.

Benilde-St. Margaret’s came out aggressively in a man-to-man defense to start the second half. Holy Angels had a hard time getting into their offense in the second half. Benilde-St. Margaret’s pressure was too much.

Zierden came up big in the second half. He was able to knock down some long-range three-point shots and keep Benilde-St. Margaret’s in the game.

I thought that Isaiah Gray for Benilde-St. Margaret’s forced his shots in the second half. He passed up some easy assists to his teammates for forced shots that didn’t go in. Gray played outstanding on the defensive end.

The game was very competitive. Both teams played very aggressively. Neither team gave up. I also thought that it was a defensive battle, as both teams played outstanding on the defensive end.

Holy Angles went on a run late in the game but they could not catch up to Benilde-St. Margaret’s.

Benilde-St. Margaret’s came away with the 51-40 victory over Holy Angles.

THE UNIVERSITY OF AKRON ZIPS TOOK ON THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA GOPHERS IN A MEN’S BASKETBALL CONTEST

The Akron Zips took on the University of Minnesota in a nonconference men’s basketball game at Williams Arena. Akron came into the game with a record of 4-3 overall. The Gophers came into the game with a record of 9-1. The Gophers were ranked number 20 in the nation according to the USA Today/ESPN Coaches poll.

Coming into the game Blake Hoffarber needed 6 points to get his 1,000th career point.

The Gophers won the tip. On their first possession they were not able to score. On the defensive end the Gophers started out in a matchup zone defense.

Akron looked to push the ball up the court from the start. They were able to take a lot of time off the clock.

Rodney Williams came up with a nice two-handed slam dunk that gave the Gophers some momentum early in the game.

With 15:45 left to go in the first half the score was Minnesota 8 and Akron 6.

The Gophers did a good job of pushing the ball in transition. They did however have a difficult time scoring baskets inside the paint.

With 10:31 left to go in the first half the score was Akron 12 and Minnesota 11.

Akron went on a run after the timeout. They were able to make shots. The Gophers were not able to get the ball in the basket for a period of time.

Williams did a god job of keeping the Gophers in sync on the offensive end. He knew where his teammates were on the court and was able to set them up in good spots to make shots.

With 6:00 left to go in regulation the score was Akron 19 and Minnesota 18.

Blake Hoffarber scored on a free throw with 5:22 left to go in the first half to give him his 1,000th point.

With 3:45 the score was Akron 25 and Minnesota 24.

The Gophers continued to shoot the ball late in the half.

The first half went back and forth. Both teams played well in the first half. At halftime the score was Akron 32 and Minnesota 27.
 

Minnesota kept looking for Mbakwe who was camped out on the low block for scoring chances. Mbakwe was very aggressive on both ends of the court.
 

With 15:08 left to go in regulation the score was tied at 34.
 

Both teams battled and the game went back and forth. Neither team was able to get into flow early in the second half. Both teams went hard after each other and neither gave up.
 

Mbakwe continued to play well on the low block. He and Ralph Sampson made some good passes to each other. Those two got to the line when they got fouled.
 

The Gophers went on a run with about 10:00 left to go in regulation. Akron was not able to recover after the Gophers went on their run.
 

The Gophers stepped up their game in the second half. I thought that the Gophers played much better in the second half. 

They were able to come away with the 66-58 victory over Akron. 

I thought that Akron played well throughout the game. I thought that Brian Walsh played well for Akron. He was all over the floor for Akron all night long.

The leading scorers for Akron were Steve Mcness with 12 points and Nikola Cvetinovic with 11 points. The leading scorers for Minnesota were Blake Hoffarber and Trevor Mbawkwe with 13 points each. Rodney Williams had 12 points and Devoe Joseph had 11 points.

After the game Minnesota’s head coach Tubby Smith addressed the media to talk about the game. Also Gopher players Rodney Williams and Trevor Mbakwe talked to the media about the game.

OSSEO SHOOTS DOWN THE ELKS IN A BOYS’ BASKETBALL CONTEST

The Elk River Elks took on the Osseo Orioles in a boys’basketball contest.  Osseo started out
the game with a hot hand.

Osseo was able to slow down Elk River. Elk River was not able to hit their shots at the beginning of the game.

Osseo got everyone involved in the game on the offensive end. Joey Sonnenfeld found his three- point shot midway through the first half. 

Osseo did a good job of getting everybody involved in the game. They took their time on the offensive end of the floor.

Terez Wayne VanPelt came alive late in the half. He played with a lot of emotion and energy. VanPelt was also a spark on the offensive end. 

At halftime the score was Osseo 40 and Elk River 20.

As the second half got underway Osseo came out and played very aggressively.  They continued to shoot the ball well.

Osseo continued to cruise in the second half.  Michael Brush came up with some nice shots in
the second half.  Will Johnson stepped up and knocked down some shots.

Elk River was not able to hit their shots.

Osseo was able to get everybody involved in the game. I thought that they played hard
and well together. 

Osseo came away with the 78-43 victory over Elk River.

SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA STATE TOOK ON CONCORDIA ST. PAUL IN A MEN’S BASKETBALL CONTEST

The Southwest Minnesota State Mustangs took on the Concordia St. Paul Golden Bears in a men’s basketball contest at Concordia St.Paul.

Concordia looked to run with the ball in transition from the beginning of the game. Southwest Minnesota State started in a man-to-man defense. Concordia St. Paul also started on in a man-to-man

defense.

Minnesota State looked to apply pressure at the half court line. Both teams looked to push the ball down the court in transition.

Concordia looked for Isaiah Thomas on the offensive end. He found his shot and his teammates were able to keep feeding him the ball.

Concordia’s Peter Olafeso found his shot and was successful shooting it. Peter also did a good job of defending this opponent.

Minnesota State looked to have a lot of movement in their offense

With 10:53 left to go in the first half the score was Concordia St. Paul 14 and Southwest Minnesota State 11.

Concordia switched up between man-to-man defense and zone defense. They wanted to get Southwest Minnesota State off guard.  They were able to do that from time to time throughout the first half.

With 8:53 left to go in the first half the score was Southwest Minnesota State 18 and Concordia St. Paul 14.

After the media timeout Southwest Minnesota State continued to make their shots. Concordia St. Paul had a difficult time making shots for a period of time in the first half. Southwest Minnesota State was

able to use that to their advantage as they were able to score baskets and extend their lead.

Concordia used that as a wakeup call as they were able to rattle off some points and Southwest Minnesota State was not able to counter.

The score went back and forth late in the first half. Both teams continued to go after each other.

The first half was a game of runs. Both teams were able to go on runs. The game did not get out of hand as they were each able to counter the other team's run.

At halftime the score was Southwest Minnesota State 34 and Concordia St. Paul 31.

Southwest Minnesota State’s Lavione West came alive in the second half. He took the ball hard to the basket.

Southwest Minnesota State continued to make shots on the offensive end. They didn’t let the pressure of Concordia St. Paul get to them.

Southwest Minnesota State was able to go on a run midway through the second half.

The game went back and forth throughout the second half.

Just as Southwest Minnesota State was able to go on a run Concordia St. Paul was able to go on one of their own.

The game came down to the wire. Concordia St. Paul came away with the 67-66 victory over Southwest Minnesota State.

The leading scorers for Southwest Minnesota State were Scott Roehl with 13 points and Jordan Miller

with 8 points. The leading scorers for Concordia St. Paul were Peter Olafeso with 19 and Isaiah Thomas with 14.

BRETT FAVRE CAREER STARTS ENDS AT 297

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Favre starting streak of 297 consecutive regular-season games and 321 games overall has come to an end. He did not start against the New York Giants. 

The quarterback began his starting streak on Sept.27, 1992.

He is nursing a sore shoulder. 

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL COACH MIKE HERBERT RETIRES

According to Gophersports.com, University of Minnesota Women's Volleyball Head Coach Mike Hebert announced his retirement at a team meeting on Saturday, Dec. 11 2010.

 

He finished with a record of 952-392, a 381-125 mark in his 15 years at Minnesota.

EASTERN KENTUCKY TOOK ON THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA MENS' BASKETBALL NONCONCONFERENCE GAME

Eastern Kentucky University Colonels traveled to the University of Minnesota to take on the Gophers in a nonconference basketball game. Eastern Kentucky came into the game with a record of 5-4. Minnesota came in with a record of 8-1. Minnesota was ranked number 20 in the country according to the USA Today, coach’s poll. They were ranked number 22 in the Associated Press poll.

The Gophers won the tip. They started in a motion offense. They looked to get a lot of movement of the ball on the offensive end.  

The Gophers played a matchup zone defense.  

Eastern Kentucky was not afraid to shoot the ball from anywhere on the court. 

Devoe Joseph started the game for the Gophers. He did a good job of setting up the Gophers on the offensive end. Devoe knew where his teammates were supposed to be on the court at all times and was shouting directions to his teammates. 

With 15:22 left to go in the first half the score was Minnesota 8 and Eastern Kentucky 5.

At the first media timeout the University of Minnesota’s new football head coach Jerry Kill was introduced to the crowd. 

The Gophers continued to shoot the ball. They looked to get the ball into Trevor Mbakwe’s hands. They also looked for Blake Hoffarber for the long three point shot.

Eastern Kentucky did a good job of applying pressure to the Gophers. They were very aggressive on the defensive end.

With 11:51 left to go in the first half the score was Eastern Kentucky 13 and Minnesota 10.

Eastern Kentucky did a good job of job of taking a lot of time off the clock. They made good passes to each other and where able to make a lot of cuts and looked to get their shots off with under 10 seconds left to go on the 35 second shot clock. 

The Gophers continued to push the ball down the court. They looked to get into their offense starting at center court.

Eastern Kentucky went on a run with 8:00 left to go in the first half. The Gophers went through a period where they could not score.

With 7:43 left to go in the first half the score was Eastern Kentucky 17 and Minnesota 12.

The Gophers didn’t back down. After the timeout they went on a run of their own. They were able to string some points together and make a run at Eastern Kentucky.

 

With 3:54 left to go in the first half the score was Eastern Kentucky 22 and Minnesota 20.

Minnesota’s Maverick Ahanmisi drained a three point shot at the buzzer which was good after a review.

At halftime the score was Minnesota 28 and Eastern Kentucky 25.

As the second half got underway both teams came out on fire. The Gophers continued to shoot the ball well. They continued to look inside out.

Ralph Sampson came to life in the second half. He found his shot and seemed to be very confident in shooting it.

With 11:44 left to go in regulation the score was Minnesota 39 and Eastern Kentucky 25. 

The defense that both teams played in the game was right on. Neither team was able to shoot the ball well throughout the game.  That led to a low scoring affair for both teams.

Chip Armelin came through in the second half as he stepped up and made some big plays in the second half for the Gophers.  

The Gophers were able to pull away midway through the second half. The first half was a little sloppy by both teams. The Gophers were able to play a little better in the second half. 

With 3:55 left to go in regulation the score was Minnesota 61 and Eastern Kentucky 46.

The Gophers were able to come away with the 71-58 victory over Eastern Kentucky.

The leading scorer for Eastern Kentucky was Justin Stommes with 19 points. The leading scorers for Minnesota were Ralph Sampson with 19 points and Blake Hoffarber and Trevor Mbakwe with 14 each. 

Tubby Smith addressed the media after the game to talk about the victory.  Also Gopher players Ralph Sampson and Blake Hoffarber addressed the media to talk about the game.