MARCUS MARTEZE MARSHALL

ST. CLOUD APOLLO TOOK ON ROGERS IN A BOYS' BASKETBALL CONTEST

St. Cloud Apollo took on Rogers in a boys' basketball game. Apollo came into the game with a record
of 17-4. Rogers entered the game with a record of 14-7.
 

Both teams looked to get the ball around the three-point line. Apollo looked to get the ball into the
hands of Ibrahim Bashir Abukar. Abukar knew where his teammates were on the court and he was able to get them the ball when they had the best chance of scoring. If Abukar had an open look at the basket he was not afraid to shoot the ball either.
 

Apollo started out hot. As they were able to attack the Rogers’ defense. Apollo was able to run their
offense effectively.
 

Rogers didn’t back down. Rogers continued to shoot the ball.
 

Apollo did a good job of controlling the basketball.
 

Rogers got hot midway through the first half. They were able to cut the deficit.
 

Abukar was not afraid of the defenders. He muscled his way through them and he was fouled a few
times. He stepped up and knocked down the free-throws.
 

Apollo switched between zone and man-to-man defense in the first half. Rogers had a hard time
adjusting to it.
 

Rogers called a timeout with 4:43 left in the first half. The score was Apollo 24 and Rogers 15.
 

Apollo passed the ball around the three-point line to take time off the clock. Rogers had to guard them
behind the thee-point line.
 

Apollo took a timeout with 2:39 left in the first half. The score was Apollo 26 and Rogers 19.
 

At halftime the score was St. Cloud Apollo 32 and Rogers 27.
 

As the second half got underway Rogers looked to have a little fire in them. They came out looking to
attack the baskets. They were also much more aggressive in the second half than the first half.
 

Abukar came up with defensive rebounds. He was able to get out of traffic and blow down the court
and finish at the other end.
 

Rogers went on a run. They were able to cut their deficit. They were down 38-44 with 11:00 left in the second half.
 

St. Cloud Apollo took a timeout with 9:37. The score was St. Cloud Apollo 50 and Rogers 42.
 

Both teams played tight defense down the stretch. Neither team wanted to give up easy baskets.
 

St. Cloud Apollo came away with the 68-63 victory over Rogers. Ibrahim Bashir Abukar scored 17
points for St. Cloud Apollo.

 

#2 OSSEO TOOK ON MAPLE GROVE IN A BOYS' BASKETBALL GAME

Osseo traveled to Maple Grove for a boys' basketball game. Maple Grove came into the game with a
record of 12-8. Osseo came into the game with a record of 20-2. Osseo was ranked #2 in the state in
Class AAAA. In their first meeting on January 13, 2011 Osseo came away with the 58-53 victory over Maple Grove.

Maple Grove started the game off in a tight man-to-man defense. They looked to slow Osseo down.

Osseo wanted to set the tempo in their favor early in the game. Osseo looked for a quick up and down
fast pace type of game.

Osseo called a time out with 14:49 time left in the first half. The score was Maple Grove 5 and Osseo
0.

Joey Curtis Sonnenfeld scored the first Osseo basket with 12:40 left in the first half. Sonnenfeld
received a technical foul for apparently elbowing another player.

Osseo went on a run after that technical foul.

Maple Grove went to a zone defense. They looked to spread Osseo out.

Terez Wayne VanPelt found his shot midway through the first half. He was able to pull up and hit a
mid-range jump shot.

Osseo continued to push the ball down the court as they looked to score baskets in transition.

Osseo was able to catch up to Maple Grove. VanPelt scored a two-point basket with 6:00 left to give

Osseo a 16-15 lead. It was their first lead of the game.

Osseo continued to make shots late in the first half.

At halftime the score was Osseo 25 and Maple Grove 20.

As the second half got underway Maple Grove came out on fire. They continued to shoot the ball well.

Sonnenfeld continued to shoot the ball well. He was not afraid to shoot the ball from anywhere on the
court.

VanPelt continued to run the Osseo offense. He instructed his teammates where they should be on the court. On the defensive end he was able to slow down his opponent.

Maple Grove took a timeout with the score Osseo 42 and Maple Grove 29.

Maple Grove stayed in their zone defense. They mostly used zone in the second half. Osseo did a good job of shooting the gaps in the defense.

Both teams dove on the ground after loose balls. There were a lot of tie-ups for loose balls.

Michael Fischer for Osseo did a good job on the offensive end. He was able to get his teammates
involved in the play.

Osseo called a timeout with 6:48 left in regulation with the score Osseo 49 and Maple Grove 35.

Brycen Wojita for Maple Grove played well on both ends of the court. He was able to fluster the Osseo players.

Osseo came away with the 67-51 victory over Maple Grove.

Bryce Wojta was Maple Grove’s leading scorer with 21 points. The leading scorers for Osseo were

Terez Wayne VanPelt with 15 points, Joey Curtis Sonnenfeld with 14 points, and Bridge Tusler with 10 points.

OWATONNA TOOK ON SHAKOPEE IN A BOYS' BASKETBALL CONTEST

Owatonna traveled to Shakopee for a boys' basketball game. Coming into the game Owatonna had a
record of 19-3. Shakopee had a record of 12-9.
 

Shakopee started out the game in a tight man-to-man defense. It took both of these teams a while to get into the flow of the game.
 

Owatonna started out in a full court man-to-man defense. They looked to use as much pressure as they could to keep Shakopee from scoring.
 

Ethan Petrell for Shakopee brought the ball down the court. He looked to get his teammates involved in the offense.
 

Owatonna tried to trap the ball in the corners of the full court press. That rattled Shakopee a little bit.
The score went back and forth throughout the opening half. Neither team got out on a run.
 

Owatonna's Mike Sebring took the ball hard to the basket. He was able to blow by his defenders.
Sebring also stepped up big and knocked down free throws.
 

Vaughn Thada from Owatonna was also on a path to the basket. When he got the ball out of
 

Shakopee's basket he turned to the other way and looked to score on the other end. Thada played the
guard spot and was very quick with his feet.
 

Both teams dove on the ground after loose balls. The score was close throughout the first half. These
teams were evenly matched.
 

Kevin Calrson for Shakopee made some good moves to the basket. He was on from everywhere on the court. His teammates knew that he had the hot hand and they kept on feeding him the ball.
 

Carlson also was able to step back behind the three-point line and knock down some three-point shots
as well.
 

Owatonna called a timeout with 3:59 left in the first half. The score was Owatonna 22 and Shakopee
20.
 

Owatonna went cold in the last four minutes of the half.
 

Neither team went on a run in the first half.
 

At halftime the score was Shakopee 26 and Owatonna 22.
 

As the second half got underway Shakopee came out in a zone defense. Owatonna came out on fire as they were able to make their first few shots that they put up.
 

Shakopee called a timeout with 14:57 left in regulation with the score Owatonna 28 and Shakopee 26.
 

Shakopee stayed in a zone defense throughout the game. They thought that it was successful against the Owatonna offense.
 

The game was close throughout. There were many lead changes and ties in the game.
Shakopee was able to force Owatonna to turn the ball over late in the game.
 

The game came down to the wire. The lead switched many times late in the contest.
 

Shakopee called a timeout with 1:55 left to go in regulation with the score tied at 46.
 

Ethan Petrill scored the winning basket for Shakopee with .5 seconds left on the clock. With that shot
Shakopee came away with the 48-46 victory over Owatonna.
 

I was joined by the Twin Cities Hoops Czar. Check out his thoughts on the Owatonna vs. Shakopee
match-ups.

OWATONNA TOOK ON SHAKOPEE IN A GIRLS' BASKETBALL GAME

Owatonna traveled to Shakopee for a girls' basketball game. Shakopee came into the game with a record of 19-4. Owatonna came into the game with a record of 15-8.

The game got off to a slow start as neither team was able to hit shots.

Owatonna went on a run with just under 13:00 left in the first half.

Shakopee took a timeout with 12:22 left in the half with the score Owatonna 15 and Shakopee 5.

Owatonna continued to hit shots throughout the first half.

On the defensive end Owatonna went to a zone defense. They looked to spread Shakopee out. 

Owatonna wanted to make it as hard as possible for Shakopee to hit their shots.

Throughout the first half Owatonna was too quick for Shakopee. Shakopee had a hard time making shots.

At halftime the score was Owatonna 28 and Shakopee 11.

As the second half got underway Owatonna continued to shoot the ball well.

Shakopee tried to make a comeback in the second half but they fell short.

Shakopee could not make a shot throughout the first half. Owatonna was too powerful for them. Owatonna came away with the 55-42 victory over Shakopee.

MINNEAPOLIS SOUTHWEST TOOK ON CROSS-TOWN RIVAL MINNEAPOLIS SOUTH IN A BOYS' BASKETBALL GAME

The Minneapolis Southwest Lakers took on cross-town rival the Tigers from South High School.
Southwest came into the game with a record of 7-14. South came into the game with a record of 8-11.

These teams met before on January 14 2011 South came away with the 76-68 victory over
Southwest.

Minneapolis Southwest started the game in a rocket pace. They looked to set the fast pace tempo from the start of the game.

Southwest started out in a zone defense. They looked to spread South out. South also started the game in a zone defense.

Southwest took a timeout with 16:07 left to go in the first half. The score was South 4 and Southwest 2.

South looked to get the ball into the hands of Mohamed Adbifatah Mohamed. He was able to take the
ball strong hard to the basket.

Carnell Sheppard for South took a lot of shots in the first half. His teammates looked for him to score
baskets at will.

Aaron Bell-Bay for Southwest was camped out on the low block. Bell-Bay did a good job of calling for the ball on the offensive end.

South went on a run after Southwest took their timeout. They were able to build a 13-6 lead with
13:00 left in the first half.

Southwest took a timeout with 12:09 left in the first half. The score was South 15 and Southwest 6.

Southwest went on a run. South didn’t know what hit them. South took a timeout with 8:55 left in the
score South 17 and Southwest 15.

Both teams dove on the floor after loose balls. They were both going hard after each other.

Ayrton Scott for Southwest made some nice key baskets throughout the first half. He was also was able to control his defender on the defensive end.

Both teams traded baskets with each other for a period of time.

At halftime the score was South 36 and Southwest 30.

As the second half got underway South came out looking to push the ball down the court. They wanted to create offense out of their defense.

Mohamed continued to bring down rebounds on both ends of the floor.

South did a good job of taking time off the clock. They took as much time as Southwest gave them on
the offensive end.

Southwest did everything that they could to get a shot. Their shots were not falling for them for a
period of time in the second half.

South took a timeout with 9:00 left in regulation with the score South 53 and Southwest 43.

Southwest tried to get back into the game. They just couldn’t make a shot. They didn't give up though.

South went cold with just over 7:00 left. Southwest was able to pounce on that opportunity as they
went on a run.

With 6:04 left to go in regulation the score was South 53 and Southwest 47.

Andre Burton for South took the ball hard to the basket. He was able to blow by his defenders.

Southwest put a few different people on him to try to slow him down.

Southwest tried to make one last run with under 4:00 left in regulation.

Both teams got after it. Neither team gave up. The game came down to the wire but in the end South
came away with the 70-56 victory over cross-town rival Southwest.

The leading scorers for South were Thomas Edison Ford with 16 points, Andre Burton with 14 points,
and Mohamed Mohamed with 12 points.

The leading scorers for Southwest were Matt St. Anthony with 13 points, Aaron Bell-Bay and Rodney Prince-Taylor with 12 points each.

2011 MINNESOTA MR BASKETBALL CANDIDATES

Thomas Schalk, Apple Valley
 

Marquel Curtis, Armstrong
 

Joe Coleman, Hopkins

Marvin Singleton, Hopkins
 

Alex Richter, Lakeville South
 

Seth Hinrichs, MACCRAY

Kyle Noreen, Minnesota Transitions
 

Cole Olstad, Plainview/Elgin-Millville
 

Lucas Brown, Roseville
 

Roosevelt Scott, St. Paul Johnson
 

Estan Tyler, St. Paul Johnson
 

Shelby Moats, Waconia
 

Eric Robertson, Wayzata

THE BATTLE OF THE VALLEY AS EASTVIEW TOOK ON CROSSTOWN RIVAL APPLE VALLEY IN A BOYS' BASKETBALL GAME

The Eastview Lighting traveled across town to Apple Valley High School to take on the Eagles in a
boys' basketball game. Eastview came into the game with a record of 15-4. Apple Valley came into the game with a record of 12-8.
 

The game got out to a quick start. With 17:00 left Eastview took a timeout with the score Apple Valley 6 and Eastview 2.
 

Apple Valley came out in a man-to-man defense. They looked to pressure Eastview from the start of the game.
 

The score went back and forth from the beginning of the game. When Apple Valley scored, Eastview
went to the other end of the court and scored a basket.
 

Apple Valley looked to get the ball into the hands of freshman guard Tyus Jones. Jones is a skilled
guard who can hit his shot from anywhere from the court. He missed the first half of the season because of a kidney problem.
 

Eastview took their time with the ball on the offensive end. They wanted to look for the best shot while taking as much time off the clock as they could.
 

Eastview's Frank Veldman went after rebounds on both ends of the court. He was able to hold onto
them and find his guards so they could push the ball down the court.
 

Eastview did a good job of getting the ball out of the court and getting it up the court.
 

Eastview took another timeout with 10:02 left in the first half with the score Apple Valley 20 and
Eastview 19.
 

Apple Valley guard Harry Sonie came into the game and was able to push the ball down the court and
keep the high pace of the game.
 

Sonie was able to feed Jones for easy assists. Sonie passed up some shots because he knew Jones was open. Jones stepped up and was able to knock down the shots.
 

Eastview continued to take the ball strong to the basket. Ben Oberfeld blocked Tyus Jones shot that
went out of bounds. Jones tried to shoot the ball just under the low block.
 

Apple Valley did a good job of getting everyone involved in the play. They passed the ball around the
three-point line.
 

Apple Valley called a timeout with 4:45 left in the first half with the score Apple Valley 36 and
Eastview 29.
 

Oberfeld asked for the ball on the low block. He was able to make easy layups from the low block as
that is what he was able to do.
 

Eastview went to a stall on the offensive end late in the half. Apply Valley stood in a zone defense and they let Eastview take as much time off the clock as they could.
 

Eastview took a timeout with 1:21 left to go with the score Apple Valley 41 and Eastview 31.
 

Darin Haugh launched some deep three-point shots at the end of the half to keep Eastview close.
 

At halftime the score was Apple Valley 41 and Eastview 36.
 

As the second half got underway Eastview looked to get the ball into the hands of Joey King. King was all over the court in the first half.
 

Jones started out the half cold. He missed six shots in a row.
 

Eastview stayed in a zone defense. They continued to look to spread Apple Valley out.
 

Eastview continued to chip away at the deficit in the second half. They took the lead on a three point
shot by Veldman.

Apple Valley called a timeout with 9:16 left in the game with the score Eastview 50 and Apple Valley
49.
 

The score went back and forth throughout the second half. Neither team went on a run. Both teams did a very good job of playing defense.
 

Apple Valley took a timeout with 5:01 left to go with the score Eastview 59 and Apple Valley 53.
 

Apple Valley looked to trap the ball after the time out. King came down and nailed a three-point shot
that gave Eastview energy.
 

Sonie came back into the game with just over 2:00 left in regulation.
 

Eastview took a timeout with 1:54 left in regulation with the score Eastview 66 and Apple Valley 62.
 

I thought at Tyus Jones played well in the game despite missing six shots in a row in the second half.
 

He is a quick player who was able to blow by his defenders. He was able to shoot the ball from
anywhere on the court.
 

University Of Minnesota basketball coach Tubby Smith was in the building watching the game.
 

Eastview was able to come away with the 74-67victory over Apple Valley.
 

Apple Valley was led in scoring by Tyus Jones with 33 points and Tom Schalk with 18 points. Jones
was 11-21 from the field that included 4-7 from the three-point line and was 7-7 from the free throw
line. Apple Valley shot 25-53 from the field and was 8-17 from behind the three-point line. They also
shot 9-10 from the free throw line.
 

Eastview was lead in scoring by Joey King who scored 30 points and Frank Veldman with 15 points.
 

Eastview shot 28-53 from the field and 6-17 from behind the thee-point line. They also were 12-14
from the free throw line.
 

I was joined by the Czar of Twin Cities Boys' Hoops. Check out his thoughts on the Eastview vs. AppleValley game. 

#2 BENILDE-ST. MARGARET'S TOOK ON ST. LOUIS PARK IN A BOYS' BASKETBALL GAME

Benilde-St. Margaret's came into the game with a record of 16-3 and was ranked #2 in Class AAA. St. Louis Park came into the game with a record of 13-7.
 

St. Louis Park looked to move the ball around the three-point line.
 

Benilde-St. Margaret's came out in a man-to-man defense. They looked to pressure St. Louis Park from the beginning.
 

Marshall Cullen for St. Louis Park did a good job of driving to the basket. His teammates knew where
he was on the court. They did a good job of getting him the ball where he was comfortable making his
shot.
 

St. Louis Park looked to get the ball out of the net and take the ball the other way. They were very
physical.
 

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

Marquealis Edwards found his shot in the first half. He was able to step up on the defensive end also
and slow down his defenders.
 

Isaiah Gray ran the Benilde-St. Margaret's offense. He knew where his teammates were supposed to be on the court. He shouted instructions to his teammates on where he wanted them to be.
 

Sanjay Lumpkin was all over the court for Benilde-St. Margaret's on the offensive end. He was able to shoot the ball from anywhere he wanted. On the defensive end Lumpkin was able to slow down his
defender by playing tough defense.
 

Garrison Gillard got in foul trouble for St. Louis Park. He received his fourth foul with just over 3:00
left in the first half.
 

Benilde-St. Margaret's went on a run late in the half.
 

At halftime the score was Benilde-St. Margaret's 44 and St. Louis Park 33.
 

St. Louis Park came out on fire as they were able to hit every shot that they put up.
 

Kashif Hayes for St. Louis Park took the ball hard to the basket. He was able to make his shots that he put up. 

Benilde-St. Margaret's didn't back down. They continued to pound the ball inside.
 

Marquelis Edwards twisted his ankle with 9:27 left to go in regulation. He was helped off the court by
medical personnel.
 

Hayes got a couple of good steals midway through the second half. He was able to find his open
teammates and get them the ball. They were able to score off the assist from Hayes.
 

Benilde-St. Margaret's came away with the 88-70 victory over St. Louis Park.
 

The leading scorers for St. Louis Park were Joseph Zangel with 17 points, Aaron Ziman with 14 points and DJ Pollard with 10 points. The leading scorers for Benilde-St. Margaret's were Myles Barnes with 18 points, Sanjay Lumpkin and Isaiah Zierden with 17 points each and Kyle Washington with 14 points.

I was joined by the Twin Cities Hoops Czar.Check out his thoughts on the Benilde-St. Margaret's vs. St. Louis Park match up.

MINNEAPOLIS NORTH TOOK ON MINNEAPOLIS HENRY IN A BOYS' BASKETBALL RIVALRY GAME

Two of the city’s longest rival basketball teams, the Minneapolis North High Polars went up against the Minneapolis Patrick Henry Patriots in a boys' basketball game at Henry High School. Both of these schools are on the north side of Minneapolis. As long as I can remember these two teams have always had a strong rivalry. Today’s game was not exception.
 

North came into the game with a record of 9-9. Henry came into the game with a record of 10-10.
 

The game got started with a technical on North for a slam dunk in warm-ups.
 

Henry looked to get the ball down the court as quickly as they could. Henry's Latrell Diquan Love got
the ball on the low post where he was able to power the ball up hard to the basket.
 

North started the game in a zone defense. They looked to spread Henry out as much as they could.
North didn’t want to give Henry any easy shots.
 

The game got off to a slow start. Each team traded baskets at throughout the first half. Neither team
went on a run.
 

North called a timeout with 9:46 left to go in the first half. The score was Henry 18 and North 13.
 

North went on a little run after that timeout.
 

Darius Hill for Henry fought hard for rebounds on both ends of the court. He was able to come down
with some good defensive rebounds. Hill found his guards who pushed the ball down the court in
transition.

North had a hard time running their offense in the first half. The defensive pressure that Henry applied seemed to bother them at times in the first half.
 

North's Danniel Pettit battled Love on the low block. Those two went after the rebounds against each
other. Love usually came away with the rock on both ends of the court.

North called a timeout with 2:16 left to go in the first half. The score was Henry 32 and North 24.

Henry stayed in a zone defense late in the first half. They did a good job of not letting North get second chance points.
 

North went to a full court trap with 1:00 left in the first half. They were able to cause Henry to turn the ball over. North was able to able to capitalize on the turnovers as they were able to score quick baskets.
 

At halftime the score was Henry 37 and North 35.
 

North looked to get the ball into Malik El-Amin's hands. El-Amin was all over the court. He knew
where his shot was falling and his teammates got him the ball in those spots when he was calling for it.
 

The game was tied at 41 with 15:20 left in regulation.
 

The score went back and forth throughout the second half.
 

Both teams made long cross court passes in the second half as they looked to score baskets as quickly
as possible.
 

The score was tied at 50 with 11:21 left to go in regulation.
 

North continued to trap the ball as they looked to get Henry out of their game. Henry was able to keep their composure and not let the pressure bother them.
 

North went on a run after that timeout. Then Henry went on a run. The game was tied with 6:30 left to go.

Henry was not able to quite catch up to North.

In a very hard fought game North came away with the 76-67 victory over Henry.

North was lead in scoring by Malik El-Amin with 20 points, Shondel Strickland with 19 points and
Daniel Pettit with 16 points. They shot 33-77 from the field including 3-15 from behind the three-point
line. North also shot 13-21 from the free throw line.

Henry was lead in scoring by Darius Hill 24 with points and Latrell Love with 23 points. Henry shot
25-53 from the field including 4-12 from behind the three-point line. They were 13-21 from behind the
three-point line.

OSSEO TOOK ON PARK CENTER IN A BOYS' BASKETBALL GAME

Osseo traveled to Park Center for a boys' basketball game. Osseo came into the game with a record of 18-2 and were ranked #2 in Class AAAA. Park Center came into the game with a record of 7-11.
 

The game started out on a fast pace. Each team looked to get the ball out of the net and get to the other end as quickly as possible.
 

Osseo started the game in a man-to-man defense.
 

Park Center wanted to get the ball into the hands of Quinton Lee Hooker. Hooker was all over the
court.
 

Osseo started out on fire was they went on a 7-0 run to begin the game. Park Center scored their first
basket with just under 15:00 left to go.
 

Terez Wayne VanPelt found the basket early for Osseo. He was able to make his shots that he put up.
 

Park Center was not afraid to shoot the ball in the first half. They shot the ball from everywhere on the court.
 

Osseo took their time on the offensive end. They used a lot of time off the clock in the first half
looking for and getting their shots.
 

Danny Rodenberg for Park Center took the ball hard to the basket. He was able to make his shots that he put up and was also able to get to the foul line.
 

Park Center went on a run late in the half. They were able to slow down Osseo on the offensive end.
 

At halftime the score was Osseo 35 and Park Center 30.
 

As the second half got underway Osseo game out on fire. They looked to slow the ball down and work the ball around the three-point line.
 

Park Center continued to get the ball into the hands of Hooker. Hooker was able to find the basket with ease. His teammates kept looking for him to score.
 

VanPelt continued to take the ball hard to the basket.
 

Park Center battled throughout the second half.
 

Both teams we very aggressive throughout the game.
 

Park Center went on a run late in the game. Osseo had a 58-53 lead with 2:00 left to go in regulation.
Hooker continued to attack the basket late in the game.
 

The game came down to the wire. With 48.5 seconds left to go in regulation the score was Osseo 60
and Park Center 57.
 

There were many hard fouls by Park Center with under a minute in the game.
 

Osseo was able to come away with the 64-57 victory over Park Center.
 

The leading scorers for Park Center were Kevin Handy with 15 points, Quinton Lee Hooker and
Treyton Daniels with 13 points each.

The leading scorers for Osseo were Terez Wayne VanPelt with 20 points, and Joey Curtis Sonnenfeld
with 15, and Michael Brush with 10 points.

#2 BENILDE-ST. MARGARET'S TOOK ON ST. LOUIS PARK IN A BOYS' BASKETBALL GAME

Benilde-St. Margaret's came into the game with a record of 16-3 and was ranked #2 in Class AAA. St. Louis Park came into the game with a record of 13-7.

St. Louis Park looked to move the ball around the three-point line.
 

Benilde-St. Margaret's came out in a man-to-man defense. They looked to pressure St. Louis Park from the beginning.
 

Marshall Cullen for St. Louis Park did a good job of driving to the basket. His teammates knew where
he was on the court. They did a good job of getting him the ball where he was comfortable making his
shot.
 

St. Louis Park looked to get the ball out of the net and take the ball the other way. They were very
physical.
 

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

Marquealis Edwards found his shot in the first half. He was able to step up on the defensive end and
slow down his defenders.
 

Isaiah Gray ran the Benilde-St. Margaret's offense. He knew where his teammates were supposed to be on the court. He shouted instructions to his teammates on where he wanted them to be.
 

Sanjay Lumpkin was all over the court for Benilde-St. Margaret's on the offensive end. He was able to shoot the ball from anywhere he wanted. On the defensive end Lumpkin was able to slow down his
defender by playing tough defense.
 

Garrison Gillard got in foul trouble for St. Louis Park. He received his fourth foul with just over 3:00
left in the first half.
 

Benilde-St. Margaret's went on a run late in the half.
 

At halftime the score was Benilde-St. Margaret's 44 and St. Louis Park 33.
 

St. Louis Park came out on fire as they were able to hit every shot that they put up.
 

Kashif Hayes for St. Louis Park took the ball hard to the basket. He was able to make his shots that he put up.
 

Benilde-St. Margaret's didn't back down. They continued to pound the ball inside.
 

Marquelis Edwards twisted his ankle with 9:27 left to go in regulation. He was helped off the court by
medical personnel.
 

Hayes got a couple of good steals midway through the second half. He was able to find his open
teammates and get them the ball and they were able to score off the assist from Hayes.
 

Benilde-St. Margaret's came away with the 88-70 victory over St. Louis Park.
 

The leading scorers for St. Louis Park were Joseph Zangel with 17 points, Aaron Ziman with 14 points and DJ Pollard with 10 points. The leading scorers for Benilde-St. Margaret's were Myles Barnes with 18 points, Sanjay Lumpkin and Isaiah Zierden with 17 points each and Kyle Washington with 14 points.

I was joined by the Twin Cities Hoops Czar. Check out his thoughts on the Benilde-St. Margaret's vs St. Louis Park match up.

BENILDE-ST. MARGARET'S MYLES BARNES IS HEADED TO THE AIR FORCE ACADEMY

Benilde-St. Margaret's basketball player Forward Myles Barnes has accepted a scholarship to play
basketball at the Air Force Academy.

BLAKE TOOK ON MINNEAPOLIS EDISON IN A BOYS' BASKETBALL GAME

Blake took on Minneapolis Edison in a boys' basketball game at Edison. Both teams looked to push the
ball down the court and score baskets in transition.

Blake started the game in a full court press. They wanted to put as much pressure on Edison as they
could.
 

The score was close throughout the first half.
 

Blake took a timeout with 14:01 left to go in the first half. The score was Edison 7 and Blake 5.
 

Edison continued to attack the basket. They didn’t want to give Blake any easy shots at the basket.
 

Edison went to a zone defense. They wanted to spread Blake out.
 

Blake had a bad bout of turnovers midway through the first half. Edison was able to turn Blake over
consecutively.
 

The score went back and forth throughout the first half.
 

Edison mostly used a zone defense in the first half.
 

Blake went on a little run to end the first half.
 

At halftime the score was Blake 29 and Edison 22.
 

Edison continued to play man-to-man defense in the second half.
 

Blake used as much time as they could on the offensive end. They passed the ball around the three-point line. That made Edison get out of the zone and go to a man-to-man defense to pressure the three-point shooters.
 

Both teams got chippy midway through the second half.
 

Blake went on a run early in the second half.
 

Edison called a time-out with 14:05 with the score being Blake 46 and Edison 26.
 

Edison couldn't find the basket for a period of time in the second half. Blake continued to make shots.
 

Edison went on a run late in the contest but that wasn't enough. In the end Blake came away with the
75-54 victory over Edison.

I was joined by the Twin Cities Hoop Czar. Check out his thoughts of the Blake vs. Edison match-up.

THE #5 OSSEO ORIOLES TOOK ON THE BLAINE BENGALS IN A BOYS' BASKETBALL GAME

The Osseo Orioles traveled to Blaine for a boys' basketball contest. Osseo came into the game with a
record of 17-2 and were raked #5 in the state in Class AAAA. Blaine came into the game with a record of 10-7. The first time these teams met back on Tuesday December 21, 2010 and Blaine came awaywith the 61-53 victory over Osseo.

Osseo stared the game in a man-to-man defense. They looked to apply full court pressure to Blaine
from the start of the game. Blaine also started out the game playing man-to-man defense.
 

Both teams got hot on the offensive end at the start of the game. Each team was able to match each
other’s scoring.
 

Osseo took their time on the offensive end. They wanted to take as much time off the clock as they
could.
 

Osseo's Terez Wayne VanPelt found the basket early in the game. His teammates knew where he was on the floor. They were able to feed him the ball near the top of the key where VanPelt was able to
make a turnaround jump shot.
 

Joey Curtis Sonnenfeld of Osseo was able to make his shots.
 

Blaine looked to get the ball into the hands of Tanner Schumacher. Schumacher's shot was dead on
from all over the court.
 

The score went back and forth midway through the first half.
 

Blaine called a timeout with 7:27 left to go in the first half. The score was Osseo 24 and Blaine 21.
 

Osseo looked to score baskets in transition. As soon as they were able to get the ball out of the Blaine
net they looked to bring the ball the other way as soon as possible.
 

Schumacher was able to drain some long three-point shots late in the half.
 

Osseo took at timeout with 4:14 left to go in the first half. The score was tied at 28 each.
 

Both teams continued to go after each other late in the half.
 

At halftime the score was tied at 26.
 

As the second half got underway both teams came out fired up. Osseo went on a little run to start out
the half.
 

Bridge Tusler stepped up big for Osseo in the second half. He was able to get a few good stops on the defensive end.
 

Osseo's Micheal Fischer stepped up and nailed a few deep three-point shots in the second half. That
kept Osseo in the game.
 

Fischer also had a few nice drives to the baskets that he was able to make.
 

Blaine went on a run with just under 6:00 left to go in regulation. They were not able to catch Osseo.
 

The game got very physical at the end. Both teams dove on the floor after loose balls.
 

There was a lot of emotion displayed throughout the game. Osseo came away with the 87-72 victory
over Blaine.
 

The leading scorers for Osseo were Terez Wayne VanPelt with 20 points, Joey Curtis Sonnenfeld 19,
and Ian Theisen and Bridge Tusler with 12 points each. The leading scorers for Blaine were Zach
Romashko with 29 points and Tanner Schmacher with 23 points.
 

I was joined by the Twin Cities Hoop Czar. Check out his thoughts on the Osseo vs. Blaine game.

ST PAUL CENTRAL TOOK ON ST. PAUL HIGHLAND PARK IN A BOYS' BASKETBALL CONTEST

St. Paul Central traveled to St. Paul Highland Park High School for a boys' basketball game. Central
came into the game with a record of 9-8. Highland Park came into the game with a record of 10-7.
 

It took awhile for each team to get used to each other. Both teams were being very patient on the
offensive end.
 

Highland Park picked up Central at half court. Highland Park used a man-to-man defense. They also
applied very good pressure. Central was able to get the ball down the court easily in the first half.
Central went to a zone defense. They looked to get Highland Park to shoot deep three-point shots.
 

Highland Park was able to score a lot of baskets in transition. They were able to string together a little
run with just under 13:00 left in the first half.
 

Central went flat for a period of time in the first half. They were not able to find the basket as their
shots were not falling. Central didn’t back down though. They did keep fighting hard and going after
Highland Park.
 

Highland Park's Darrell Hill did a good job of bringing the ball down the court. He was able to blow by
his defenders.
 

The game was close throughout the first half. Neither team was able to go on a run. The defensive
pressure that both teams played was very good.
 

Highland Park stayed in a zone defense. They were able to close out on the Central shooters.
 

Central did a good job of moving the ball around on the offensive end. Everyone got a chance to get
their hands on the ball.
 

With 8:08 left to go in the first half the score was Highland Park 22 and Central 19.
 

The score went back and forth throughout the first half. Neither team was able to on a substantial run.
 

William McDonough for Central took the ball hard to the basket. He was able to fake out his defenders and score some nice easy lay-ups.
 

Bradley was able to go coast to coast on a few different occasions and was able to get a few nice
finishes.
 

Martin Smith for Central did a good job of rebounding on both sides of the court. He was able to get
the ball to his guards when he was on the defensive end. On the offensive end Smith powered the ball
back up to the basket.
 

At halftime the score was Highland Park 40 and Central 38.
 

As the second half got underway Montrell Williams for Central continued to find make his shots.
 

Central came out of the halftime break in a man-to-man defense. They looked to take Highland Park
out of the contest.
 

Highland Park had trouble making their shots at the beginning of the half.
 

With 14:36 left to go in regulation the score was Central 50 and Highland Park 44.
 

Highland Park looked to pass the ball around the three-point line. They wanted to take as much time off the clock as they could.
 

Highland Park made a run midway though the second half. They looked to cut the deficit.
 

Central made some bad turnovers midway through the second half. Highland Park was able to
capitalize on them and score quick baskets on the Central mistakes.
 

Bradley continued to make nice plays throughout the second half for Highland Park. He was all over
the court. He knew where his teammates were and if they were open he would pass up a shot to a
teammate who he thought would have a better one. If Bradley was open he would take the ball to the
basket hard himself.
 

Ty'Shaun Williams for Highland Park stepped up and knocked down some key three-point shots for his team. He knew where he was on the floor and was able to pull up and knock down the shots.
 

Highland Park called a timeout with 7:20 left in regulation with the score Highland Park 66 and Central
62.
 

Both teams were able to keep the score with in 15 points throughout the second half. They both went
hard after each other throughout the game.
 

Both teams dove on the floor to go after loose balls. Neither team gave up.
 

Both teams continued to trade baskets late in the contest.
 

Bradley hit a big three late in regulation to tie the game as 70.
 

Highland Park went to a full court press with a minute left to go. Both teams again traded baskets late
in the game.
 

In a game where the scoring went back and forth throughout St. Paul Central came away with the 78-73 victory over St. Paul Highland Park.
 

The leading scorers for St. Paul Central were Martin Smith with 30 and Montell Williams with 24. The
leading scorers for Highland Park were Dion Bradley with 27 points and Ty'Shaun Williams with 20
points.

I was joined by the Czar from Twin Cities Boy's Hoops. Check out his thoughts of the Central vs. Highland Park Contest.

ST. LOUIS PARK TOOK ON MINNEAPOLIS WASHBURN IN A BOYS' BASKETBALL GAME

St. Louis Park took on Minneapolis Washburn in a boys' basketball at Washburn High School. The
game got out to a quick start as both teams make consistent baskets.
 

St. Louis Park started out the game in a zone defense. They wanted to spread Washburn out.
 

St. Louis Park wanted to get the ball into the hands of Jihad Ibrahim.
 

Washburn went on a run with just a little over 8:00 left to go in the first half.
 

St. Louis Park called a timeout with 8:10 left to go in the first half with the score Washburn 25 and St.
Louis Park 15.
 

Washburn went to a zone defense. They made St. Louis Park swing the ball around the three-point line.
 

St. Louis Park went on a run late in the half. They took the lead late in the first half.
 

Nick Anderson for Washburn nailed a three-point shot at the buzzer. At halftime the score was St. Louis Park 36 and Minneapolis Washburn 35.
 

Washburn came out on fire after the halftime break. They went on a run to open the second half.
 

St. Louis Park started the second half in a zone defense. That didn't slow down the Washburn shooters.
They continued to shoot well.
 

St. Louis Park’s Garrison Gillard stepped up midway through the second half and was able to knock
down some deep three-point shots.
 

Both teams continued to go at each other throughout the second half. St. Louis Park kept the in the
game close. They were able to make a run at Washburn midway through the second half.

St. Louis Park went on a run late in the contest. They were able to get the score within 6 with 3:00 left to go in regulation.

The game came down to the wire. Washburn was able to hang on and come away with the 76-74
victory over St. Louis Park.

ISLE TOOK ON #1 SEBEKA IN A BOYS' BASKETBALL GAME AT THE TARGET CENTER IN DOWNTOWN MINNEAPOLIS

The Target Center in Downtown Minneapolis hosted a boys' basketball contest. Isle came into the
game with a record of 9-8. Sebeka came into the game with record of 15-0 and were ranked #1 in Class
A.
 

Sebeka started the game in a man-to-man defense. They looked to push the ball in transition. Isle called
a timeout with 17:00 left to go in the first half.
 

Sebeka came out of the gate hot, getting an early 16-2 lead with 16:09 left tin the first half.
 

Sebeka used a man-to-man defense. They wanted to apply as much pressure to Isle as they could.
 

Sebeka continued to shoot the ball well throughout the first half. Isle had problems getting the ball up
the court. The defense that Sebeka applied was too much for them to handle.
 

Isle called a timeout with 10:52 left in the first half with the score being Sebeka 20 and Isle 9.
 

Sebeka's Ryan Sharp did a good job of getting the ball down the court. He knew where his teammates
were. Sharp did a good of running the offense for Sebeka.
 

Isle had a hard time of running there offense. They were not able to get the shots that they wanted to
get in the first half.
 

Ryan Sharp continued to shoot the ball well late in the half. He was not afraid to shoot the ball from
any where on the court.
 

At halftime the score was Sebeka 54 and Isle 27.
 

As the second half got underway Isle came out in a 1-2-2 zone. They looked to spread Sebeka out.
 

Sebkea continued to shoot the ball well throughout the second half. Isle didn't give up. They kept
playing hard throughout the game.

Sebeka came away with the 87-60 victory over Isle.

The leading scorers for Sebkea were Ryan Sharp with 29 points, Paul Funk with 18 points and Cody
Palqu with 17 points. The leading scorer for Isle was Wesley Owsalo with 20 points.

#2 ST. PAUL JOHNSON TOOK ON ST. PAUL CENTRAL IN A BOYS' BASKETBALL GAME

St. Paul Johnson traveled to St. Paul Central for a boys' basketball game. Johnson came into the game with a record of 15-2 and they were ranked #2 in the state in Class AAA. Central came into the game with a record of 9-7.

Both teams looked to get the game off to a quick start. Central came out in a man-to-man defense. They applied constant pressure.

Central wanted to take their time on the offensive end. They did look to get into their offense early on in the offensive series.

Central could not find their shot in the early part of the game. They took a lot of shots but they were not falling. They had trouble shooting because the they let Johnson's pressure get to them.

Central did a good job of getting to the basket. They looked to get the ball into their offense.

Roosevelt Scott came down and scored on a monstrous slam dunk. That gave Johnson a lift of confidence.

Central did a good job of getting everyone involved in the offense. Everytime Central tried to go on a run Johnson would counter.

Both teams did a good job of getting the ball out of the basket and going the other way with it. They also traded baskets for a good portion throughout the first half.

Anthony Lee for Johnson was able to make a few good baskets in transition.

Johnson went to a trapping defense with just under 10:00 left to go in the first half. They wanted to try to slow down the Central offense.

Both teams did a good job of countering what the other was doing.

Johnson did a good job of pressuring the ball and trying to get Central out of their game.

Neither team was able to go on a run in the first half. Both teams went after each other throughout the half. They both dove on the ground for loose balls and they both went after rebounds.

Johnson was able to trap Central and that created turnovers. Johnson was able to score on the turnovers. Johnson went on a run to end the first half.

At halftime the score was St. Paul Johnson 41 and St. Paul Central 33.

As the second half got underway both teams continued to go strong at each other. Johnson went on a run early in the second half.

Scott for Johnson continued to find the basket in the second half. He made some beautiful plays throughout the game.

Johnson continued to make their shots late in the game. Central made shots as well late in the game to keep the game close but they were not able to get the lead.

Scott played well throughout the game. His teammates were able to get him the ball on the court near the free-throw line. That is where Scott made most of his shots, near the top of the key.

Roosevelt Scott scored 32 points before fouling out with 6:23 left to go in regulation.

St. Paul Johnson came away with the 83-62 victory over St. Paul Central.

The leading scorers for St. Paul Central were Martin Smith with 17, Montrell Williams with 12 points and William McDonugh with 12 points.

The leading scorers for St. Paul Johnson were Roosevelt Scott with 32 points, Darius Watson with 9 points, and Anthony Lee with 11 points.

I was joined by the Twin Cities Hoop Czar. Check out his recap of the Johnson vs Central game.

ANOKA TOOK ON #5 OSSEO IN A BOYS' BASKETBALL GAME

The Anoka Tornadoes took on the Osseo Orioles in a boys' basketball rematch. In the first contest back
in December Osseo came away with the 65-54 victory. Coming into the rematch Anoka came into the
game with a record of 7-8. Osseo came into the game with a record of 16-2, and ranked #5 in the state in Class AAAA.

Osseo won the tip. They came out and started the game on fire. They went on a run to open the game.
 

Osseo stated out in a man-to-man defense. It was hard for Anoka to make shots early in the game.
Anoka started the game out in a zone defense. They wanted to spread Osseo out when they were on
offense.
 

Osseo did a good job of getting the ball down the court and scoring baskets in transition. Bridge Tusler
came off the bench for Osseo and provided an offensive lift. He was able to get his shot going when he
entered the game.
 

For Anoka they looked to get the ball into the hands of Marcus Tyus. Tyus was on fire wherever he was
on the floor.
 

Brigde Tusler came down with a one-handed slam dunk that gave Osseo confidence that they needed.
 

With 6:55 left to go in the first half the score was Osseo 24 and Anoka 15.
 

Osseo continued to move the ball around the three-point line as they were able to get into their offense.
 

They were patient enough that they were able to shoot the gaps of the Anoka defense.
 

There was a big collision between both teams with 2:54 left in the first half. Ian Theisen left the game
with a cut over his eye. He was attended to by the team trainers.
 

At halftime the score was Osseo 39 and Anoka 26.
 

Ian Theisen came out in street clothes after the half time intermission. He needed stitches to close up a
wound he suffered late in the first half.
 

As the second half started off Osseo continued to swing the ball around the three-point line. They
looked to get into their offense and take as much time off the clock as they could.
 

Terez Wayne VanPelt did a good job of running the offense. He got his teammates involved in the
plays.
 

Osseo called a timeout with 11:32 left to go with the score Osseo 51 and Anoka 36.
 

Osseo continued to score baskets down the stretch. Anoka didn't back down. They did try to make a run
late in the contest.
 

Anoka got within 10 points at 48-58 with 5:00 left in regulation.
 

Joey Curtis Sonnefeld had a nice two-handed slam dunk with just over 3:00 left to go in regulation.

That got the crowd on their feet.
 

Anoka made a strong comeback late in the contest. At 2:00 left to go in regulation the score was Osseo
64 and Anoka 58.
 

After the 2:00 mark Anoka went to a full court trap defense. They wanted to look to turn Osseo over.
 

Osseo came away with the 69-58 victory over Anoka.
 

Osseo was a much stronger team. Anoka was not able to make their shots.
 

The leading scorers for Anoka were Spencer Grow with 11 points and Marcus Tyus with 22 points. The
leading scorers for Osseo were DJ Herbert with 15 points, Joey Sonnenfeld with 19 points and Terez
VanPelt with 21 points.

I was joined by the Twin Cities Hoops Czar. Check out his thoughts on the Anoka vs. Osseo game.

#3 EDEN PRAIRIE TOOK DOWN THE #1 TEAM IN MINNESOTA THE HOPKINS ROYALS IN A BOYS' BASKETBALL CONTEST

The Eden Prairie Eagles took on the Hopkins Royals in a boys' basketball game. Eden Prairie came into
the game with a record of 13-2 and were ranked #3 in the state. Hopkins came into the game with a
record of 15-0.

When the game started the atmosphere was electric in the Lindbergh Center. The stands were full and
the student sections for both teams were packed.
 

The game started out at a quick pace. Both teams looked to get the ball up the court as quickly as they
could.
 

Hopkins looked to trap the ball in the corners. Joe Coleman was all over the court for Hopkins. On the
defensive end he was all over his defender.
 

The score went back and forth in the opening minutes of the first half. Grant Soderberg came out and
was able to step up and knock down some deep three-point shots for Eden Prairie.
 

Hopkins stepped up and was able to keep the pressure on Eden Prairie throughout the first half.
 

Eden Prairie did a good job of swinging the ball around the three-point line. They looked to take time
off of the clock.
 

Jack Klukas for Eden Prairie came through midway in the first half as he was able to make some of his
three-point shots.
 

Both teams did a good job of knocking down three-point shots in the first half. They were comfortable
shooting them from anywhere on the court.
 

Eden Prairie did a good job of slowing down Hopkins in the first half. They did not let Hopkins go on a
run. They did a good job of taking them out of their game plan.
 

At halftime the score was Eden Prairie 44 and Hopkins 26.
 

As the second half got underway Eden Prairie continued to look strong on both ends of the floor.
 

Eden Prairie continued to shoot the ball well in the second half. They were able to get into their offense
and run with it.
 

Hopkins went into a full court press to try to slow down Eden Prairie.
 

Hopkins did try to string a run together midway through the second half. Singleton came up with a big
block and he drove to the other end of the court and made a layup and got fouled. He then made the
free throw attempt to give Hopkins an emotional boost.
 

Hopkins caught fire late in the game.
 

With 3:11 left to go the score was Eden Prairie 69 and Hopkins 63.
 

Hopkins went on a run late in the contest. Hopkins was down by one point with 28.1 seconds left to go
in regulation.
 

In a surprising and fun game to see, Eden Prairie came away with the 75-71 victory over Hopkins.
 

The leading scorers for Hopkins were Joe Coleman with 23 points, Marvin Singleton with 24 points
and Zach Stahl with 10 points. Hopkins shot 22-48 from the field including 5-17 from behind the
three-point line. They were 22-30 from free throw line.
 

The leading scorers for Eden Prairie were Grant Soderberg with 22 points, Dylan Stewart with 18
points and Jack Klukas with 14 points. Eden Prairie shot 27-41 from the field including 10-14 from
behind the three-point line. They were 11-15 from the free throw line.

After the game I was able to talk to Eden Prairie's players Grant Soderberg and Dylan Stewart about the
game. I was also able to talk to Eden Prairie’s Head Coach David Flom about the victory over Hopkins.
 

I was joined by the Twin Cities Hoops Czar. Check out his thoughts on the match-up between Eden Prairie and Hopkins.