Royals Rule a Return Game

Prologue
A quiet night on the local schedule takes me to #10AA Annandale at #2AAAA Hopkins.  This is a return game from last year.  An emotional night allowed Annandale to be in the game right until the final buzzer last year.  But a very different Annandale team.  Its the usual whole wheat bun for the hot dog.  Not up to the usual standards tonight.  Sprite is the beverage.

Number of Teams I've Seen: 124 (107 games, 61 days, 39 buildings, 20 online)

Beverage Ticker: 814.3 ounces (8980 Calories)

• Pepsi: 263.6 ounces (3290 calories)
• Coke: 149.8 ounces (1780 calories) 
• Dr. Pepper: 36 ounces (450 calories)
• Sprite Zero: 20 ounces (0 calories) 
• Sprite: 156.9 ounces (1860 calories) 
• 7 Up: 12 ounces (140 calories)
• Red Gatorade: 100 ounces (700 calories)  
• Red Powerade: 40 ounces (260 calories) 
• A&W Root Beer: 24 ounces (340 calories) 
• Mug Root Beer: 12 ounces (160 calories)

Food Ticker:

• Hot Dogs: 22
• Walking Tacos: 5
• Pizza: 17
• Pulled Pork Sandwich: 1
• Chipotle: 1 (thanks to Bethel staff)

Game Time:
Annandale not intimidated early as they jump out to a 8-0 lead less than 2 minutes in.  That's thanks to a pair of smooth bombs from Nick Bieniek.  Hopkins quickly replies with the next 8 via 3s from Zeke Nnaji and Blaise Beauchamp.  Bieniek with 2 more makes from the deep beyond and Annandale regains the lead 18-13.  Hopkins counters with a 10-2 run to take their first lead of the night.  Dane Zimmer and Joe Hedstrom each with a pair of inside hoops during that run.  Hopkins threatens to pull away late in the half but Bieniek throws in a prayer at the halftime buzzer.  Its his 5th and final 3 of the night.  Hopkins 30-28 at the break.

All Hopkins in the 2nd half.  They start with a 10-1 run with 3 inside hoops and a Beauchamp triple.  AJ Hinz for 3 at the 12:50 mark and that keeps Annandale within 44-35.  Hopkins puts the game away with a 14-0 run.  Akeen Woods and Beauchamp start it with 3s.  Kerwin Walton finishes it with a 3. That run takes just under 4 minutes.  Only 2 field goals for Annandale in the first 10+ minutes of the half as the lead goes from 2 to 23.  Walton and Woods each add another triple to get the margin to 25 with just under 3 minutes left.  The rest is basically garbage time.  Hopkins wins 66-47.


Post Game
Nick Bieniek had the stroke working in the 1st half with 5 bombs.  He finishes with 23 points, 17 of those in the 1st half.  AJ Hinz has 8 of his 12 in the 2nd half.  Hopkins stepped up a level late in the 1st half and especially in the 2nd half and there's no answer for that.  Annandale falls to 12-3 with the loss.  It breaks a 7 game winning streak.  They still have 2 Wright County West home games this week and then a huge 6AA showdown with #4AA St. Cloud Cathedral in the Community Clash in St. Michael on Saturday.

Very good balance for Hopkins.  Zeke Nnaji leads with 14 points.  Blaise Beauchamp adds 11.  Anthony Davis with 9 and 3 others with 8.  Hopkins with 6 3s in the 2nd half after only a couple in the 1st half.  Add that in with much better intensity and that made the game get out of hand quickly.  Hopkins has now won 19 in a row after the disaster that was the opening night loss to Cretin-Derham Hall.  They host rival Minnetonka on Friday.  Then a week off to prepare for a trip to Edina.  That begins a stretch of 4 out of 5 on the road to end the season.