One for the Polar-oid Camera

Prologue
During a polar vortex its only fitting to go see a team named Polars.  So fittingly, one of the only 2 games on the schedule is Minnehaha visiting North St. Paul.  An quality pizza deal nets me Domino's pizza, gatorade and what amounts to free chips as a side.  Solid.  The NSP band director in the stands but sadly without his band.  NSP band is one of the better pep bands that I see.  Not a crazy packed crowd but because its Minnehaha they are hyped.  Stoney and 1 of the AAU All-Stars working the whistles.  And as if the crowd needed more hyping, we get this from the music selection.

Song of the Day: Right Now - Van Halen

Season Ticker:

• Number of Games: 33
• In Person: 26
• Online: 7
• Number of Teams:51
• 4A: 23
• 3A: 11
• 2A: 7
• 1A: 4
• Wisconsin: 2
• Girls: 4
• Number of Buildings:11
• Number of Bands: 1

Beverage Ticker: 182.7 ounces (2110 calories)

• Coke: 28.9 ounces (340 calories) 
• Dr. Pepper: 20 ounces (240 calories)
• Pepsi: 69.8 ounces (880 calories)
• 7-Up: 12 ounces (140 calories)
• Sprite: 32 ounces (370 calories) 
• Fruit Punch Gatorade: 20 ounces (140 calories)

Food Ticker:

• Hot Dogs: 3
• Pizza: 2
• Walking Tacos: 1
• Extra: 1
• Reese's Peanut Butter Cups: 1 (175 calories)
• Lays Sour Cream and Onion chips (160 calories)

Game Time:
North St. Paul down a couple of important pieces with LaRon Thomas and Shawn West-Zimpel out of the lineup.  Chet Holmgren puts back a miss and Jalen Suggs with a steal for a 3 point play and its quickly 7-0 Redhawks under 3 minutes in.  A fun sequence with Suggs and NSP star Shaheed Muhammad going back and forth from deep.  They trade a trio of triples.  Donovan Smith with one of his own bombs countered by 2 bombs from Brandon Hickman of NSP.  28-19 Minnehaha at 7:19.  Minnehaha responds out of a timeout with a 10-0 run.  A nasty Prince Aligbe poster dunk that is all over the web and the foul gets it started.  Holmgren with a dunk for a 3 point play to finish it.  38-19 Redhawks at the 3:30 mark.  We go to the break with Minnehaha leading 42-26.

Holmgren dunks a lob and then runs the floor for 5 more points in a personal 7-0 run to start the 2nd half.  But just as the blowout sirens are about to go off, Muhammad wants no part of it.  He buries 2 long triples and another jumper in a 12-2 Polars run.  Emmanuel Ajayi off the bench and he actually  goes at Holmgren with success for a couple of hoops as well in the half.  Suggs 4 FTs to counter another Muhammad trey and jumper.  59-45 Minnehaha with 9:50 left.  Donovan Smith with back to back bombs to push the lead back to 20.  Hickman another from the deep beyond.  Holmgren with a putback and Suggs with another of his many steals and dunks that.  69-48 Minnehaha with 7:25 left.

Muhammad feeling it from deep as he knocks down another pair of threes.  Holmgren beats the 1-2-2 zone with a high post pass to the cutting Suggs for a windmill dunk.  Hickman another three.  Holmgren with a putback dunk and 1 plus a tip in.  Muhammed 2 more 3s and Holmgren another bucket and 2 free throws.  After a 19-4 start, the outcome really was never in doubt.  Minnehaha wins 86-69

Post Game:
For North St. Paul, Shaheed Muhammad leads all scorers with 27 of his 37 points in the 2nd half.  He buried 7 of his 10 3s in that 2nd half.  Brandon Hickman with 5 3s of his own and 19 points in a nice outing as well.  But only 13 points from the rest of the depleted roster. Give the Polars credit for not folding when it got to 19-4.  This easily could have been a running time blowout.  They tried both man and 1-2-2 to try to slow down the Redhawks.  North St. Paul now 0-4 and its no easier coming up.  They visit Edina on Saturday and then host Eden Prairie next Tuesday before entering the holiday break with their league opener vs Hastings.

Minnehaha improves to 2-1 with the win.  They will host Benilde-St. Margaret's on Saturday in the Southside Showcase.  I'll be there for that.  Then a grudge match at Hopkins next Tuesday to end their pre-holiday schedule.  Chet Holmgren outstanding with 25 points, 19 rebounds and 8 blocks on my sheet.  He was used much more in the post tonight.  Despite a lack of strength, he does really battle inside.  Jalen Suggs with 22 points and I had him for 6 steals on my sheet.  Donovan Smith with 4 3s and 14 points.  Prince Aligbe 10 points and 1 poster for all the mixtape guys to sign.