Crowning an all class champion?

Prologue
After a blowout EMAC clash on Monday, its a short trip down Lake Street for the Minnesota game of the year.  #1AAAA Eden Prairie at #1AAA Minnehaha.  Clearly the top 2 teams in the state and once again the fans turned out. Full house by start of the JV game.  In order to keep my seat as a man of the people, I didn't get any of the free pizza.  Such is the sacrifice for a big game like this. 

Season Ticker:

• Number of Games: 139
• In Person: 104
• Online: 35
• Number of Teams: 170
• 4A: 62 (everybody)
• 3A: 36
• 2A: 24
• 1A: 22
• Non-Minnesota: 11 (7 Wisconsin)
• Girls: 15
• Number of Buildings: 52
• Number of Bands: 7

Beverage Ticker: 917.4 ounces (10426 calories)

• Coke: 161.8 ounces (1920 calories) 
• Dr. Pepper: 52 ounces (630 calories)
• Pepsi: 319.6 ounces (4000 calories)
• 7-Up: 12 ounces (140 calories)
• Sprite: 108 ounces (1250 calories) 
• Mug Root Beer: 32 ounces (420 calories)
• A&W Root Beer: 48 ounces (680 calories) 
• Barq's Root Beer: 12 ounces (160 calories)
• Killebrew Root Beer: 16 ounces (246 calories)
• Fruit Punch Gatorade: 144 ounces (980 calories) 
• Berry Gatorade Zero: 12 ounces (0 calories)

Food Ticker:

• Hot Dogs: 27
• Pizza: 11
• Walking Tacos: 3
• Extras
• Reese's Peanut Butter Cups: 3 (630 calories)
• Lays Potato Chips: 6 (960 calories) 
• Doritos: 1 (150 calories)

Game Time:
5-4 EP on a Connor Christensen drift 3.  Then the 1st run of the game to Minnehaha as they go on a 20-7 run.  Hercy Miller with a bucket, assist to Prince Aligbe for 3 and a 3 of his own in that run.  Miller and Aligbe each add another bucket to end the run.  23-12 Minnehaha as we go under 7:30 left in the half.  EP ice cold with only 2 FG in a stretch of 8:45.  Dobbs cracks the ice with a jumper.  Jalen Suggs with a drive and reverse layup finish along with a pretty split of the pick and roll (something he's ALWAYS looking for and has for years, scouting report item) for another easy layup.  That sandwiches a Henry 3.  Dobbs with a triple and pull up jumper plus 2 free throws in the last 2:20.  That offsets a Miller pick and roll bucket and an Aligbe conversion of a turnover.  Minnehaha takes the lead to halftime, 31-25.

Story of the 2nd half is John Henry.  He immediately heats up.  Set play for a corner 3, 2 more 3s and then he's fouled on another 3 point attempt and makes all 3 free throws.  That pulls EP within 38-37 with 15:09 left.  Jalen Suggs already with an assist and reverse layup in the half.  He stops the bleeding by a smart basket cut vs high side denial.  Open catch and he'll make the strong finish for the 3 point play.  7 Footer Chet Holmgren saw 6'1" Will Foster on him for most of the night.  He catches a lob inbound and makes the smart kickout against the collapsing D for a Miller triple.  Miller another bucket and free throw and Suggs adds 2 free throws.  49-42 Minnehaha with 11:52 left.  Austin Andrews with an earlier tough lefty finish adds a 3 point play.  Holmgren with a nice spin and short finish.  Dobbs for 3 as we go back and forth.  Suggs sees the momentum possibly shifting.  He goes hard to the rack twice.  That results in 2 made free throws and an easy layup.  Time out Eden Prairie.  Loose ball finds Miller who gives it to Holmgren for a dunk.  57-48 Minnehaha with 9:50 to play.

The rest is all Eden Prairie.  Miller and Kaden Johnson sit with 4 fouls.  Andrews a free throw and a putback around a Connor Christensen putback.  Timeout Minnehaha with the lead down to 4.  A turnover is converted by Henry with a triple and here comes the EP crowd.  After a Suggs freebie, its the unlikely candidate Foster left alone and he says why not as he hits the floater.  That ties the game at 59 with 5:45 left.  Miller and Johnson back in the game with the 4 fouls.

Henry takes a rebound coast to coast and he'll convert 2 more after Suggs attacks again but gets blocked.  Suggs undettered as he goes right back to the rack for the only Redhawks FG in the last 9:50.  63-61 Eden Prairie leads.  Christensen right back with a layup, Andrews with a layup, Henry turns a turnover into yet another 3.  Dagger!  70-62 Eden Prairie with 2:45 left.  The rest is free throws as EP doesn't turn it over.  Eden Prairie wins yet another road game against a ranked opponent.  Eagles prevail 78-64.  They end the game on a 30-7 run over the last 9:37 while allowing only 1 made field goal.

Post Game:
Jalen Suggs leads Minnehaha with 23 points.  He had some impressive moments but down the stretch he was pressing too hard.  That turned into a couple of costly turnovers that a high level team like Eden Prairie will convert and that they did.  Hercy Miller adds 19 points in a very nice outing for him.  Chet Holmgren with a double double including 11 points, more rebounds than that and a handful of blocks plus the gravity of Eden Prairie wanting no part of attacking him inside.  Beyond some side pick and roll there wasn't much offense executed.  Especially when they got behind, some panic set in.  Minnehaha falls to 19-3.  Those 3 losses are all to top 5 teams in AAAA.  They'll finish the season with 3 more home games.  The big one is Saturday night vs #3AAA De La Salle in a possible state championship preview.  #5AA Minnepolis North comes calling next Thursday.

For Eden Prairie, John Henry had a cold 1st half, but he heated up with 22 of his 29 points in the 2nd half to lead all scorers.  5 of his 7 3s were in the 2nd half. 2 of those were back-breakers after Minnehaha turnovers.  Drake Dobbs kept the offense going in the 1st half but overall a fairly quiet 20 points for him.  Austin Andrews chips in with 15 points.  Eden Prairie remains undefeated at 24-0.  That includes 9 wins over ranked opponents (only 2 of those wins at home).  It doesn't count quality wins over Prior Lake, Lakeville North, North St. Paul, Cambridge-Isanti and East Ridge either.  They finish up on the next 2 Friday nights at STMA and Minnetonka.