2021 TCO Holiday Classic Day 1

Prologue
Holiday tournaments back in full force.  I make my usual venture to Augsburg for their holiday tourney.  The tourney back up to 8 teams this year after being at 6 for a few years.  Hopkins returning to the event after winning it the last 3 times and 9 out of the last 10.  They've had some epic games in this event with Minnehaha in recent years and Johnson before that.

Game 1: #7AAAA Hopkins 86 Minneapolis Washburn 39
This one got out of hand quickly.  Hopkins scoring 4 buckets on turnovers in the first 6 times Washburn had it.  Hopkins scores 24 points off of 24 Washburn turnovers.  Elvis Nnaji dunks everything for 19 points.  CJ O'Hara with all 13 of his points in the 1st half as he played limited time in the 2nd half.  12 different Royals end up scoring.  Cass Ramberg 10 points to lead Washburn.

Game 2: Forest Lake 68 St. Paul Johnson 55
Forest Lake would use a mid second half 11-2 run to break open an even game.  Good matchup of sophomore forwards here between Owen Waldoch (FL) and Daejohn Thomas (SPJ).  Waldoch with a big 3 point play to put Forest Lake up 56-44 with 8:10 left and send Thomas to the bench with 4 fouls.  That ended the big run.  Waldoch would foul out on a flop charge 3 minutes later but Forest Lake would hang on.  Waldoch leads Forest Lake with 21 points.  Fellow soph Nolan Dumonceaux adds 14 with 4 3s.  Ishmael David leads Johnson with 17 points.  Christian Jones 11, Daejohn Thomas 10.  Forest Lake 10-22 from 3 compared to 4-14 for Johnson.

Game 3: Minneapolis Southwest 83 Cambridge-Isanti 64
Dead even first half before Southwest pulls away in the 2nd half.  3 point game around midway thru the 2nd half.  Then Southwest scores on 15 out of 17 trips as the Bluejackets couldn't get stops out of their matchup zone.  Hakeem Ford and Preston Engen lead the onslaught as they combine for 24 of their 33 points the 2nd half.  Ford finishes with 17, Engen with 16 as 11 Lakers end up scoring.  Guards Kobe Karels and John Troolin with 16 points each for Cambridge-Isanti.  They'll make a nice backcourt for next year as Karels is a junior and Troolin only a sophomore.  Always fun to watch the motion offense of Cambridge-Isanti.  They use screens and will back cut you off of that as well as anybody.

Game 4: Big Lake 82 Duluth East 79
This one was fun and a contrast of styles.  You have a big Duluth East lineup (sans Will Van Scoy) against a smaller and mobile Big Lake crew.  Isaac Nyakundi and Bryce Miller getting what they want inside but can also step out and shoot it for Duluth East.  Fun to watch.  But the story here was Big Lake's shooting. They hit 18 of 30 from the great beyond with 7 different guys (including all 5 starters) making one.  Every time Duluth East made a run, a Big Lake 3 killed it.  

Big Lake comes out and hits 4 triples to start the 2nd half and converts a turnover into a layup to open up a 63-47 lead with 13:50 left.  Duluth East would rally to within 2 within 1:50 left and have a chance to tie.  Jobe Juenemann carrying the Duluth East offense in the 2nd half with 5 3s and 2 other buckets.  Definitely a name to watch.  Blocked shot and 4-4 bonus free throws for Big Lake counter a Nyakundi putback for a 3 point play with 10 seconds left.  That gives Duluth East 1 last chance down 3 but they miss a 3 at the buzzer.  Duluth East shoots 12-30 from 3 themselves.  Half of those makes from Juenemann who finished with 19 of his 30 points in the 2nd half.  Isaac Nyakundi adds 20 points for the Greyhounds.  Mitchell Hill with 5 3s and 21 points to lead Big Lake.  Soph Owen Layton off the Hornets bench with 5 3s of his own and 19 points.  Johnathon O'Brien chips in with 15 points.  Its a junior laden Hornets crew who is now 2-3 against a tough schedule. 

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