Slam dunking a Saturday

Prologue
A couple of notable setups on the local schedule today caught my eye.  The obvious setup was the rescheduled Breakdown games at Hamline.  Good setup there.  Then the rescheduled Hall of Fame classic with a chance to catch Lakeville South for the 1st time this year as they took on Andover.  While the pizza at Hamline is always worth getting, there is some sorrow.  Always hard to not be at my hometown event, the Midwest Players Classic.  Especially if they still have the Big Boar BBQ going.  Minneapolis North got a win there today over a Milwaukee Carmen team that I saw play at Hamline over my holiday break.

Game 1: Lakeville South 71 Andover 61
The Hall of Fame Classic was intended to be at ARCC today but wasn't held.  So the 2 local games were held at Spring Lake Park.  The other one, Morris vs Enderlin (ND) was held at Morris.  Andover couldn't get their shooting going in this one going only 6-29 from 3.  Too much Avery Mast with 24 points for Lakeville South.  Big run from Jackson Ressler scoring all 11 of his 1st half points in a row (3 triples) to help the Cougars take the lead and keep it.  Sammy Musungu 17 points for Andover.  The toughness of that Andover backcourt (Musungu/Kopetzki) is really a joy to watch.

Slam Classic at Hamline
Game 1: #10AAA Orono 76 #5AAA Princeton 74
This was a makeup from the Granite City Classic.  What a way to start the in person viewing for the day.  Orono jumped out to a 7 point lead and then a 17-4 Princeton run would put them on top.  Orono tie the game right away in the 2nd half but an 8-0 Princeton run put them back on top.  Orono down 4 late but Sebastian Loder for 3 cuts it to 1 with 1:40 left.  The lead is 3 late, Orono with a chance to tie.  Straight away 3 is blocked but Orono grabs it and finds Kyle Kallenbach in the right corner for a game tying 3 with under 20 seconds left.  Princeton fouled with 7 seconds left and misses both.  Loder takes the ball end to end and lays it in at the horn for the improbable win.  Loder with 19 of his 23 in the 2nd half.  Isaiah Hagen adds 16 for the Spartans.  Cooper Drews 17, Haydn Stay 16, Cooper Nowak 14 to lead Princeton.  Stay and Drews are really fun forwards to watch as they handle, cut and shoot it.  Add in a rock solid point guard in Nowak and Princeton is going to be a very tough out in the tourney.  Princeton 8-19 at the charity stripe and 17 turnovers.  Orono overcomes 9-32 shooting from 3 to steal a win.  Orono all over the offensive glass for a 19-4 edge in 2nd chance points.  Would not expect that against the Princeton size.

Game 2: #4AAA South St. Paul 72 Mound-Westonka 55
This game was a planned non-conference game for today so they just switched the location.  The final score in this one is a bit misleading as Mound had the lead down to 5 late before the Packers finished the game on a 14-2 run.  Mound-Westonka tried to play 1-2-2 zone to slow down the high powered SSP offense.  The Packers respond by shooting 8-13 from 3 in the 1st half to lead by 8 at the break.  Alonzo Dodd keeps the engine rolling with 22 points and 12 boards on my sheet.  Devin Newsome 16.  Shawn West-Zimpel 13 points and 3 triples off the bench.  Max Swanson 15 to lead Mound-Westonka.  Jason Spaeth with 11 of his 13 in the 1st half.  He reached the 1000 career points mark with his 1st basket of the game.

Game 3: #1AAA Totino-Grace 101 Cretin-Derham Hall 84
This was intended to be the showcase game of the Tipoff Classic.  First half story was Ahjany Lee.  He dominates the offensive glass for 17 points in the half.  Where was this player the last 12 months?  41-28 TG at the break.  The game changes at the 12:48 mark.  Taison Chatman fouled hard going to the rim.  We get a technical as well.  Chatman makes all 4 FTs and then buries a straight away 3 on the possession.  7 point trip.  Left wing 3, yes.  Right wing 3, yes.  13 points in a minute and 20 seconds.  Left corner 3, yes.  Left wing, gimme that too.  Another one straight away.  WHY NOT!  Those 6 triples come in 8 trips down the floor.  Blowout city 75-50 TG leading with 9:15 left.

Tre Holloman struggled with his shot in the 1st half but still had 4 assists.  He keeps the assists going but his offense comes to life.  He scores 17 points in the last 7 minutes  But they aren't meaningful as the size of Lee and Patrick Bath attacks the rim with little resistance.  Tre Holloman leads all scorers with 36 points and roughly 9 assists on my sheet.  Donavhan Cain adds 6 triples and 28 points.  But they get no help.  I love the action they'll run for Cain with him ghosting a ball screen for Holloman.

Taison Chatman with one of the more electric shooting games you'll see.  20 points and 6 triples in the blink of an eye in the 2nd half.  He finishes with 7 triples and 29 points.  These weren't come off screens for catch and shoot 3s.  These were off ball screens or just straight 1 on 1 create spaces 3s.  Ahjany Lee with 17 of his 25 points in the 1st half.  That's the type of interior play that can make TG the really elite team we expected.  Tommy Humphries 17, Demarion Watson 14, Patrick Bath 11 (all 2nd half).  While TG did switch a bunch, I really loved their plan of putting Watson on Holloman.  That length takes away some of the postup and attacking options that Holloman has.

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