Thoughts from The Big Stage 2022

The Big Stage event was held at Osseo High School.  Another long day of games with the headlining #1 vs #2 matchup in class AAAA to finish it off.  Here are some thoughts from those games.

Game 1: #8AAAA Robbinsdale Cooper 63 Champlin Park 58
My how the mighty have fallen.  Champlin Park used to reload every year and now the talent has dropped way off from the high standard they held for many years.  Molley Kamara with good bench minutes in the 1st half before having to sit with 2 fouls.  On the other side, the strong start to the season continues for Michael Cooper.  Another game over 20 points with 22 in this one.  Guard Sam Massaquoi adds 19.  The Hawks would expand a 6 point halftime lead to 15 in the 2nd half.  Champlin Park would come back to take the lead with 2:09 left.  But a couple of Rebels turnovers allow Cooper to score the last 6 points of the game for the win.

Game 2: #10AAAA Hopkins 66 Maple Grove 60
A 14-0 Hopkins run to end the 1st half would give the Royals a 12 point halftime lead.  Maple Grove would cut that lead to 3 with about 10 minutes left but get no closer.  Forward Vince Hillesheim doing great work inside for Hopkins.  He scored 16 of his 23 points in the 1st half.  Star PG Jayden Moore controlled the last 7 minutes.  6 points and a pair of assists for triples from soph wing Daveion Hart put the game away.  Junior guard Henry Stang with 17 of his 21 points in the 2nd half to lead Maple Grove.  He had 10 straight Crimson points in their run that cut the lead.

Game 3: Minnetonka 95 St. Cloud Tech 68
A hot start from junior PG Tameron Ferguson would allow Tech to open an early 6 point lead.  He had 16 of the first 22 Tech points.  But only 1 tough field goal after that.  Tech just couldn't get stops in this one.  Tonka scores on 21 of 24 trips split evenly across halftime.  That allows the Skippers to turn a 4 point deficit into a 31 point lead with about 11 minutes left.  Cruise control from there.  Minnetonka with 4 players in double figures.  Jordan Cain leads with 20 points.  Ibo El-Amin 3 triples and all 17 of his points in the 1st half.  Tameron Ferguson 16 of his 22 points early to lead St. Cloud Tech.

Game 4: #2AAA De La Salle 73 Stillwater 48
Another quality performance from DLS PG Nas Whitlock in this one as he leads the Islanders to the win with 24 points.  A slow start for Max Shikenjanski in the point guard matchup but he leads the Ponies with 22.  No other help for him though.  Jaden Morgan with his best game so far for De La Salle he knocks down 2 first half triples in the run that started to open the game up.  And holy Moses, I have been removed.  I have seen the spectre and I was there too!  Israel Moses with 1 of the nasty dunks of the season to get that run started.  Another solid game for him with 13 points and a couple of 3s.

Game 5: Cretin-Derham Hall 64 #7AAAA Robbinsdale Armstrong 57
We got to see some fired up Jerry Kline and that's always entertaining.  JERRY JERRY JERRY!  CDH hung around and hung around.  Then a late 8-0 run breaks a 45 all tie and puts the Raiders over the top.  Guard Jake Little with great minutes off the CDH bench.  He finishes with 15 points including the last 2 buckets of that critical run.  Seth Newbern 17 points to lead Armstrong

Game 6: #6AAAA Eastview 73 Osseo 55
Great balance and quality defense from Eastview in this one.  The Lightning get 4 in double figures led by Dylan Omweno off the bench with 16.  The front line of Mario Adams, Jon Mekonnen and Chet Kloss all in double digits too.  Trey Smith with 26 points to lead Osseo.  Nobody else got going for Orioles though.

Game 7: #5AAA Benilde-St. Margaret's 82 #9AAAA Andover 78
Andover opening up a 1st half lead, but then a big 2nd half rally by Benilde-St. Margaret's.  Then the Red Knights held off a final rally.  Soph forward Jalen Wilson with 20 of his 30 points in the 1st half.  He bullied his way to a ton of easy inside buckets.  Never had to make an outside shot.  Soph guard Jaleel Donley sparked BSM in the 2nd half with 16 of his 18 points and added 10 assists for the game (per some guy who prefers Coke over Pepsi).  He's super fast with the basketball in his hands.  BSM still has plenty of youthful moments but very entertaining when they have it going.  Ben Kopetzki with 23 of his 33 points in the 2nd half to lead Andover.  Sam Musungu back in the lineup adds 20.

Game 8: #1AAAA Park Center 78 #2AAAA Lakeville North 71
The main event did not disappoint as we got close to a full house for the nightcap.  Lakeville North would open an 11 point first half lead.  Nolan Winter with a quick start to help that.  The Pirates then started to pillage everything in site as they went on a 19-1 run.  As we also saw in their game at De La Salle, when they turn up the defense, it is scary.  This is where Lakeville North's lack of a true point guard showed.  Lakeville North showed their resilience coming back at Wayzata on Tuesday and it showed again here.  A 7-0 run finished by a Jack Robison 3 tied the game with under 6 minutes to play.  Cash Chavis 6 straight points late and took a critical charge that essentially ended the Panthers chances.  Chavis leads the Pirates with 23 points, Chiang Ring 18 and CJ O'Hara adds 15.  Nolan Winter leads Lakeville North with 27 points.  Jack Robison leading the late comeback with 13 of his 18 in the 2nd half.  He was sitting with 2 fouls when Park Center made their big first half run.  A rematch of this game in the state tournament would definitely be something I'd want to see.