Two teams return to defend their 2014 titles: Park Center of Brooklyn Park in
Class AAA and Eastview of Apple Valley in Class AAAA.
Coaches of all four teams voted and seeded the top five teams of each class:
Maranatha Christian Academy of Brooklyn Park in Class A; Sauk Centre in Class
AA; Orono in Class AAA; and Hopkins in Class AAAA. Both Park Center and
Eastview were seeded No. 2 in their respective classes.
Four
teams are making their first appearances: Stephen-Argyle Central in Class A;
Dover-Eyota in Class AA; and Thief River Falls and Princeton in Class AAA. Lyle
is also making its first appearance as a co-op with Austin Pacelli.
The
2015 State Girls’ Basketball Tournament starts Tuesday, March 17, with six
quarterfinal games being played at Target Center. The remaining quarterfinals
continue on Wednesday, March 18, and Thursday, March 19, at Mariucci Arena on
the University of Minnesota Minneapolis campus. Semifinals start at Williams
Arena on the University of Minnesota Minneapolis campus on Thursday, March 19,
and conclude on Friday, March 20. The championship games of all four classes
will be played at Williams Arena on Saturday March 21. Third-place games will
be played on Saturday at Concordia University in St. Paul.
This
year and next year the boys’ basketball tournament will precede the girls’
basketball tournament because Target Center is hosting the National Collegiate
Hockey Conference Frozen Faceoff tournament.
This
is the 19th year of the four-class format and the 12th year with all games
being played in Minneapolis. This is the ninth year that the Class AAA and
Class AAAA tournaments were seeded by the participating coaches, and the second
that Class A and Class AA were seeded.
The
seeding process had all 32 coaches of the section champions log onto a special
page of the League Web site. Each coach then ranked the other teams in their
class one through seven. The highest and lowest rankings for each team were
discarded, leaving five rankings for each team. From those rankings, the top
five teams were seeded. In conference calls with all eight head coaches of each
class, League Associate Director Lisa Lissimore announced the top five seeds. A
representative of the girls’ basketball coaches association, then blindly drew
the three remaining teams to establish the opponent for each seeded team.
Numbers four and five automatically play each other.
Detailed statistics provided by qualified teams are available on the League’s
Web site — www.MSHSL.org — as a Media Guide link under
Tournaments, then Winter, then Girls’ Basketball.
Class
A Preview
(Section 8) Stephen-Argyle Central (23-5) vs. (No. 1 Seed-Section 4) Maranatha
Christian Academy, Brooklyn Park (27-3): Stephen-Argyle Central is making its
debut tournament appearance. The Storm finished the season unranked in the
final Minnesota Basketball News (MBN) poll. Maranatha Christian Academy enters
ranked No. 2 by MBN. The Mustangs, champions in 2011 and 2012, are making their
sixth consecutive and overall appearance. They fell in the quarterfinals last
year.
(No. 5 Seed-Section 3) Minneota (27-4) vs. (No. 4 Seed-Section 5) Browerville
(28-1): Last year’s runner-up Minneota is making its fifth consecutive and
sixth overall appearance. The Vikings won a previous title in 2013 and are the
No. 4-ranked team in the final MBN poll. The Tigers of Browerville, ranked No.
6 by MBN, are making their second consecutive and third overall appearance. In
2014, Browerville lost in the quarterfinal round.
(Section 2) Springfield (24-4) vs. (No. 2 Seed-Section 6) Ada-Borup (29-0):
Unranked Springfield is making its fourth overall appearance and first since
2007. Ada-Borup enters the tournament undefeated and ranked No. 1 in the final
MBN poll. It is the fourth consecutive and eighth overall appearance for the
Cougars, who lost in the quarterfinal round last year. Ada-Borup won previous
championships in 2008 and 2009.
(Section 1) Lyle/Austin Pacelli (25-3) vs. (No. 3 Seed-Section 7) Mountain
Iron-Buhl (28-2):
This
is the first tournament appearance for Lyle and the fourth overall for Austin
Pacelli, whose last trip to the tournament was in 1981. The final MBN poll
ranked the Athletics No. 9. Mountain Iron-Buhl enters tournament play as the
No. 3-ranked team. It is the fifth consecutive and sixth overall appearance for
the Rangers, who are looking to improve on a loss in the quarterfinals last
year.
Class A Quarterfinal Schedule — Thursday, March 19
11:00 a.m. — Stephen-Argyle Central vs. Maranatha Christian Academy at Mariucci
Arena
1:00 p.m. — Minneota vs. Browerville at Mariucci Arena
3:00 p.m. — Springfield vs. Ada-Borup at Mariucci Arena
5:00 p.m. — Lyle/Austin Pacelli vs. Mountain Iron-Buhl at Mariucci Arena
Class AA Preview
(Section 2) Norwood-Young America (26-3) vs. (No. 1 Seed-Section 6) Sauk Centre
(29-1): The unranked Norwood-Young America Raiders are making their first
tournament appearance since 2007 and second overall. Sauk Centre returns after
a one-year hiatus for its fifth overall appearance. The Mainstreeters finished
the season ranked No. 1 in the final MBN poll.
(No. 5 Seed-Section 5) Annandale (23-7) vs. (No. 4 Seed-Section 4) Minnehaha Academy,
Minneapolis (25-4): The Cardinals of Annandale, ranked No. 9 by MBN, return to
the tournament for the first time since 2010, making their second overall
appearance. Champions in 2010, Minnehaha Academy is making its second
consecutive and ninth overall appearance. The Redhawks enter tournament play
ranked No. 6 in the final MBN poll.
(Section 3) Fairmont (22-6) vs. (No. 2 Seed-Section 1) Dover-Eyota (28-2):
Fairmont is making its second overall appearance and first since 2007. The
Cardinals closed the season unranked in the final MBN poll. The No. 2-ranked
Eagles of Dover-Eyota are making their first tournament appearance.
(Section 8) Roseau (24-6) vs. (No. 3 Seed-Section 7) Esko (26-4): Back in the
tournament for the first time since 2000, Roseau is making its third overall
appearance. The Rams closed the season unranked. The Eskomos of Esko, ranked
No. 10 in the final MBN poll, are making their second consecutive and 11th
overall appearance.
Class AA Quarterfinals Schedule — Wednesday, March 18
2:00 p.m. — Norwood-Young America vs. Sauk Centre at Mariucci Arena
4:00 p.m. — Annandale vs. Minnehaha Academy at Mariucci Arena
6:00 p.m. — Fairmont vs. Dover-Eyota at Mariucci Arena
8:00 p.m. — Roseau vs. Esko at Mariucci Arena
Class AAA Preview
(Section 8) Thief River Falls (26-3) vs. (No. 1 Seed-Section 5) Orono (28-1):
Thief River Falls is making its debut appearance. The Prowlers were unranked in
the final MBN poll. The No. 1-ranked Spartans of Orono are making their
second-ever appearance and first since 2001.
(No. 5 Seed-Section 7) Princeton (20-8) vs. (No. 4 Seed-Section 2) Marshall
(27-2): The unranked Princeton Tigers are making their first tournament
appearance. They’ll face the Marshall Tigers, who are making their second
consecutive and ninth overall appearance. They made one additional appearance
as a co-op with Marshall Area Christian in 2000. Marshall was ranked No. 2 in
the final MBN poll and is looking to improve on last year’s runner-up showing.
If Marshall wins, it would be the third title for the Tigers. They won
previously in 2001 and 2002.
(Section 6) Richfield (15-14) vs. (No. 2 Seed-Section 3) Park Center, Brooklyn
Park (22-7): The Spartans of Richfield, unranked in the final MBN poll, are
making their third overall tournament appearance and first since 2013. The
defending champions from Park Center return for their second consecutive and
overall appearance. They were ranked No. 3 in this year’s final MBN poll.
(Section 1) Kasson-Mantorville (28-2) vs. (No. 3 Seed-Section 4) New Prague
(24-4): No. 5-ranked Kasson-Mantorville returns for its second consecutive and
fifth overall tournament appearance. The KoMets fell in the 2014 quarterfinals.
New Prague, returning for a ninth overall appearance after a one-year hiatus,
won the title in 2000. The Trojans finished the year ranked No. 4 by MBN.
The Class AAA Quarterfinal Schedule — Tuesday, March 17
6:00 p.m. — Thief River Falls vs. Orono at Target Center
8:00 p.m. — Princeton vs. Marshall at Target Center
The Class AAA Quarterfinal Schedule — Wednesday, March 18
10:00 a.m. — Richfield vs. Park Center at Mariucci Arena
Noon — Kasson-Mantorville vs. New Prague at Mariucci Arena
Class AAAA Preview
(Section 1) Rochester Mayo (23-5) vs. (No. 1 Seed-Section 6) Hopkins (27-1):
Ranked No. 10 in the final MBN poll, the Spartans of Rochester Mayo are making
their 11th overall appearance and first since 2013. They won previous
championships in 1995 and 1997. Hopkins is looking for its sixth title, having
won previously in 2004, 2006, 2011, 2012 and 2013. The No. 1-ranked Royals are
making their ninth overall appearance, returning to the tournament after a
one-year absence.
(No. 5 Seed-Section 2) Shakopee (21-8) vs. (No. 4 Seed-Section 4) White Bear
Lake Area (22-7): Shakopee returns to tournament play for the first time since
1997. It is the fifth overall appearance for the Sabers. White Bear Lake Area
is making its seventh overall appearance and first since 2012. Neither team was
ranked in the final MBN poll.
(Section 7) Andover (19-10) vs. (No. 2 Seed-Section 3) Eastview, Apple Valley
(28-1): This is the second appearance for the Huskies of Andover, who finished the
year unranked by MBN. Andover last competed in the tournament in 2004. The
defending champions from Eastview return for their fourth consecutive and
eighth overall appearance. The Lightning were ranked No. 2 in the final MBN
poll. They are looking to improve on last year’s runner-up showing.
(Section 5) Centennial, Circle Pines (21-8) vs. (No. 3 Seed-Section 6) St.
Michael-Albertville (25-3): The Cougars of Centennial return for their second
consecutive and sixth overall appearance. They fell in the quarterfinals in
2014 and were not ranked in this year’s final MBN poll. The Knights of St.
Michael-Albertville are making their fourth consecutive and eighth overall
appearance. They were ranked No. 3 in the final MBN poll and are in the hunt
for their third championship. They won previously in 2001 and 2009. Last year
the Knights lost in the quarterfinals.
The Class AAAA Quarterfinal Schedule — Tuesday, March 17
10:00 a.m. — Rochester Mayo vs. Hopkins at Target Center
Noon — Shakopee vs. White Bear Lake Area at Target Center
2:00 p.m. — Andover vs. Eastview at Target Center
4:00 p.m. — Centennial vs. St. Michael-Albertville at Target Center
Television and Webcast Coverage
All semifinal and championship games will be televised live by KSTC-TV, Channel
45, and also streamed live at Prep45.com for a fee of $4.97 per day. Live
statistics of all games will also be displayed on the League website (www.MSHSL.org).
Ticket Information
Tickets will be available at Target Center, Mariucci Arena, and Williams Arena.
Quarterfinal tickets cost $14.00 for adults and $9.00 for students. Daily
quarterfinal wristbands, which are good at each venue, are $19.00 for adults
and $12.00 for students. Semifinal and championship tickets will be available
at Williams Arena and cost $14.00 for adults and $9.00 for students per
session. Third-place tickets will be available at Concordia University and cost
$10.00 for adults and $7.00 for students.
A visit to any participating Wells Fargo metro location can yield you a $2
discount coupon for students 13 and younger.
(info via mshsl)
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