Preps Game Blog-Sections: Hopkins vs Minnetonka

PREGAME

This place is beyond packed and no offense to Osseo but this game should be played in a big venue at a college or something to accommodate 7,000 or whatever. There is a ton of people in here jamming this place to the rafters and they could have had twice as many…Coaches from Iowa, NDSU, Colorado State, Northern Iowa, and the local colleges are in the house…

FIRST HALF

Hopkins out to a fast 7-0 lead with Trent Lockett scoring inside, Mike Broghammer making a move off the block, and then Raymond Cowels hitting a three…Now Lockett squares up to hit a 14-footer and its 9-0…Hopkins defense has really come out strong and Minnetonka is yet to get a good look. Now UT Udo puts up an airball then Tyler Schilling misses an easy one and it turns into a three from Cowels on the other end. That could be costly as CJ Erickson just had a monster block that may have been huge for momentum…

Schilling puts one in and Tonka finally scores and its 12-2…Lockett scores tough inside and its 16-2. The Hopkins size has been a real difference early…CJ is stepping up as he has another block and then a turn-around jumper. Now Andrew Latzke hits a three on a pass from CJ and its 16-9…Anthony Tucker has attempted two shots and both have been extremely difficult looks trying to acrobatically adjust in the air. The Hopkins defense is right with him and their help inside off the bounce is huge….

Tucker picks up a loose ball and scores for his first bucket and its a 10-0 Tonka run. And Sedrick McBounds is a beast right now. His block, his two boards, his kickout for a jumper, his free throw, and now his post move backing down Anthony Diloreto and spinning to the glass have made this 16-14….DJ Peterson is running point for the Royals after Tonka came back…Hopkins has gone cold from the field and CJ Erickson has been there to grab every board…Wow, Mike Broghammer just picked up his third foul and Erickson helped draw that one falling down…

Another up and under for McBounds scoring on Diloreto, I can't say enough about Sed's impact on the game since coming in off the bench. Lockett has also played well and he just used his athleticism to finish amongst the Tonka big men, 23-16 with Hopkins ahead…After Cowels used his body to shield the defender and score, McBounds just dominated Diloreto inside again going over him with a strong base and then a finger roll…

Lockett playing big!! He just swatted a shot from behind and that ball was obliterated out of the hands of a Skipper player. Then Trent scored with a put-back on the other end, 27-18…Tucker has only one bucket and Cowels is guarding him very close with a forearm or hand on him at all times. Raymond is playing Anthony very physically but the refs are letting this game be physical…Lockett with an athletic play catching the ball and losing it in the air but he landed, grabbed it, and then scored and he has six field goals already…29-20…Cowels is playing big time right now as well hitting his third three and playing the kind of physical D that Hopkins needs to limit Tucker…Three pointer number FOUR for Cowels. Raymond is making a real statement thus far…35-22…

Andy Burns now hits a pair of jumpers including a three and its 35-25…McBounds scores inside with another nice move out of the post and its 35-27…The refs have let this be physical and McBounds is one guy from Tonka who is playing well in this type of game…Its halftime and Tucker has the one field goal…

SECOND HALF

Wow, the Benilde kids win their game to get to state in St. Paul and get over here real fast to check out the second half of this game…And the Tonka student section of hundreds did an interesting group thing called the roller coaster and that was entertaining…

Hopkins comes out with buckets in the paint from Diloreto and Lockett and its 39-27…Anthony Diloreto again scores in the post with a nice move using his touch and Hopkins has scored three straight times to start the second half just like the first. McBounds does not start the second half but I doubt it will be long before we see him…Didn't take long as Sed enters at the 16:19 mark…

Lockett continues to prove his four stars now with a three from the corner and we have a 17-point game…WOW..CJ Erickson with an amazing block on Broghammer and that was incredible high above the rim with force...Anthony Tucker finally gets free to hit a three and he hit that off the pull-up going left…They finally call Cowels for hands on Anthony…Big time shot from Lockett as he dipped his shoulder to create space and then faded from 14-feet to hit. He's really played big in a big time game…As has Ray Cowels who just put up a three-point play and its 50-33…

Tucker is still struggling to make shots as he has missed his last three three-pointers including an airball…Tonka closes to 52-40 off of Erickson and Tucker lay-ups now Royals turn ball over opening door bigger and Tucker drives for another lay-up, 52-42…Mike Broghammer shows his range with a 16-foot jumper but that is countered by a CJ three and its within double digits at the nine minute mark…56-47…CJ pins a Diloreto shot on the glass and yes sir the Pioneer Press got the defensive player of the year award right…Tucker steps back onto the floor after a short break and hits a three. The Tonka crowd is insane right now at 56-50…

Broghammer picks up fourth foul on a really weak call for how this game has gone and CJ hits a free throw…CJ WITH ANOTHER MONSTER BLOCK taking away a lay-up. That was thought to be an easy lay-in but CJ raced back to swat it hard again. As a result the ball is pushed the other way and CJ gets fouled. He made both free throws, 57-54…Cowels hit a needed runner off the bounce and that is an important shot that may steer away some of that Tonka momentum…Broghammer fouls out with seven points and he was never really been involved in this game because of the foul trouble…CJ makes a pair and its 60 to 56. Erickson has really done just about everything and his play has brought his team back…Hopkins is getting to the line but making only one of two several times and now Burns creates for Schilling inside and its 61-58…

Huge move from Diloreto backing down Erickson and hitting the baby hook inside and back the other way CJ forces a shot giving the Royals the ball in control with two minutes left…Trying to run the clock out Lockett losses the ball to Tucker who goes the other way and misses but falls into Lockett and fouls him out. Anthony makes two and its 63 to 61 but that should not have been called as Trent wasn't in the play until Tucker fell on him going away from the hoop…Cowels with a free throw…Tucker with two free throws and its 64 to 63…CJ with another block and Anthony takes the ball the other way in transition driving through traffic. Tucker scores to take the lead!!!!....20 seconds to go, 65-64…

Hopkins attacks and on the loose ball rebound Marvin Singleton gets ran into from the back and he will go to the line with 1.5 seconds left. The scoreboard lady didn't stop the clock and 1.5 seems right. Singleton misses first but with all the pressure he makes the second…Skipper buzzer beater misses…OT…

OVERTIME

Minnetonka coming with their full arsenal of talent while the Royals are short two stars so sophomore Peterson and freshman Singleton are playing with the most pressure they have ever had…Andy Burns make two extremely big shots in over time for Tonka but Raymond Cowels hit another three and he may have become a star tonight with this performance on both ends, 71-70 Hopkins with 36 seconds left…

It's a four-minute overtime but the possessions are very methodical taking the time off each possession. Here is a CJ Erickson jumper from the elbow to give Tonka the lead and the ball was worked around well being helped with a ball rotation and penetration middle from Burns and Kyle Risinger. Huge shot from CJ who has been incredible…Hopkins turns the ball over and the foul comes to Risinger but the scorer lady is having all sorts of issues. Instead of stopping the clock on the whistle she threw her hands in the air. And Ken Novak Jr. is not pleased…Seven seconds left and Risinger makes two and the Royals need a three. Novak chooses to go with it (I'm not sure on the time-out situation) and Cowels misses at the buzzer, Minnetonka wins. This place is going insane!....74-72…

POSTGAME

Another classic basketball game between these schools and if you missed it you missed some history that they will talk about in the west suburbs for a long time. The hatred in this rivalry is so thick, I could not even repeat some of the sick things that Skipper fans from behind the Hopkins bench were saying at the Royal coaches, just lethal.

The stars tonight were Raymond Cowels and CJ Erickson. Raymond scored 27 points, hit several big three-pointers and he uses his body so well around the basket to finish. Plus his defensive effort on Tucker for most of the game was big and I would say his play on both ends had the Royals up. Raymond convinced me tonight that some high majors will come after him. It will be situational so when the offers come they will be from schools from various areas but I feel they will come. He can shoot with range, Raymond uses his body well to finish, and he showed that he's a pretty fair defender as well. Once again Raymond had his team ahead with the effort on both ends until…..

CJ Erickson took over the game in the second half. His monster blocks and great hustle helped get Tucker involved as these plays were speeding the game up allowing Tucker to get free on the other end. From that point Anthony stepped up to score a total of 18 after totaling only two in the first half. But CJ scored 21, he made the jumper in overtime that was essentially the game winner, and most importantly his presence under the hoop was incredible. A wise coach once told me he's the best helpside defender in the Midwest and the statement couldn't be any truer then tonight. His blocks were incredible.

Other fine performances came from Andy Burns, Sedrick McBounds, Trent Lockett, and others. Andy was steady for most of the night and hit two big time shots in overtime. Sedrick's tough inside play in the first half helped Tonka come back from the disastrous start and then Trent had a nice game going for himself until he got into foul trouble, he finished with 21.

I would assume next week that Tonka would be the one seed in the tournament.

The Skippers had a massive losing streak going to Hopkins since the turn of the century but Minnetonka has now won three of the last four games in this storied rivalry including the last two section games.