2019 Class AAAA State Girls Basketball Tournament Preview

            2019 STATE CLASS AAAA GIRLS BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
                   (Games Played Wednesday, March 13 at Williams Arena, Minneapolis)

10:00:  Lakeville North vs. Hopkins (Seed 1)
12:00:  Maple Grove (Seed 5) vs. Centennial (Seed 4)
  2:00:  Shakopee vs. Stillwater (Seed 2)
  4:00:  Forest Lake vs. Eastview (Seed 3)

                                               EXAMINING THE FIELD
A brief prologue.  This year's state girls basketball tournament is being held at The Barn and Maturi Pavilion on the University of Minnesota campus due to Target Center being booked for Disney on Ice.

Now to the pairings.  The day's festivities begin with the Lakeville North Panthers making their fourth consecutive trip to state and ninth overall as the second seeded Panthers beat the top seeded Farmington Tigers  in the Section 1 title game 37-35.  It gets even tougher since they will battle the top seeded and unbeaten Hopkins Royals.  The Royals have a lot of offensive weapons, including Minnesota's Player of the Year Paige Bueckers.  It's not just Bueckers that carries the Royal offense.  She gets support from Dlayla Chakolis and 6'3" freshman Maya Nnjai.  Hopkins has finished second in Class AAAA the last three years.  Can the Royal Blue and Silver finally bring home the gold medals?

Next up will be a "Battle of the Northwest Suburban Conference" featuring the fifth seeded Maple Grove Crimson from Section 8 and the Centennial Cougars in Section 5.  Both schools were seeded second in their respective sections.  Maple Grove, in their second straight trip to Minneapolis beat the top seeded St. Michael Albertville Knights and Centennial,in their seven state tournament appearance beat the fourth seeded Spring Lake Park Panthers, who upset the top seeded Park Center Pirates.  The two schools played each other February 11 with the Cougars coming out on top 56-40.  Centennial is hot, winning 17 straight games.  Can they get close to 20?

Another section giant killer takes the floor in the third game as the Shakopee Sabers, seeded third in Section 2 eliminated the top seeded Eden Prairie Eagles 41-39 in the section final.  It's the sixth trip to state for the Sabers who go up against the second seeded Stillwater Ponies. The Ponies make their first trip to state since 1988.   It could be the first opportunity for basketball fans to see future Gopher Sara Scalia in action.  Will head coach Lindsey Whalen be in attendance looking on her first in-state recruit en route to the Class AAAA title game?

Wrapping up the Class AAAA quarterfinals will be the Forest Lake Rangers facing the third seeded and defending state Class AAAA champion Eastview Lightning.  The Rangers make their second straight and fourth overall trip to Minneapolis and have won 10 of their last 11 games.  The Lightning make their eight consecutive tournament appearance and have not missed a beat under head coach Molly Kasper. It's a safe bet to say that former head coach Melissa Guebert will be in attendance at The Barn.  Her daughter Macy is one of seven Lightning seniors.  Don't count the Lightning out of a possible return to the Class AAAA finals.  They are on a 10 game winning streak.

Next up:  The Class AAA preview.