Championship Drought Over for Minnehaha Academy Redhawks

The road to the state Class AA championship was paved with a game high 29 points from Taytum Rhoades that led the Minnehaha Academy Redhawks to a 72-63 win over the Caledonia Warriors Saturday afternoon at Williams Arena on the University of Minnesota campus.

It was the second state title for the Minneapolis based school and their first since 2010 in their seventh state tournament appearance.

Kaitlin Conniff began the scoring for the Warriors :33 into the game with a pair of free throws.  Mia Curtis would put the Redhawks in from as she hit from Huron Blvd.  Curtis, a junior would pick up an assist as she made an inside bounce pass to Avery New that would help a 7-0 Minnehaha Academy run.  Curtis would hit a couple more three pointers for the Redhawks and Rhoades would contribute to a 5-0 run that would end when Katie Tornstrom would hit a three pointer for Caledonia.  She converted another one to put the Warriors in front.  Caledonia would also play great defense, playing a 1-2-2 zone.  The lead would go back and forth like light rail trains on the Green Line tracks until Curtis would hit her fourth and fifth three pointers of the game and pick up another assist on Rhoades' basket to help  an 8-0 run.  Minnehaha Academy led 33-27 at halftime.

Caledonia would inch closer to Minnehaha Academy in the second half as they went on a 7-0 run which included two free throws from Ashley Schroeder and a three pointer from Tornstrom.  Conniff would also convert on a right handed layup.  But the Redhawks would bounce back on Rhoades three pointer and pick up an assist on Kate Pryor's basket.  Caledonia would regain the lead as Ashley Schroeder would score seven straight points.  Ashley Schroeder would keep the Warriors in the game, going 11-11 from the free throw line.  Curtis would put Minnehaha Academy ahead with her sixth three pointer and Caledonia would regain the lead on Conniff's basket.  Despite picking up her fourth foul, Tornstrom would hit her fifth three pointer of the game and Rhoades would even the score at 53.  She would make a bounce pass to Tanna Gallo and she would get a three point play.  Rhoades, who will be playing next season at Minnesota-Duluth, would wrap up her Redhawk career with a right handed scoop shot that would solidify the lead.

Other Minnehaha Academy players in double figures were Curtis with 18 and Pryor with 10.  Caledonia was led by Ashley Schroeder with 21 points.  Tornstrom had 19 points and 16 rebounds.  Conniff added 16 points, going 10-10 from the free throw line.

Minnehaha Academy finished the season with a record of 25-6 and Caledonia ended the 2018-19 campaign at 26-5.

In the third place game at Ganglehoff Center on the Concordia University campus in St. Paul, it was the season finale of "The Borowicz Sisters" with Kacie scoring a game high 37 points and Katie scoring 16 points and 19 assists to lead the Roseau Rams to a 81-43 rout of the Albany Huskies.