Hannah Hedstrom’s heart and head raced as the Minnetonka junior point guard stepped to the free-throw line late in overtime of the Skippers’ matchup with Orono on Tuesday.

Minnetonka would have a four-point lead with 24 seconds to play if she made both foul shots.

“I knew they were key free throws, so I just tried breathe, slow down...and they went in,” Hedstrom said.

The shots did go in, and the Skippers eventually came home from Orono High School with a 61-55 overtime victory that ended the Spartans’ undefeated season.

Hedstrom scored 14 points including those free throws, but sinking two big foul shots wasn’t her most valuable contribution for Minnetonka (13-1), ranked No. 2 in Class 4A by Minnesota Basketball News, against a talented Orono team (14-1) ranked No. 1 in Class 3A.

Hedstrom made the correct adjustments to effectively direct Minnetonka’s offense while Skippers’ leading scorer Courtney Fredrickson sat on the bench for most of the first half and a good chunk of the second after picking up two fouls in the game’s first 4 minutes.

“(Fredrickson) comes out so hard at the beginning of the game, and she can’t control the adrenaline,” Skippers coach Leah Dasovich said. “She was a high school kid tonight early on, but figured it out later.” 

Fredrickson finished the game with 12 points, but her loss - she averages 16.8 points per game -  allowed the Spartans to keep the game close and send it to overtime.

Fredrickson’s loss impacted how Hedstrom managed the game.

“I definitely need to look a little more on offense and make more happen, because that’s usually what (Fredrickson) does,” Hedstrom said. 

Hedstrom wasn’t the only Minnetonka player adjusting how she played. 

Lizzie Odegard recorded a double-double with 12 points and 13 rebounds, while Grace Allen scored 11 points and grabbed nine rebounds.

Odegard, the Skippers’ second-leading scorer (10.4 ppg), said Minnetonka could have taken advantage of the mismatches created by Fredrickson had she avoided foul trouble.

Odegard may have had more room to work in the paint with Fredrickson on the floor and add to her impressive stats. Instead, the 6-foot junior forward battled for position with Orono’s 6-foot-4 junior center Meghan Mandel, who blocked Odegard multiple times.

Junior forward Lizzie Odegard finished with 12 points and 13 rebounds as Minnetonka snapped Orono’s 14-game winning streak with a 61-55 overtime victory Tuesday night at Orono High School. 

Junior guard Hannah Hedstrom scored 14 points and junior forward Courtney Fredrickson had 12 for the Skippers (13-1), ranked No. 2 in Class 4A by Minnesota Basketball News. Junior guard Grace Allen chipped in 11 points in the victory.

Sophomore guard Tori Andrew, who made four three-point baskets and finished with 16 points, led the No. 1-3A Spartans (14-1).

Junior center Meghan Mandel scored 13 points, while senior guard Kiera Nelson had 12 and senior forward Rachel Heussner added 10 for Orono.

The Skippers host Lake Conference rival Wayzata on Friday, while Orono heads to Holy Family for a Wright County Conference matchup.  

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