After three years of losing in the section finals, Minnetonka appears to be making up for lost time.

For the second consecutive game, the Skippers (24-4) used a late first-half run to turn a close game into a rout Thursday, beating White Bear Lake 75-50 in the Class 4A semifinals in Williams Arena to advance to a state championship game for the first time in team history. They beat Anoka 71-41 in the quarterfinals.

“The section final was the hump we couldn’t get over,” said senior guard Hannah Hedstrom. “Once we got over that, it was a huge confidence boost for all of us. We got to the state tournament, [but] that’s not the end goal. We want to go all the way and win it.”

That confidence was on display against unseeded White Bear Lake, which had surprised St. Michael-Albertville 72-69 in overtime in the quarterfinals. The Bears played the Skippers straight up for the first 11 minutes, battling to a 16-16 tie before Minnetonka pulled away.

With Grace Allen a perfect 4-for-4 on three-pointers in the first half, the Skippers finished the half on a 24-7 run, taking a 40-23 lead.

“I didn’t shoot super well at the Target Center,” Allen said. “I like shooting at places that feel more enclosed, like the Barn.”

Did she feel like she just couldn’t miss?
“No,” Allen said, laughing.

“But we did,” Courtney Fredrickson said.

Allen finished with a game-high 15 points. Chrissy Carr, who also hit four three-­pointers, had 14, as did center Lizzie Odegard. Fredrickson and Hedstrom added eight points each, emphasizing Minnetonka’s biggest strength, its depth.

“They are pretty much as hard as you can get as a matchup,” White Bear Lake center Kate Brabenec said. “They can basically do anything.”

Minnetonka’s victory sets up another meeting with longtime rival Hopkins, this time with the Class 4A championship at stake. The two teams split during the regular season.

“These kids have played Hopkins 15 times over the last four, five years,” Minnetonka coach Leah Dasovich said. “We know what they do, they know what we do. It’s a great head-to-head matchup.”

First Report

With a nearly-flawless performance over the final 25-plus minutes of its 75-50 victory over White Bear Lake in the Class 4A semifinals, Minnetonka changed its storyline from its first state tournament appearance in 17 years to its first state championship game appearance … ever.

The Skippers blew open a tight by outscoring the Bears 24-7 over the final 7:19 of the first half. They didn’t let up after halftime, building their lead on the strength of an offense that seemingly could do no wrong, particularly from beyond the Williams Arena three-point-line. Minnetonka made 6 of 9 three-pointers in building their first-half advantage, with senior guard Grace Allen making all four of her attempts from long range.

White Bear Lake began the game with the same energy it had displayed in its 72-69 overtime victory over St. Michael-Albertville in the quarterfinals. After Madeline DeBilzan scored five straight points midway through the first half, the unseeded Bears were tied with the No. 3-seeded Skippers 16-16.

Minnetonka forged ahead immediately on the strength of its outside shooting. Allen nailed three three-pointers and Hannah Hedstrom and Chrissy Carr hit one each, building a 40-23 halftime lead. White Bear Lake (23-8) never threatened after that.

Allen finished with a game-high 15 points for Minnetonka, while Carr and center Lizzie Odegard added 14. Taite Anderson paced White Bear Lake with 12 points.

Minnetonka’s only other state tournament appearance was in 1999 and the Skippers have never before advanced to a state championship game. That they draw Lake Conference-rival Hopkins in the final provides a fitting conclusion to the season for both teams.

Minnetonka is one of just two teams to beat the defending champion Royals this season, a 67-59 victory on Jan. 22. Hopkins got a measure of revenge – and set up a rubber-game in Saturday’s final – by beating Minnetonka 70-60 in the last game of the regular season. That victory ended the Skippers 18-game winning streak.


Gallery: Minnetonka vs. White Bear Lake