Eastview vs. Minnetonka, at Hopkins
8 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 3

Making it back to the state tournament will be a challenge for Minnetonka, which graduated Division-I recruits Courtney Fredrickson (Wisconsin), Hannah Hedstrom (Lehigh), Lizzie Odegard (Wisconsin-Milwaukee) and Grace Allen (Pennsylvania). 

The No. 10-4A Skippers, however, have the junior trio of Megan Walker, Kayla Mershon and Katey Brattland returning from last year's 25-4 squad, and they are expected to take leadership roles. All three showed they can handle the responsibility as Brattland and Mershon each had 15 points and Walker finished with 14 in a 67-52 season-opening loss to Apple Valley.

Eastview returns Rachel Ranke, an all-state selection, along with Megan Walstad, Miranda Crenshaw and Allie Pickrain.

The No. 2-4A Lightning (2-0) pulled away from New Prague in the second half for a 55-45 season-opening victory and rolled to a 63-31 win over White Bear Lake behind Ranke's team-high 21 points.

Eastview is coming off a third-place finish in last year's state tournament and is in the hunt for its first state title since 2014. Knocking off the defending state champion could bolster the Lightning's title aspirations.