For the first 25 minutes or so, things came pretty easy for Hopkins.

The undefeated and No. 1-seeded Royals were getting a marvelous performance from freshman guard Paige Bueckers and a do-everything-else effort from junior Raena Suggs. On top of that, there was much-needed leadership from D.D. Winston, despite the senior guard playing a full game two days after missing the quarterfinals with a 103-degree temperature. It all led to a comfortable 17-point lead over Eastview.

By the end of the game Thursday at Williams Arena, Hopkins was gasping for breath, having held off a remarkable charge from the Lightning to emerge with a 64-59 victory and a berth in the Class 4A championship game on Saturday.

Eastview’s rally began with 11 minutes left and the Lightning had the ball, down just three points, with 50 seconds left in the game.

“Eastview really put the pressure on us,” Hopkins coach Brian Cosgriff said. “But at the end of the day, it’s survive and advance. That’s what it’s about, whether it’s by one point or 30 points.”

Before Eastview’s run, the game had been the Bueckers and Suggs shows. Bueckers, a 5-10 freshman guard lauded by many as a player with a chance to become the best in state history, showed off her myriad skills. She scored 29 of her game-high 31 points as the Royals built a 47-30 lead with 11 minutes left in the game.

When Bueckers wasn’t scoring, Suggs was. The junior southpaw took advantage of Eastview lapses and scored 16 points of her own.

“It was just go and get the garbage balls,” Suggs said.

The game marked the third consecutive year the two teams had played in the state tournament, with Hopkins winning all three. Eastview coach Molly Kasper denied the notion that the Lightning might have Hopkins in their collective heads.

“I don’t feel that way,” Kasper said. “They put on their shoes the same way we put on our shoes. Bottom line is, we have to execute our game plan. I would never be scared to play them.”

Instead, Kasper said her team took a little too long to find its game. And by that time, it was too late.

“They score in bunches and they score off turnovers. Well, we had had 17 turnovers,” Kasper said. “We can’t do that.”

Rachel Ranke scored 19 points and Allie Pickrain added 15 for Eastview.
Hopkins has won six state championships under Cosgriff but has never finished undefeated. The Royals (31-0) could pull off that feat Saturday game, but old habits die hard. They still won’t let themselves think about what could be.

“If it happens, then great, we made history,” Winston said. “But we’re focusing our tunnel vision. That’s what we say, tunnel vision. It’s just about the game.”

Hopkins built a 15-point lead, nearly let it slip away, then managed to hang on to defeat Eastvew 64-59 on Thursday in the Class 4A semifinals.

The game marked the third consecutive season the two teams had met in the state tournament, with Hopkins winning all three.

Paige Bueckers scored 31 points for Hopkins and DeAnna Winston made four of six free throws in the game’s final minutes to keep Eastview at bay.

Rachel Ranke scored 19 points and Allie Pickrain added 15 for Eastview.

With the victory, Hopkins goes into Saturday’s championship game with a 31-0 record.

Check back later for more on the game.