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Bloomington Kennedy ousts Metro West Conference rival Chaska

By Ricky Campbell, SportsEngine, 02/03/17, 7:00AM CST

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Honour Finley's 26 points was enough to lead the Eagles to a 62-54 victory over the Hawks.



Honour Finley (22) drives through Chaska defenders to the net. Finley scored a season-high 26 points in Bloomington Kennedy's 62-54 victory on Friday night. Photo by Cheryl Myers, SportsEngine


Bloomington Kennedy was without one of its top playmakers, guard Samantha Husting, Friday night heading into Chaska for a second-place battle in the Metro West Conference, but that didn’t seem to matter to the Eagles, who won 62-54.

Although Kennedy had just come off a 66-60 loss to conference leader Robbinsdale Cooper a few nights before, the Eagles led nearly the entire game, and at one point went up by 15. Kennedy (12-6, 6-2) is now in sole possession of second place in the conference.

Senior forward Honour Finley, who entered the game with 124 points and averaging 11.3 points per game, finished the night with 26 points, including a perfect 3-of-3 from behind the arc. It was a big night for Finley -- a far cry from her previous four-point effort in Kennedy’s 53-42 loss to Chaska on Jan. 10.

Finley was 9 of 15 from the free-throw line and stepped up big when her team needed it.

“Her athleticism just takes over,” Kennedy coach Quintin Johnson said. “For a girl that hasn’t dedicated full-time to basketball, she’s come along so good. She knows when to go and when not to; she’s getting better at that.”

Back-to-back 400-meter state champion and headed to Kansas on a track scholarship, Finley started her night with a couple of threes, but dedicated the rest of the game to driving into the lane -- and looking for Alyssa Bryan-Jeffries, a 5-foot-10 senior center down in the post.

Bryan-Jeffries battled foul trouble early, but still managed a 13-point night. Imani Sa’eed-El, a 5-foot-5 junior guard, added 11 for the Eagles, including two from three-point land when the team needed it the most.

Chaska (8-11, 5-3) senior guard Sarah Althaus, who came into Friday’s game with 253 points and averaging 14.1 ppg, put up a season-high 26 points, leading all scorers. Her previous high was a 22-point effort against Champlin Park.

At half, the Hawks were only down seven, despite a shaky first half riddled with turnovers from both sides. Althaus was the leading scorer then, and stayed dominant throughout the night. She was two for two in three-point baskets and 10 of 13 from the line.

The loss drops Chaska into a third-place tie with Chanhassen and snaps a three-game winning streak for the Hawks. They will host Robbinsdale Cooper on Tuesday, the same day that Kennedy travels to face Bloomington Jefferson.



Imani Sa'eed-El (10) drives the ball down the sideline. Sa'eed's season high 11 points helped Kennedy defeat Chaska in the Metro West conference matchup. Photo by Cheryl Myers, SportsEngine

First Report

Bloomington Kennedy (12-6, 6-2) beat Chaska 62-54 in a battle for second place in the Metro West Conference on Friday in Chaska.

The Eagles' Honour Finley, who entered the game with 124 points and averaging 11.3 points per game, finished the night with 26 points, including a perfect 3-of-3 from behind the arc. Finley was 9 of 15 from the free-throw line.

Alyssa Bryan-Jeffries, a 5-foot-10 senior, battled foul trouble early, but still managed a 13-point night from the post. Imani Sa’eed-El, a 5-foot-5 junior guard, added 11 for Kennedy, including two three-pointers.

Despite 22 turnovers of their own, the Eagles trapped Chaska’s players well in the corners and forced bad passes. At one point in the second half, Kennedy led by 15.

Senior guard Sarah Althaus led the charge for the Hawks, topping all scorers with a season-high 28 of the team's 54 points. Althaus came into Friday’s game with 253 points and averaging 14.1 ppg. Her previous high-mark had been a 22-point effort against Champlin Park.

Chaska (8-11, 5-3) came into the game tied for second place in the conference with Kennedy and had won the prior meeting 53-42. The Hawks dropped to third after the loss while the Eagles took sole control of second place. 


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Sarah Althaus lead the Hawks with a game high of 28 points. Photo by Cheryl Myers, SportsEngine

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