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DeLaSalle picks up key road victory against short-handed Hopkins

By Luke Hanlon, SportsEngine, 01/30/18, 10:45AM CST

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The Islanders extended their winning streak to 12 games with victory over the Royals.

Nora Francois (21) takes the outside shot through traffic. Francois and teammate Dacoda Speidel each scored 15 points as the Islanders took down Hopkins 67-61 in top five interclass play. Photo by Cheryl Myers, SportsEngine

Nora Francois (21) takes the outside shot through traffic. Francois and teammate Dacoda Speidel each scored 15 points as the Islanders took down Hopkins 67-61 in top five interclass play. Photo by Cheryl Myers, SportsEngine

Click photos to view the entire gallery from the game.

In the past three seasons, Hopkins had lost a total of three games in the regular season, boasting a record of 74-3 in that span. On Tuesday night, the Royals lost their third game this season, a 67-61 defeat to DeLaSalle.

The Islanders, ranked No. 4 in Class 3A by Minnesota Basketball News, upset the No. 3-4A Royals at the Lindbergh Center.

When coming into big games, coaches usually have a set game plan to stick to, especially when facing one of the best teams in the state. Sometimes, the game plan doesn’t work and adjustments have to be made.

“We thought our advantage was inside,” DeLaSalle coach Tanysha Scott said about her game plan.

The Islanders (12-4, 3-0) wanted to attack the paint, but they ended up making 10 threes in the game, something that happened organically as the Royals (19-3, 3-1) changed their defense.

“We didn’t expect them to go into a zone, so the zone is what opened up our shooters,” Scott said.

Dacoda Speidel opened the game with three straight threes to give the Islanders a 9-0 lead. She hit five total and finished with 15 points.

In the second half, the Royals were well into their zone, and Nora Francois made them pay, hitting two threes down the stretch to give the Islanders a late lead that they wouldn’t lose.

Francois also finished with 15 points, all while coming off the bench.

“I was kind of in my head, and then I was just like ‘Nora, you got to break out of this, you got to put in work for your team, you owe this to them.’ And then I came out and started hitting my shots,” Francois said of her clutch performance in the game’s waning minutes.

“She’s an exciting young player for us,” Scott said of Francois, a freshman. “When her defense is clicking, that starts her offense, and that’s where it was (tonight).”

Francois had six rebounds, three steals and a block to round out her impressive performance.

This was the 12th straight victory for the Islanders, and their biggest win of the season.

“This will motivate us and let us know that we’re capable of big wins,” Francois said.

Scott was complimentary of the Royals and their skill level.

“That’s really a tough team, the No. 1 team in my eyes. And they’re missing the No. 1 player, I think, in the state, probably in the nation in her class.”

The player Scott is referred to is Paige Bueckers, who missed her fifth straight game with an ankle injury. Bueckers has averaged 22.3 points and 7.2 assists per game.

Amaya Battle, an eighth-grader, started in Bueckers’ place and had a solid all-around game, finishing with 10 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and three steals.

Hopkins’ Raena Suggs tallied 24 points to lead all scorers.

Dacoda Speidel (3) moves the ball to the outside taking time off the clock late in the second half. Speidel added 15 points in DeLaSalles twelfth straight win on Tuesday night. Photo by Cheryl Myers, SportsEngine

Dacoda Speidel (3) moves the ball to the outside taking time off the clock late in the second half. Speidel added 15 points in DeLaSalles twelfth straight win on Tuesday night. Photo by Cheryl Myers, SportsEngine

First Report

In a clash between two top-five teams from different classes, it was DeLaSalle – the No. 4-ranked team in Class 3A according to Minnesota Basketball News — that was able to come away with a 67-61 road win over No. 3-4A Hopkins Tuesday night.

The Islanders (12-4, 3-0) started the game with a bang, as Dacoda Speidel hit three quick threes, which were all assisted by Mary Claire Francois, giving DeLaSalle a 9-0 lead. Their largest lead of the game would be 11, but the Royals fought back to trail by only two at halftime.

The second half went back-and-fourth, with multiple lead changes. With 7:37 left in the game, the score was tied at 49; but the Islanders went on a short scoring run, highlighted by a couple threes from Nora Francois, to take a 59-52 lead with 3:11 left. From there, the Islanders controlled the clock and grinded out the victory. Francois and Speidel each finished with 15 points.

The Royals (19-3, 3-1) played without their star, Paige Bueckers, who was sidelined with an ankle injury, meaning the Royals lost 22.3 points per game scoring and her intangibles.

Amaya Battle started in Bueckers’ place and played an impressive game. She had a double-double, scoring 10 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. Raena Suggs picked up the scoring slack and tallied 24 points, leading all scorers.

Raena Suggs (3) led all scoring with 24 points as the No. 3-4A Royals were handed their third loss of the season by the Islanders. Photo by Cheryl Myers, SportsEngine

Raena Suggs (3) led all scoring with 24 points as the No. 3-4A Royals were handed their third loss of the season by the Islanders. Photo by Cheryl Myers, SportsEngine

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