Centennial vs. White Bear Lake
7:15 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 22

White Bear Lake has been a model of consistency for the past decade, but the graduation of three starters from a team that finished fourth at last year’s Class 4A state tournament may put the program's recent track record in jeopardy.

The Bears (5-2, 2-0), who have reached six state tournaments in the past eight years, are playing well with a slightly new cast, but they have struggled against upper echelon teams, losing to No. 2-4A Eastview (62-31) on Nov. 26 and to No. 6-4A Lakeville North (63-46) on Dec. 1.

White Bear Lake gets another crack at a ranked opponent when it faces No. 3-4A Centennial.

After being away from the program for seven years, Jill Brecken is back as head coach of the Cougars (6-0, 2-0), and hopes are high she can help the team remain a Class 4A contender. Centennial reached the state tournament four times in seven years under Brecken, and also made appearances the last two seasons.

Both teams get their scoring done by committee, and maybe that’s the secret to each program's success.

Sara Stapleton leads the Cougars at 12 points per game while four others average 8-9 ppg.

Adri Perron is the Bears' top scorer (10.8 ppg). Three others average 7-9 ppg.