Saturday provides a huge early season matchup in Class 3A as DeLaSalle takes on Mahtomedi in the Breakdown Sports Tip Off Classic at Hopkins High School.
The No. 1-3A Islanders enter the season as one of the early favorites to win a state title, but they’ll need to build on last season's disappointing finish — a 64-59 state quarterfinal loss to Winona.
DeLaSalle (2-0) is off to a solid start, with a 69-25 victory over Totino-Grace on Friday and a 52-36 win over Holy Family on Saturday. Nora Francois and Kiani Lockett have emerged as a dynamic duo and are averaging 10 points per game after two contests.
The No. 6-3A Zephyrs will have revenge on their minds, as the Islanders are the reason they weren’t in the state tournament last season. Mahtomedi, the top seed in the Class 3A, Section 4 tournament, lost to DeLaSalle 41-39 in the semifinals despite 11 points from Emma Grothaus. She's back after leading the team with 19.1 ppg as a junior last season and should be a factor this season.