So much for returning the hospitality.
One of the season's pandemic challenges to parents has been attending their kids' games in person, but in a few instances, it's led to great generosity. Back on Jan. 29, Duluth Marshall's Gianna Kneepkens was expected to score the 3,000th point of her high school career in a road game at Pine City. At that time, however, visiting fans were not allowed in the Dragons' gym due to seating limitations, so Kneepkens' parents Betsy and Don expected to miss the game. Betsy reached out through Facebook to Dragons fans, hoping to get a few photos of the historic basket. Plenty of offers came in, but even better, the Kneepkenses were given a few game tasks that allowed them to be part of the team contingent and not count against capacity.
What they saw in person was impressive. Gianna Kneepkens, the state's leading scorer at 43 points per game, not only got her 3,000th career point early in the No. 9-2A Hilltoppers' 86-68 win that night, but she went off for 51 points in total — the fourth time she's gone over the half-century mark this winter.
So how will Duluth Marshall (14-1) return the hospitality Friday night?
Expect Pine City (15-2) to put up plenty of fight. The No. 10-2A Dragons, who should challenge No. 3-2A Albany for a state tournament berth out of Class 2A, Section 6, have a pair of big-time scorers of their own in Ellie Hasz (21.9 ppg) and Sophie Lahti (20.9 ppg). Lahti led Pine City in the first meeting with Marshall, scoring 24 points, but Hasz was held to a season-low eight points.