With a roster filled with players who run cross-country in the fall, Centennial coach Jamie Sobolik likes his team to use that speed to fly up and down the court.
The Cougars, however, had some speed to compete with on Friday as they faced another group of speedsters in Robbinsdale Cooper.
In a clash of teams looking to push the pace of play, Centennial managed to grab a slim lead and never let go. The Cougars used their fast-paced play and large doses of star post Jenna Guyer to defeat the Hawks 61-49 at the 2019 Roseville Holiday Girls’ Basketball Tournament.
The speed for both sides started at the guard position. The backcourt players on both sides spent the entire game looking to outrace each other down the floor.
But the matchup that loomed the largest came in the middle, as Centennial (8-1, 1-0) featured Guyer, a 6-foot-2 junior center averaging 17.1 points and 14.1 rebounds per game. Cooper, meanwhile, countered with junior center Meme Wheeler, who came into Friday’s tilt averaging 15.4 points per game.
Double-doubles have been the norm so far this season for Jenna Guyer, Centennial's junior center who averages 17 points and 14 rebounds per game.
That trend continued Friday as Guyer, who stands 6-foot-2, recorded 18 points and 18 rebounds in the Cougars’ 61-49 defeat of Robbinsdale Cooper in the 2019 Roseville Holiday Girls’ Basketball Tournament.
The Cougars (8-1, 1-0) got things going early with Guyer tallying four points in the first three minutes. She finished the first half with 14 points.
The Hawks (6-2, 0-0), however, countered with fast-paced play and got the game to a 26-26 deadlock at halftime. Cooper’s Meme Wheeler, who finished with 14 points and 12 rebounds, had six points in the first half.
Centennial, ranked No. 5 in Class 4A by Minnesota Basketball News, gathered a small lead early in the second half and never let go. Guyer continued her tear while seeing some of her teammates get in on the action. Junior guard Jodi Anderson scored 16 points, including 10 in the second half.
The Hawks continued to keep the game close but could not close the gap, despite junior guard Jayla Reliford supplementing Wheeler’s attack with 14 points of her own.
The MN Girls' Basketball Hub poll is for entertainment purposes only.