Quantcast
skip navigation

Big first half helps Blake cruise to victory over St. Paul Academy

By Luke Hanlon, SportsEngine, 02/06/20, 4:00PM CST

Share

Bears seventh-grader Addison Mack scored 23 of her game-high 29 points in the first half.

Blake seventh-grader Addison Mack (5) launches a three-pointer as part of her 23-point first half against St. Paul Academy Thursday night. Mack finished with a team-high 29 points in the Bears’ 68-39 victory in Hopkins. Photo by Jeff Lawler, SportsEngine

Blake seventh-grader Addison Mack (5) launches a three-pointer as part of her 23-point first half against St. Paul Academy Thursday night. Mack finished with a team-high 29 points in the Bears’ 68-39 victory in Hopkins. Photo by Jeff Lawler, SportsEngine

If you looked at every girls’ basketball team across the state, you’d be hard-pressed to find many that are being led in scoring by a seventh-grader. That’s the case for Blake, as it is led by Addison Mack, who coming into Thursday's matchup against St. Paul Academy, was averaging 17.1 points per game. 

She surpassed that average with over seven minutes left in the first half of Thursday's tilt, as she finished with a game-high 29 points in a 68-39 win over the Spartans. 

“She’s been a hidden treasure that a lot of people in the metro area, and in the state itself, that had no idea who she was,” said Blake coach Jim DeSart. “(She) plays with the poise and she’s just a basketball machine, plain and simple that’s what it is.”

Mack was out-scoring the Spartans for the majority of the game, as she had 23 points at halftime compared to the Spartans’ 16. She was taken out pretty early in the second half, so she had to settle for 29 points, four shy of her season-high. 

Blake's Rachel Winkey (2) looks for room along the baseline as St. Paul Academy's Julia Baron (41) defends. Winkey had three points and seven assists in the Bears’ 68-39 victory over the Spartans. Photo by Jeff Lawler, SportsEngine

Blake's Rachel Winkey (2) looks for room along the baseline as St. Paul Academy's Julia Baron (41) defends. Winkey had three points and seven assists in the Bears’ 68-39 victory over the Spartans. Photo by Jeff Lawler, SportsEngine

First Report

Blake had no trouble taking down fellow Independent Metro Athletic Conference foe St. Paul Academy Thursday night, as the Bears came away with a comfortable 68-39 victory at home. 

It was clear the Bears (13-8, 6-4) were the better team early, as they jumped to an 11-2 run that forced the Spartans (10-11, 1-5) into two early timeouts to try and reorganize. 

From there on out, the game was dominated by Addison Mack, who scored 23 of her game-high 29 points in the first half. 

The Spartans battled and were able to outscore the Bears 23-21 in the second half, as Pilar Saavedra-Weis was everywhere. She led the Spartans in points with 12 and rebounds with 14. 

The Bears were headlined by Mack’s high-volume scoring, but they got contributions from plenty of players. Rachel Winkey found open teammates all game, as she finished with a game-high seven assists. Cate Moe was a menace on the defensive end with a game-high five steals and she added eight points. Catherine Hardy, Cheryl Minde and Morgan Ramsey were the glass cleaners, combining for 23 rebounds.

St. Paul Academy's Pilar Saavedra-Weis (32) passes the ball outside after pulling down a rebound against Blake Thursday night. Saavedra-Weis had 12 points and 14 rebounds in the Spartans 68-39 loss to the Bears. Photo by Jeff Lawler, SportsEngine

St. Paul Academy's Pilar Saavedra-Weis (32) passes the ball outside after pulling down a rebound against Blake Thursday night. Saavedra-Weis had 12 points and 14 rebounds in the Spartans 68-39 loss to the Bears. Photo by Jeff Lawler, SportsEngine

The MN Girls' Basketball Hub poll is for entertainment purposes only.

Girls' Basketball Hub Headlines

Feed for https://www.startribune.com/sports/index.rss2