“It makes you think about the memories and the relationships, the kids, the coaches you’ve worked with for a long time, just makes you extraordinary blessed to be in a school and a community that’s welcoming to me and my family for 17 years and allowed me to do this job and believed in me enough to keep me around.

"Three hundred is 300. The attention and everything is great, but it’s about the kids and all the kids that have helped Maple Grove basketball win 300 games over the last 17 years,” Cook said. 

This game was a specific example of what has made the Crimson so successful this season: depth. 

Nine girls played for Maple Grove (13-4, 10-0) Thursday night, and eight of them scored four points or more. All eight of those players had three or more rebounds as well. 

Cook called this team “one of the deepest” he’s ever had at Maple Grove, and he celebrated the selflessness the players have shown all season. 

“This team believes in one another. This team genuinely celebrates each other’s victories and successes,” he said. “We had a couple kids that play a lot that didn’t play as much tonight because other kids played well. They don’t sulk about it, they don’t complain about it, they don’t bellyache about it, they just cheer those kids on, and you could see the bench energy was huge for us tonight.” 

An example of that came when starter Emma Kanz picked up her second foul in the first half, leading to Audrey Kormann getting more minutes. Kormann grabbed seven rebounds, scored five points and was a nightmare for the Eagles (12-6, 6-5) to deal with down low.

The Crimson’s depth also showed as they were playing without Kennedy Klick, who’s averaging 13.2 points per game. In her absence, Kyla Overskei scored a season-high 24 points. It was a slow start offensively for Overskei, but she exploded for 17 second-half points.

“I just have the mentality to keep shooting when I’m off,” Overskei said. “Overall, it was a team win and my teammates were there to support me.” 

Jordan Ode was the star on the defensive end, as she had the assignment of guarding Hannah Herzig, who’s averaging over 20 points a game for the Eagles. Herzig finished with a team-high 20, but she had to take a ton of tough shots to get there. 

“Jordan Ode is, I think, one of the best defenders in the state, and she’s a freshman,” Cook said. “I’m so blessed and so excited and so fortunate that I get to have a front row seat to see that kid play over the next three years.”