From the far north to the first ring of Twin Cities suburbs comes this matchup between Crookston and Robbinsdale Cooper at the 9th annual Breakdown’s Tip Off Classic. Although the two programs are different, they’re seeking the same goal – a trip to the state tournament in March.
Cooper is coming off a 23-victory season, but lost a pair of All-Conference forwards. Their departure leaves coach Jen Rademacher with an undersized, but very tough team led by point guard Chelsey McGee and guard Talayiah Rich. Meanwhile, Crookston returns its top three scorers in Sydney Boike, Erica Samuelson and Brooke Heggie from a 17-victory team. The Pirates have good size with Heggie at 6-foot-1.
Taylor Demarais vs. Chelsey McGee
The floor generals will stand out in this game, with steady Taylor Demarais going head-to-head with explosive Chelsey McGee. Demarais is a three-year starter at the point for Crookston and does a great job distributing the ball. She’ll be challenged by the speed of McGee, who is quickness personified. If Demarais can keep McGee from driving the rim and creating offense, Crookston will win. If McGee isn’t bottled up, Cooper will win.