Jade Hill brings the ball up court past defender Tiffany McNeill (12). Hill led all scorers with 22 points helping the Tigers hang on to defeat the Polars 62-59 on Tuesday night. Photo by Cheryl Myers, SportsEngine
The last time Minneapolis North defeated Minneapolis South, “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1” was in movie theaters and “Blank Space” by Taylor Swift was No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
It was Dec. 19, 2014.
Now, more than four years later, the Polars had a shot to upset the Tigers but fell just short in a 62-59 thriller at Minneapolis South High School on Tuesday night.
This was the second matchup of the season between these teams, and South won both by a total margin of five points; the Tigers went to North and defeated the Polars 60-58 on Dec. 4.
“The girls just know that this is one of those neighborhood games that we want to fight for,” Tigers coach Nathan McGuire said after South beat North for the ninth time in a row. “It’s been a close rivalry no matter how the teams may look on paper sometimes.”
Minneapolis South continued its run of success against Minneapolis North on Tuesday night, surviving a late surge from the Polars to secure a 62-59 home victory. The win keeps the Tigers (11-5, 7-0) undefeated in the Minneapolis City Conference while extending their lead in the standings to two games.
South (10-4, 5-2) was plagued by slow starts in both halves, as it trailed by as much as 17 in the first half and 16 in the second. The Tigers were dominant on both ends of the floor during those runs, led by Jade Hill who finished with 22 points, seven rebounds, seven assists and four steals.
The Polars fought back by creating turnovers with pressure defense, and from the stellar offensive play from Alani Pettis. Pettis carved through South’s zone defense with ease in the final minutes of the game, working from the center of the zone and gliding by defenders on her way to the bucket. She had 21 points, eight rebounds, three assists and two steals.
The Tigers closed out the game with clutch free throws from Hill. The Polars had a chance to tie it at the buzzer, but a long-range three from Pitts hit the iron, securing the win for South.
With the loss, the Polars haven’t beaten the Tigers since 2014, giving them nine straight losses to their rivals.
The MN Girls' Basketball Hub poll is for entertainment purposes only.