Minnehaha Academy needed to change the tempo and Redhawks coach Lance Johnson had the perfect group to turn to: his freshmen guards.

Jalen Suggs, Terry Lockett and Kaden Johnson combined for 47 points as the No. 1-ranked Redhawks overcame an early eight-point deficit to pull away for a 77-63 victory over Lake City in the Class 2A quarterfinals Wednesday at Target Center. 

“Jalen gets all the publicity, but the other two are really talented as well,” Johnson said. Suggs finished with a game-high 27 points and 12 rebounds. Lockett added 12 points and Johnson scored 8 points.

The Redhawks (24-5) haven’t lost to a Class 2A team this season but Lake City wasn’t intimidated. The Tigers (23-7) ran their patient slow-down offense to perfection for the first six minutes, building a 12-4 lead.

The Redhawks then went on a 29-16 run to take a five-point lead before Tigers freshman guard Nathan Heise hit a three-pointer at the buzzer to end the first half. It was his fourth three-pointer of the half. He and junior guard Marc Kjos each finished with 18 points.

“We knew they wanted to slow it down,” Suggs said. “We had to work hard to get the lead. We picked up our intensity in the second half.”

That they did. The Redhawks scored the first 10 points of the half, including four from Suggs and a three-pointed by Johnson, to take a 43-31 lead. The tandem, along with Lockett, combined for 23 of the Redhawks’ 33 points in the first half.

“They were the reason for us winning,” Suggs said. Johnson and Lockett both made two three-pointers, all during key runs.

Redhawks junior forward JaVonni Bickham went to work on the interior as the game progressed. He finished with 19 points.

RON HAGGSTROM