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Top two match-up at Spring Lake Park

By Star Tribune, 01/31/12, 5:21PM CST

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Class 3A battle features No. 1 Benilde-St. Margaret's at the second-ranked host Panthers.


Spring Lake Park's Sean Scott left battled Irondale's Kevin Poster during a game in early January. Scott's second-ranked team hosts top-ranked Benilde-St. Margaret's in a highly anticipated game Friday night.

The word is out around Spring Lake Park High School: If you're planning to attend Friday's midseason showdown featuring the top two boys' basketball teams in Class 3A, show up early. No. 1 Benilde-St. Margaret's and the second-ranked host Panthers each boast 16-1 records and play crowd-pleasing, up-tempo styles. We break down the matchups at each position.

SPRING LAKE PARK

FORWARDS

Sean Scott personifies a front court that relies on strength and quickness in lieu of height. Scott and Justin Axelson stand 6-4, an inch taller than Robert Ben. Looming largest on the score sheet is Scott, who averages 25.9 points per game. An upset of Benilde-St. Margaret's will also require strong defense and rebounding, and Panthers' coach Grant Guzy is counting on Ben and Scott to provide both on the interior despite giving up size to the Red Knights.

GUARDS

Guzy likely will use a lineup against BSM in which T.C. Robinson starts in place of Axelson. Doing so would help free up the Panthers' other top scorer, guard Bryce Williams, who averages 20.1 points per game. With Robinson sharing the ball-handling duties, Williams can get more catch-and-shoot attempts. Guzy will assign defensive stopper Jordan Thimmesch-Slepica, a running back on the football team, the difficult task of slowing Red Knights guard Isaiah Zierden.

BENCH

If Axelson doesn't start, he will inject some toughness in reserve by banging with Red Knights forwards in the lane. Should conditions call for a spark, Guzy can summon guard Gary Cook. He scored 14 of his 16 points in the second half against Irondale and made two steals to trigger additional offense. Guzy calls center Karl Haynus "our eighth man." Haynus can defend inside or outside and is a capable three-point shooter.

DAVID LA VAQUE

BENILDE-ST. MARGARET'S

FORWARDS

Benilde-St. Margaret's lists seven frontcourt players on its roster. But the Red Knights' success this season has come from even distribution of the basketball from its five starters, all of whom are listed as guards. "All of them are a threat offensively," coach John Moore said. "I like when we can get into that mode to send the ball." At 6-7, senior Sanjay Lumpkin (19.9 points per game) has the makeup of a forward, but can run the point efficiently while being one of Moore's "mystery post players."

GUARDS

If you've never heard of Danon Briggs, it's because you've only bothered to look at baskets made on the score sheet and not dug a little deeper. He hasn't scored more than seven points in a game, but the senior can dish with the best of them, raking in back-to-back games of nine assists each earlier in the year. He is a solid complement to pure shooters Isaiah Zierden (19.2), Will Dunn (14.1) and three-point percentage leader Isaiah Gray (12.5).

BENCH

Here's where the Red Knights get tall. Breion Creer (6-5) and James Heck (6-4) are the first - and sometimes only -- two BSM subs. But in a recent rout of North Branch, Moore used 13 players. "Our eight, nine, 10 guys are pretty talented," he said. "They just happen to be on a very good team." Joe Sutton and Matt Frank have seen increased minutes lately, but for the most part, the Red Knights fare just fine rolling seven.

BRIAN STENSAAS

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