Chet Holmgren did it all — literally — for Minnehaha Academy on Friday night.
The 7-0 sophomore scored 24 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and blocked four shots in his team's 68-48 victory over St. Croix Preparatory Academy in the Class 2A, Section 4 championship game played at St. Paul Washington High School.
And at halftime he even got water bottles for his teammates.
"I needed something to drink, and I didn't see a water bottle in the locker room," Holmgren said. "So I went to the bench to get the water bottles. I'm a team player."
It was part of his well-rounded performance that helped the Redhawks advance to the state tournament for a third year in a row.
"I know I have to be an option on offense, but I try not to force anything," Holmgren said. "I try to take what the game gives me, and today it gave me a lot of opportunities. And my teammates helped me with that by finding me in scoring positions, driving and kicking for open shots."
While Holmgren may not be as well-known as teammate Jalen Suggs, Minnehaha Academy coach Lance Johnson said Holmgren already is receiving scholarship offers from Division I colleges.
"He has exploded onto the scene," Johnson said. "I would believe Chet leads the state in blocked shots, and he would win the state defensive player of the year award if they had one."
St. Croix Preparatory Academy had no answers for Chet Holmgren, Minnehaha Academy’s 7-foot center who posted a double-double, to lead the Redhawks, the defending Class 2A champions, back to the state tournament for a third year in a row.
Holmgren finished with 24 points, 11 rebounds and four blocked shots as the Redhawks claimed a 68-48 victory in the Class 2A, Section 4 championship game played at St. Paul Washington High School Friday.
Top-seeded Minnehaha Academy (26-2) also got 18 points from Jalen Suggs and 14 from Prince Aligbe.
St. Croix Prep (22-7), meanwhile, was led by Jayton Metcalf’s 11 points while Addison Metcalf added 10.
The No. 2-seeded Lions stayed close for much of the first half until Minnehaha Academy used a 12-6 run to take a 23-16 advantage with 6:26 left in the first half. The Redhawks slowly but steadily built on that lead to take a 36-26 advantage into the break.
Minnehaha Academy then broke the game open with a 14-6 start to the second half, and St. Croix Academy never was able to cut its deficit to double digits.
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