Quantcast
skip navigation

Minnehaha Academy fends off upset-minded Totino-Grace

By BEN GOESSLING, Star Tribune, 03/26/21, 8:30PM CDT

Share

The Redhawks rallied from a 15-point first-half deficit to win 73-60 and advance to the Class 3A state tournament.

Minnehaha Academy's Chet Holmgren (34) goes up for a first half dunk against Totino-Grace Friday night. Holmgren had 11 points in the first half as the Redhawks defeated the Eagles 73-60. Photo by Jeff Lawler, SportsEngine

Minnehaha Academy's Chet Holmgren (34) goes up for a first half dunk against Totino-Grace Friday night. Holmgren had 11 points in the first half as the Redhawks defeated the Eagles 73-60. Photo by Jeff Lawler, SportsEngine

For all the benefits Minnehaha Academy derives from having Chet Holmgren, the presence of the state’s best player does come with one side effect: No one is interested in challenging the 7-1 Holmgren inside, so teams that can knock down threes would just as soon fire away from outside.

“There’s been teams that don’t even go into the lane,” Redhawks coach Lance Johnson said Friday after his team played Totino-Grace. “We know the toughest matchups for us are going to be good three-point shooting teams — and teams like this, in particular, because they don’t have one or two guys. They have five.”

In the Class 3A, Section 4 championship game, Holmgren’s last on his home court, the Redhawks were tested by an Eagles team that appeared it might have the only antidote for the senior’s interior defense. Seven first-half threes, and a raft of turnovers from Minnehaha Academy, put the third-ranked Eagles up by as many as 15 points in the first half.

Totino-Grace's Devin Burger (30) drives the lane in the first half of Friday night’s Class 3A, Section 4 final against Minnehaha Academy. Despite Burger's 16-point first half, the Eagles fell to the Redhawks 73-60. Photo by Jeff Lawler, SportsEngine

Totino-Grace's Devin Burger (30) drives the lane in the first half of Friday night’s Class 3A, Section 4 final against Minnehaha Academy. Despite Burger's 16-point first half, the Eagles fell to the Redhawks 73-60. Photo by Jeff Lawler, SportsEngine

Basketball Hub Headlines