With its top two scorers out, Minnetonka needed a player to step up to fill that void if the Skippers were going to defeat Lake Conference rival Hopkins on Friday.
Thankfully for the Skippers, a number of players did, including senior Ibrahim El-Amin. Going up against his former school, the senior poured in 20 second-half points to help Minnetonka pick up a key 83-73 win against the Royals.
The brother duo of Jalen and Jordan Cain have been the ring leaders for the Skippers all season, with Jordan averaging more than 16 points per game and Jalen averaging more than 14 points per game. Unfortunately, the duo missed Friday’s game as they were out of town for a family funeral.
“We knew it was coming,” Skipper coach Bryce Tesdahl said. “It’s not easy for anyone to have a death in the family.”
Without the Cain brothers, Minnetonka’s challenge of defeating perennial power Hopkins grew exponentially. However, things looked promising early with the Skippers, ranked No. 5 in Class 4A by Minnesota Basketball News, sticking with the No. 8-4A Royals.
Playing without its top two scorers, Minnetonka banded together and found a way with key scoring in the second half as the Skippers pulled ahead and downed Lake Conference rival 83-73 on Friday at Minnetonka High School.
Jordan and Jalen Cain, brothers who are the leading scorers for the Skippers (9-2, 2-0), missed Friday’s game, leaving Minnetonka shorthanded as it hosted the rival Royals.
Hopkins (11-3, 1-2) came out and held some control early. Freshman guard Jayden Moore paced the Royals with 13 first-half points and finished with 23. Senior Vincent Hillsheim was a force in the paint with 22 points and nine rebounds.
Minnetonka, ranked No. 5 in Class 4A by Minnesota Basketball News, rallied late in the first half to make it just a 1-point deficit at the half. Junior point guard Andrew Stefonowicz led the way in the first half with 12 points. He finished the game with 23 points and 10 rebounds.
While Stefonowicz led in the first half, senior Ibrahim El-Amin led the team in the second half. He finished with a game-high 27 points as the Skippers put away the No. 8-4A Royals. Junior Greyson Uelmen also played a large role with 20 points to help Minnetonka to victory.
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