Girls hoops recap: State quarterfinals
Mar 14, 2017
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Asha Bozicevich, senior, gets open in the state quarterfinal game against Minnetonka. As a senior and team captain, Bozicevich is hoping for a win in her final state tournament,
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Hannah Kleist, senior, goes up for a rebound at the state quarterfinal game.
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Dlayla Chakolis, sophomore, goes up for a basket in the state quarterfinal game. Chakolis scored a total of 13 points against Minnetonka.
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Jaide Presley, freshman, dribbles down court in the state quarterfinal game against Minnetonka.
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Hannah Kleist, senior, runs down the court in the state quarterfinal game.
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Dlayla Chakolis, sophomore, grabs a rebound in the state quarterfinal game.
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Angie Hammond, senior, makes a basket during the state quarterfinal game.
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Paige Bueckers, freshman, shoots a jump shot in the state quarterfinal game.
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Paige Bueckers, freshman, plays defense in the state quarterfinals.
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Angie Hammond, junior, goes up for a basket in the state quarterfinal game.
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Paige Bueckers, freshman, shoots a layup in the AAAA state quarterfinal game against Minnetonka on March 14. Bueckers scored a season high of 31 points in the quarterfinal game.
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Dlayla Chakolis, sophomore, guards a Minnetonka player in the state quarterfinal game.
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Paige Bueckers, sophomore, goes up for a basket while being guarded by a Minnetonka player.
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Paige Bueckers, freshman, prepares to make an offensive move in the state quarterfinals.
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Hannah Kleist, senior, passes the ball to a teammate in the state quarterfinals.
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Dlayla Chakolis, sophomore, and Raena Suggs, junior, double team a Minnetonka player. Defense has been a major focus for the Royals this season.
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Angie Hammond, junior, boxes out a Minnetonka player in preparation to get the rebound in the state quarterfinals.
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Hannah Kleist, senior, guards a player on Minnetonka during the state quarterfinals March 14.
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The Royals cheer on their teammates from the sidelines during the state quarterfinal game. They were assisted by a large student section who came to Target Center to support the girls basketball team.
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The Royals girls basketball team defeated the Minnetonka Skippers on Tuesday, Mar. 14 by a score of 76-57. The matchup was played at the Target Center. Both teams had a large fan base in attendance.
Tensions were high for the two rivals, as the game was a rematch of last year’s state championship game. Unlike last season, however, the Royals were able to secure the win.
The girls played today without long time starter Dee-Dee Winston, senior, who was out sick with a fever.
Paige Bueckers, freshman, led the Royals to victory with a season high of 31 points. She also a recorded five assists and five rebounds in 33 minutes of play, standing in as point guard for an absent Winston.
The Royals had played the Skippers twice before Tuesday’s playoff game in the 2016-17 season. Both games resulted in a Royals victory of more than 20 points.
Four out of the five Royals starters reached double digits in scoring. Dlayla Chakolis, sophomore, was the second highest scorer for the Royals with 13 points.
Hopkins also had strong defense throughout the game, with the team totaling seven steals and four blocks.
Despite a few scoring streaks for the Skippers, especially in the second half, they never got closer than 18 points.
With the win over the Skippers, the Royals will advance to the Section 4A semifinals, where they will play Eastview. The semifinals will be played on Thursday, Mar. 16 at six at Williams Arena.