Section 5AA of the Minnesota State High School League girls basketball tournament features some tough teams at the top. Watertown-Mayer, the No. 1 seed and No. 4 team in Class AA, stands out as the favorite to take the section title and reach the state tournament, although it won’t be easy. Eden Valley-Watkins, Holy Family, SW Christian, and Annandale will all be teams to keep any eye on as well throughout the tournament. EV-W and Annandale have already knocked off the Royals once this season, and Holy Family played them tough as well early in the year.
Section 5AA play begins Thursday, March 2 when the first round kicks off as the high seeds host.
No. 1 Watertown-Mayer
The Royals finished the regular season with a record of 23-3, and were also the Wright County Conference West Champions. Throughout the regular season, the Royals did not lose back-to-back games once, leading to the conference title.
Watertown-Mayer’s Kirstin Klitzke is what makes the Royals go. As the primary ball handler, Klitzke makes sure the Royals have its offense clicking.
The Royals are the No. 1 seed in Section 5AA and look to be the favorite. The Royals post a 7-2 record against section opponents this year, with their two losses coming to Annandale and Eden Valley-Watkins.
One of the main reasons the Royals are the No. 1 seed and the favorite to capture a berth in the state tournament, is their trio of Claire Killian, Kirstin Klitzke, and Monika Czinano. All three are having big years for the Royals, and will be continuing their basketball careers at the collegiate level. Killian will be at Nebrask-Omaha next season, while Klitzke will be at Minnesota State-Mankato. Czinano, a junior, will also be competing at the collegiate level as well following her high school career. She’ll be playing for the Iowa Hawkeyes following her high school career.
Czinano, Killian, and Klitzke all average 12 or more points a game for the Royals. Killian leads the way, averaging 18.2 points per a game. Killian is a tough guard for her opponents as she can knock down the three, as well as get to the basket at will.
Czinano is the force inside for the Royals. She’s averaging 16.3 points per a game this season, and is a great rebounder. When Czinano is able to get deep in the paint, opponents have troubles stopping her as she can dominate a game at both ends of the floor with her size and footwork.
Klitzke, who averages 12.9 points per a game, may be the best pure shooter for the Royals. Klitzke also makes sure the Royals have their offense clicking efficiently as she is the primary ball-handler and decision maker on the floor. Klitzke might not always light up the box score with points, although she is more than capable of doing so, but it’s the little things that Klitzke does that might not show up in the stats that has the Royals poised for a deep run in the section tournament and possibly beyond.
The Royals received a first round bye and will face the winner of No. 8 Maple Lake and No. 9 Spectrum in their first game of Section 5AA tournament Saturday, March 4 at 7 p.m. at St. Michael-Albertville.
No. 2 Eden Valley-Watkins
The Eagles are one of three teams to have beaten the top-seeded Royals this year. The Eagles beat Watertown-Mayer 67-62 back in January to snap the Royals’ nine-game winning streak.
The Eagles enter the section tournament with a 23-3 record as well. They also won the Central MN Conference title with a perfect 14-0 record. The Eagles also post a perfect 7-0 record against section opponents this season.
A balanced attack offensively is one the biggest reasons for the success the Eagles have this season. The Eagles have four players to keep an eye on including Elaina Stommes, Emma Schultz, Halle Jansen, and Olivia Kuechle. In any game those four can take over, which makes it difficult for their opponents to defend. Those four combined for 50 of their 67 points in their win over Watertown-Mayer earlier this season.
The Eagles received the No. 2 seed and bye in the Section 5AA tournament. They will face the winner of No. 7 Providence Academy and No. 10 Breck Saturday, March 4 at 5 p.m. at St. Michael-Albertville.
No. 3 Holy Family
The Fire of Holy Family are a sneaky team to keep an eye on in this section. They enter the tournament with 14-10 record overall, but have plenty of fire power to make a run. Against section opponents this year, the Fire are 2-2.
Brooke Bowlin is the key player for the Fire. Bowlin, who scored her 1,000th career point at the Howard Lake Holiday Tournament earlier this season, averages over 13 points per a game. She had a season-high 16 points in Holy Family’s 88-64 win over Maranatha Christian Academy earlier this season.
Other players to watch out for the for the Fire are Leigh Steiner, Shea Thompson, and Allie Spinner. The Fire have great size and play well together. Despite a 10-loss season, the Fire are a team that can surprise a few people with a deep run in the section tournament.
The Fire are the No. 3 seed in the Section 5AA tournament and will host No. 14 HLWW Thursday, March 2 at home to kick off their playoff run. The Fire defeated the Lakers 65-26 earlier this season.
No. 4 SW Christian
The Stars are a tough team to figure out how they will play. Coming out of the MN Christian Athletic Association, the Starts finished third in the conference standings. With an overall record of 18-6 on the season, and a 4-0 record against section opponents, the Stars, if playing well, could surprise a few people.
Elizabeth Schwarz, the lone senior on the roster, leads the way for the Starts averaging 13.6 points a game. Grace Schmidt is also a capable guard who can pick up the scoring. She’s averaging 10.6 points per a game. Keep an eye on Sydney Beard and Brenna Krommmendyk as well for the Stars.
The Stars were tagged with the No. 4 seed in the Section 5AA tournament. They will host No. 13 Minneapolis Patrick Henry in the first round of the the tournament Thursday, March 2 at 7 p.m.
No. 5 Litchfield
The Dragons nearly picked up a big win on the road over Watertown-Mayer last week, only to see the Royals rally back for the win in overtime. The Dragons have had their ups and downs this season, but finished out the regular season winning seven of their last 10 games. Against section opponents, the Dragons have a record of 4-5.
Macy Huhner and Kyndra Beavers are the top players for the Dragons. Both are averaging over 12 points a game this season, and can fill up the box score quickly.
As the No. 5 seed, the Dragons will host No. 12 PACT Charter in the first round Thursday, March 2 at 7 p.m.
No. 6 Annandale
The Cardinals started their season off in a rough way, but have turned things around as of late. After winning their first five games of the year, they followed that up a 5-8 record in their next 13 games, including three pairs of back-to-back loses.
The Cardinals, who post a 5-4 record against section opponents, come into the tournament with an overall record of 15-11, and winners of their last two.
Hannah Purcell and Kamryn D’Heilly are the two players to keep an eye on for the Cardinals. D’Heilly can be a double-double machine, while Purcell is averaging over 15 points a game this season. Allie Spaulding and Erin Miller are two other players the Cardinals will need to step it up a bit if they hope to make a deep run.
The Cardinals, the No. 6 seed in the tournament, will host No. 11 Rockford in their first game of the tournament Thursday, March 2 at 7 p.m. The Cardinals defeated the Rockets 70-47 earlier this season.
No. 7 Providence Academy
The Lions of Providence Academy are on the wild cards in Section 5AA. While many of the teams compete in the WCC, the Lions come out of the Independent Metro Athletic Conference.
The Lions come into the tournament with a 15-8 overall record, and a perfect 2-0 record against section opponents. Those two wins both came against Breck.
Sophie Koeppl is the player to watch for the Lions. She’s averaging over 13 points a game, as she hopes to the lead the Lions to a deep section run.
The Lions will host No. 10 Breck in the first round Thursday, March 2. Earlier this season, the Lions have beaten Breck twice already.
No. 8 Maple Lake
The Irish of Maple Lake are another one of those wildcard teams. Sitting in the middle of the Section 5AA seeds, the Irish have had an up and down season. The Irish are a team that need to be taken seriously despite an overall record of 11-13 this season. Playing in the CMC, the Irish are no strangers to tough competition. Against section foes, the Irish post a record of 3-3.
Linsey Rachel leads the charge for Irish. As the top scorer, Rachel will be relied on heavily if the Irish look to pull of some upsets in the first few rounds.
The ninth-seeded Irish will host No. 8 Spectrum in the first round of the tournament. The Irish have beaten the Sting once already this season.
No. 9 Spectrum
The Spectrum Sting come into the Section 5AA tournament with a record of 11-12. The Sting endured a tough month or so where they lost five in a row to begin February. Against section opponents, the Sting post a record of 3-2
Kirstin Robbins is the girl to watch for their Sting. As their best player, if the Sting hope to make a run or win a few games, she will be relied on heavily.
No. 10 Breck
The Breck Mustangs shook off a slow start and have been playing better as of late. Coming into the Section 5AA tournament, the Mustangs post an overall record 6-15, and a record of 1-2 against section opponents.
After losing 11 straight games, the Mustangs bounced back with a three-game winning streak, and have won three of their last ten games heading into section play.
Lauren Bilcik is the key player for the Mustangs. She’s one of the team’s best scorers and will be the one for opponents to keep an eye on.
No. 11 Rockford
The Rockets enter the Section 5AA tournament on a bit of slump and with an overall record of 5-20. The Rockets, who won their first two games of the season, endured a tough stretch in January where they lost 13 games in a row. To close out the regular season, the Rockets have lost nine of their last 10 games.
The key player to watch for the Rockets is Nicole Lofstedt. Loftstedt is the team’s leading scorer, and will be looked on heavily if the Rockets hope to turn things around and win a game or two in the section tournament.
No. 12 PACT Charter
The PACT Charter Panthers are another team that will look to play spoilers. With an overall record of 7-13 this season, the Panthers have had their struggles as well.
The Panthers rely heavily on their leading scorer Lauren Erickson. If the Panthers hope to pull off an upset in the first round, the Erickson and the Panthers will need to play their best game of the season.
No. 13 Minneapolis Henry
The Patriots of Minneapolis Henry enter the section tournament with just two wins on the season. The Patriots are also 0-5 against section opponents this season.
Jauntanay Prado leads the way for the Patriots. She’s averaging over 12 points a game. Prado will need a monster game and some help from her teammates if the Patriots hope to pull off the upset.
No. 14 HLWW
It’s been a struggle for the Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted Lakers this season under a new coach. The Lakers enter the section tournament with just 3 wins on the season.
Despite the lack of wins this season, the Lakers aren’t a team you can take lightly. They’ve played many teams tough and are a solid defensive team.
HLWW’s Alexa Schumann is a sneaky good player for the Lakers. With her size and ability to rebound, Schumann could help the Lakers surprise a few people come playoff time.
The Lakers also have a balanced attack on the offensive side of the ball. Macee Streich, CJ Decker, Ivy Fesenmaier, and Alexa Schuman can all lead way for the Lakers in scoring. Jenna Benson and Jana Hatrick can also score as well for the Lakers.
The Lakers play a slower pace than most teams offensively. If they can continue their solid defensive play while getting their offense going a bit, the Lakers could hang around against one of the top teams.
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