Minnehaha Academy survived a scoring frenzy by Waseca’s Deron Russell (51 points) to advance to the Class 2A semifinals with a 77-69 victory at Williams Arena on Wednesday, March 25.

Pequot Lakes stopped Blake 69-60 in the other 2A quarterfinal. The first set of 2A games were played at Target Center on Tuesday, with Albany and Goodhue advancing to the 2A semifinals.

In 3A quarterfinal matchups Richfield got the better of Sartell, DeLaSalle beat Grand Rapids, Northfield defeated Mankato East (see video below) and Totino-Grace beat Minneapolis South to advance to the semifinal round on Thursday at Williams Arena.

Read the updates from the second day of the boys basketball state tournament below, and visit Strib Varsity’s boys basketball hub for scores, schedules and stories.

Here are images from Day 2 of the state tournament:

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Here’s more of what you need to know about the tournament:

• Meet the 2026 Strib Varsity All-Minnesota boys basketball team
• Recap: Day 1 live report from boys state high school basketball tournament
• Meet a dozen boys basketball players looking to lead their teams to a state title
• Predicting the boys basketball state tournament: Picks for all four brackets

. . .

2A final: Minnehaha Academy 77, Waseca 69

Despite a record-setting performance by Waseca senior guard Deron Russell, Minnehaha Academy held off Waseca in the Class 2A quarterfinals.

Russell, a 6-foot guard, tied the state tournament record for points in a game with 51, but it still wasn’t enough to lift the Blue Jays to victory.

The mark of 51 was first set by Cory Mountain of AlBrook in 2006.

Minnehaha Academy was led by Ayden Green’s 22 points. Carter Cupito chipped in with 20 and Kellen Troup had 19.

“Deron Russell is as good as advertised,” said Minnehaha Academy coach Jadee Jones. “We had a good scheme for him and I felt like we did a pretty good job. He did make some shots.

“However, I felt like the strength of our entire squad was just too much for him to overcome. We played one heck of a game — not perfect, but good enough for us to move on to the next round.”

Russell was 15-for-26 from the floor, including six of nine on threes, and hit 15 of 18 free throws.

Said Cupito: “We knew he’d make shots, but we also felt like he’d miss some, too. And that’s what happened.”

— Jim Paulsen

2A: Minnehaha Academy 70, Waseca 62

53 seconds left.

Deron Russell has 44 points and just hit a big three for Waseca, but Carter Cupito answered for Minnehaha.

Russell is a fantastic player, but I’m not sure this one-on-everyone approach for Waseca is working out.

— Jim Paulsen

2A: Minnehaha Academy 63, Waseca 58

The Redhawks found an avenue to slowing down Deron Russell. Let him go one-on-one, crash the boards if he misses, and get going in transition.

It hasn’t worked every time, but it’s kept Minnehaha close. Make Russell work on both ends of the floor.

Less than four minutes remain.

— Jim Paulsen

2A: Waseca 50, Minnehaha Academy 47

Deron Russell with back-to-back three-pointers, but a pair of Waseca turnovers kept Minnehaha close as we hit the midway point of the second half.

Russell has 34 points.

The Redhawks had a four-point lead after two dunks from Kellen Troup before Waseca rallied.

Russell has 15 already in the second half, well on his way to reaching his per-game average of 39.4 points. The question becomes: Can the Redhawks find a way to counter Russell? Few have.

— Jim Paulsen

2A halftime: Minnehaha Academy 33, Waseca 33

Minnehaha’s double-team on Deron Russell started to have an effect late in the first half. He was unable to create for himself (but he was able to get to the line.) He’s got 19 at the break.

It’s a little more balanced for the Redhawks. Ayden Green has 10, including a big three-pointer late in the half. Kellen Troup has nine, but still hasn’t quite gotten on track, and Carter Cupito has seven. Is their balance starting to wear on Waseca? I think so.

— Jim Paulsen

2A: Waseca 29, Minnehaha Academy 20

It’s not ALL Deron Russell for Waseca, but he does have an outsize presence on Waseca. He’s got 15, while his teammates pick up scraps and putbacks. Minnehaha is having trouble from the floor, going 6-for-23.

3:43 left in the first half.

— Jim Paulsen

2A: Minnehaha Academy 16, Waseca 14

With nine minutes left in the first half, it’s Minnehaha vs. Deron Russell.

Russell has 10 points early for Waseca, including a looonnng three-pointer from the logo. Carter Cupito has seven for Minnehaha.

— Jim Paulsen

Class 2A quarterfinals pregame: No. 3 seed Minnehaha Academy vs. No. 6 seed Waseca

Two programs with significant state tournament histories square off in the Class 2A quarterfinal nightcap.

Waseca is paced by senior Deron Russell. He’s one of the most dynamic guards in the state, with range out past the three-point-arc and the ability to create his own shot. He’s set to play college football at North Dakota State, so this could be the final hardcourt games of his career.

Minnehaha Academy can put up points in bunches. The Redhawks have four players who average in double figure, led by 6-7 wing Kellen Troup (19.8 ppg). Junior guard Ayden Green can score (17.1) but also creates off the bounce, averaging 5.6 assists per game.

— Jim Paulsen

2A final: Pequot Lakes 69, Blake 60

The second-seeded Patriots finally got over the hump, winning a first-round game for the first time in five trips. Tollef Birkeland, who missed half the season with an injury, led Pequot Lakes with 15 points,

Freshman Tramiell White was a force for seventh-seeded Blake, finishing with a game-high 24 points.

Blake Spiczka, Pequot Lakes senior guard, on finally winning a first round game: “It’s a feeling you can’t really explain, especially when you’ve lost the way you have in the quarterfinals, like last year. I don’t think anybody slept well since that one. It was tough to put that one in the past, but it’s definitely a feeling that you can’t describe. Our first one in five years.”

— Jim Paulsen

2A: Pequot Lakes 69, Blake 60

After Blake got within four, Pequot Lakes got a putback and a free throw by Sam Afagwu to go up seven, then Tollef Birkeland followed with two free throws. Only 20 seconds remain.

— Jim Paulsen

2A: Pequot Lakes 64, Blake 57

Tollef Birkeland’s strong play in the second half showed again. He tracked down a loose ball and a nailed a three-pointer to give Pequot Lakes a nine-point advantage with 3:40 left in the game. Both teams are shooting well from the field.

— Jim Paulsen

2A: Pequot Lakes 54, Blake 49

Just when it looks like Pequot Lakes is about to take control, Blake’s active defense makes a statement. The Bears pulled within five on Carson McMichael’s fifth three-pointer of the game with 8:28 left in the second half.

— Jim Paulsen

2A halftime: Pequot Lakes 32, Blake 31

The Patriots settled into a more efficient offense set late in the first half, generating better looks. They closed the half on a 16-8 run.

Tollef Birkeland hit three three-pointers down the stretch, igniting Pequot Lakes closing stretch. Blake is hanging tough thanks to solid inside play by freshman forward Trammell White, who had 11 points in the half.

— Jim Paulsen

2A: Blake 29, Pequot Lakes 29

Pequot Lakes has picked up its offensive pace, but can’t overcome Blake’s sharpshooting. The Bears have hit five three-pointers, four by Carson McMichael. Blake is moving the ball well around the perimeter, seeking open shots.

— Jim Paulsen

3A recap: Richfield 72, Sartell 62

In their weeklong break between their first section championship win since 2021 and their state quarterfinal against Sartell, the No. 3-seeded Richfield Spartans worked on everything from the intangibles — “a lot of self improvement, stuff like team bonding,” junior guard Waleed Muhammad said — to the all-too-tangibles: “A lot of running. Conditioning.”

“Because the college court is bigger,” said Muhammad, whose 14 points put him as one of four Spartans in double figures in a 72-62 win over the Sabres, “we have to run up and down the court, not get tired.”

And if the Spartans were running a literal race in Wednesday’s quarterfinal, then they got an early jump to the starting gun, pulling ahead 13-0 over Sartell and managing to stay a few strides ahead of the Sabres, no matter how hard the No. 6 seed tried to close the gap.

“We knew that Sartell was going to be big and physical, but we wanted to match that with our speed and quickness,” Richfield head coach Omar McMillan said.

The Spartans forced the Sabres out of their half-court game, into making decisions on the run, and capitalized with 26 points off turnovers.

When asked what was fun about coaching this Richfield squad — pushing for the program’s first state title, after three runnerup finishes, the last in 2005 — McMillan asked, “How long we’ve got?”

Bought into defense. Bought into what McMillan called a “brotherhood.” Willing to call out one another, when it counts. “It’s just family, right?” McMillan said. “I’m not talking about the cliche family, where everything is roses and peachy… You know, [junior guard] Dre [Collins] will turn around and say, ‘Hey man, we need to do this and that and that,’ and then we fix it, right?’”

The Spartans will have far less time to stew, self-improve or run between their quarterfinal and tomorrow’s semifinal. They match up against No. 2 DeLaSalle, a Tri-Metro Conference rival who they beat 69-68 on Jan. 3, then lost to 94-66 in a Feb. 4 rematch.

“[We want to] leave everything on the court, go after them, better than the first time, and definitely than the second time,” said junior guard Gideon Horne, who had an 18-point, 10-rebound double-double in Richfield’s quarterfinal win. “Can’t that happen again.”

“We understand that DeLaSalle wants us, and we want them,” McMillan said. “To be honest with you, and be truthful, they don’t like us, and we don’t like them, so it’s going to be kind of somewhat of a battle... We’re going to try to do the talking on the court, and may the best team win.”

— Cassidy Hettesheimer

Blake 15, Pequot Lakes 10

Pequot Lakes looks a little jittery. The Patriots have a decided size advantage, but they’re not taking advantage of it and are struggling from the floor. Blake has taken an early lead thanks to its outside shooting.

— Jim Paulsen

2A, pregame: No. 7-seed Blake vs. No. 2-seed Pequot Lakes

Could this be the year Pequot Lakes gets past the quarterfinals?

The Patriots are making their fifth consecutive appearance in the state tournament but have lost in the quarterfinals in each of their previous trips.

Apparently, the coaches who do the seeding think Pequot Lakes has what it takes to get to the semifinals. They received the No. 2 seed in Class 2A by virtue of their 28-1 record. The Patriots are riding a 22-game winning streak going back to Jan. 2, when they suffered the lone blemish on their record, falling to Caledonia 59-55 in a game played at Target Center.

Senior point guard Blake Spiczka brings the veteran experience to Patriots. He’s averaging 6.5 assists per game and is the player they look to for leadership when games get tight. Sophomore Gus McKenna, a 6-7 wingman, leads the team in scoring (14.7 ppg) and is their chief long-range threat. He’s shooting 49.7% from beyond the arc.

No. 7-seeded Blake (19-12) is peaking at the right time. The Bears are in the midst of their longest winning streak of the season, having ripped off seven in a row. The Bears need a big outing from guard Carson McMichael, who can get hot and go off for a big game. He’s put up 22.9 points per game and has topped 40 on three separate occasions.

— Jim Paulsen

3A: Richfield to meet Tri-Metro foe in semis

No. 3 seed Richfield will get to continue its quest for a first state title after its 72-62 Class 3A quarterfinal win over No. 6 Sartell. A trio of junior guards — Dre Collins (15 points), Gideon Mclntosh-Horne (18 points), Tyrece Hagler (20 points) and Waleed Muhammad (14 points) combined for all but five of the Spartan’s points. Horne finished with a double-double, with 10 rebounds (plus, grabbing three steals, as did Adin Inda.)

Richfield never trailed, but Sartell found ways — often, deep threes from Maddox Lewis, shooting 5-for-11 from deep with a team-high 19 points — to claw back to single-digit deficits throughout the second half. Sartell couldn’t keep the Spartans out of the paint or off the glass, and were never able to cut the lead to less than five after the game’s opening minutes.

Richfield matches up with No. 2 DeLaSalle in tomorrow’s semifinals. The top two teams in the Tri-Metro Conference split a pair of regular-season meetings.

— Cassidy Hettesheimer

3A: All-Minnesota guard with the jam

With three minutes to play, Richfield kept its 66-56 edge over Sartell, often by driving to the post. The Spartans have outscored Richfield 34-20 in the paint. An Adin Inda steal at Sartell’s permieter — the Spartans’ tenth steal of the game — fed an emphatic breakaway dunk for All-Minnesota guard Dre Collins, who is up to 13 points for Richfield

— Cassidy Hettesheimer

3A: Sabres look to surge

Rinse and repeat: Sartell’s cut it back to a single-digit lead, trailing Richfield 57-48 as a timeout’s called with 7:01 to play. Karson Lewis is up to 13 points for the Sabres, while Maddox Lewis has 14. Now: the Sabres will see whether they can truly close the gap, which they have yet to be able to do as they’ve hung around in this quarterfinal.

— Cassidy Hettesheimer

3A: The final stretch

Halfway through the second half, nine minutes to the final buzzer: Richfield’s up 55-42 over Sartell. Spartans junior guard Tyrece Hagler, up to a game-high 17 points, picked up his first two assists dishing to his teammates to string together a 9-2 Spartans run. Every time Sartell seems like it might be pushing for a comeback, the Spartans find a way to surge back to a double-digit lead.

— Cassidy Hettesheimer

3A: Spartans teeter on foul trouble

Richfield leads Sartell 50-40, but junior guards Waleed Muhammad and Tyrece Hagler have each picked up two fouls here to start the second half, up to a three each with 11:30 to play. Muhammad’s got 11 points and five boards for the Spartans so far, while Hagler has 14 points. Something to keep an eye on — if either picks up a fourth, they’ll be one personal foul away from having to watch the end of this quarterfinal from the Richfield bench.

— Cassidy Hettesheimer

3A: Sartell starts second strong

The Sabres have hit four quick three-pointers and grabbed some big defensive boards (including three from Parker Smith) here in the first four minutes of the second half, cutting Richfield’s lead back to single digits, 46-38. They’re on a 14-5 run since halftime.

— Cassidy Hettesheimer

3A: Getting challenged in practice got DeLaSalle’s Udean ready to scorch the nets at state

DeLaSalle’s defense led to a win vs. Mahtomedi in the section championship more than week ago, but Jaeden Udean didn’t shoot the ball well.

The Islanders had a week off before the state tournament to get their leading scorer feeling right. They had no games, but Udean got challenged defensively by several teammates in practice.

“I have to be honest there were a couple practices in the last 10 days where the [other] guys wanted it more,” DeLaSalle coach Todd Anderson said. “They were thirsty and hungry.”

It didn’t take long for that to light a fire under Udean to get his shot going again.

The smooth-shooting 6-2 junior led DeLaSalle with 24 of his 26 points in the first half in Wednesday’s 87-37 win against Grand Rapids in the Class 3A quarterfinals at Williams Arena.

“It felt good,” said Udean, who shot 10-for-14 from the field in just 17 minutes. “Credit to my teammates because they’re the ones finding me. I just trust they will get me the ball. I trust in the system that I have other guys around me and it’s not just me.”

Udean had eight points vs. Mahtomedi in the Class 3A, Section 4 championship. Still, the Islanders have won five straight games since an 85-79 loss against Hopkins on Feb. 24.

Anderson knew some tough practices last week would be just what Udean and others needed to be ready for the state tournament.

“At this stage of the season, I know when you’re young you just want to play,” Anderson said. “But I just couldn’t wait to practice for 10 days because I really love practice. I wanted to get better.”

— Marcus Fuller

3A: Spartans stifle Sabres early

At halftime, No. 3 seed Richfield is up 41-24 over No. 6 Sartell, ending the half on a 19-7 run after the Sabres had cut the Spartans’ lead to five with 6:31 to play in the half.

Tyrece Hagler and Gideon McIntosh-Horne both have 14 first-half points for the Spartans. The offensive glass has been tilted in Richfield’s favor, with eight offensive boards to Sartell’s zero, for 14 second-chance points. The Spartans ended the half with a prime example: Mclntosh-Horne putting back a missed basket for a layup as time expired.

Richfield has also punished Sartell for its turnovers, scoring 18 points off the 10 times the Sabres coughed up the ball. The Spartans have been able launch the fast break from a few of those steals, driving to the basket for 24 points in the paint, while Sartell has just six, forced wide and into 36.8% shooting. Senior forward Maddox Lewis leads Sartell with 11 points, including shooting 3-for-6 from three.

— Cassidy Hettesheimer

3A: Richfield regains control

After Sartell cut Richfield’s edge to five, the Spartans have pushed their lead back to 31-17 with a 9-0 run, punctuated by a Gideon Mclntosh-Horne dunk with 4:21 left in the first half. The 6-4 junior guard is up to eight points, plus five rebounds, for the Spartans.

— Cassidy Hettesheimer

3A: Sabres sink from deep

With 7:20 to play in the first half, Richfield leads Sartell 22-17. After the Sabres started 0-for-5 from three, Sartell forward Matthew Lewis sank back-to-back deep three-pointers, then Karson Lewis hit another, to cut the Spartans’ lead to five, part of a 13-6 Sartell run.

— Cassidy Hettesheimer

3A: Hagler comes out hot

Richfield junior guard Tyrece Hagler is on a heater early, shooting 3-for-3 from deep to put the Spartans up 16-4 over Sartell, six minutes into the first half.

— Cassidy Hettesheimer

3A: Spartans surge ahead early

Four minutes into this one, Richfield got the shutout rolling on Sartell, leading 8-0 to force a timeout, but not before Tyrece Hagler checked in and hit a corner three. The Spartans kept the Sabres to 0-for-5 from the field, 0-for-3 from deep, with early steals near half-court from Dre Collins and Adin Inda setting up the Spartans for fastbreak points.

— Cassidy Hettesheimer

The 3A quarterfinal finale: Richfield vs. Sartell

The final Class 3A quarterfinal of the day pits No. 3 Richfield (27-2) against No. 6 Sartell (21-8), with the winner set to face No. 2 DeLaSalle in Thursday’s semifinals.

Both programs are in pursuit of their first state titles. Richfield has come close, with three runner-up finishes, though none more recently than 2005. The Spartans last made the trip to state in 2021, while Sartell has only reached the tournament once, in 2013.

Richfield’s roster has plenty of talent across the board, but it’s highlighted by the Tri-Metro Conference Player of the Year: All-Minnesota junior Dre Collins, a 6-4 forward who averages 18.4 points, 6.9 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 3.0 steals per game.

Sartell is stacked in the front court with 6-5 senior forward Maddox Lewis, a Black Hills State recruit, and 6-7 senior forward Isaac Bergstrom. Lewis, a knock-down shooter who holds the school’s career three-point record, averages more than 20 points per game for a Sabres team that turned around a 12-15 season in 2024-25 into the program’s second trip to the state tournament.

— Cassidy Hettesheimer

3A Final: DeLaSalle 87, Grand Rapids 37

Junior Jaeden Udean scored 26 points in just 17 minutes Wednesday to lead second-seeded DeLaSalle to an 87-37 quarterfinal victory against Grand Rapids at the Barn.

Udean, who had 24 points in the first half on 9-for-12 shooting, shot 10-for-14 from the field in the game, including 4-for-7 from three-point range. He played only three minutes in the second half.

Kamar Thomas had 12 points and Ichima Idoko added 11 points and six rebounds for the Islanders (27-3), who shot 63% from the field and 9-for-12 from three-point range.

DeLaSalle advanced to its first Class 3A semifinals since losing to eventual champion Totino-Grace in 2024.

The Thunderhawks (24-7) were held to 28% shooting from the field, including 0-for-13 from three-point range.

— Marcus Fuller

3A: DeLaSalle keeps pressure on Grand Rapids in second half

It would have been easy for the Islanders to take their foot off the gas with a 33-point lead at halftime against Grand Rapids, but that’s not in their nature.

DeLaSalle opened the second half with a 9-1 run to expand its lead to 63-22 after Jaeden Udean’s 26th point of the game. Udean, who had 24 points in the first half, was shooting 10-for-14 from the field. That was more field goals than Grand Rapids made at that point in the game.

The Thunderhawks, who were playing at state for the first time since 2017, finally got their 10th field goal as Joey Sutherland reached double figures to make it 63-24.

— Marcus Fuller

3A halftime: DeLaSalle 54, Grand Rapids 21

DeLaSalle started off with a balanced scoring attack in the first half, but junior guard Jaeden Udean then started to have fun with the Williams Arena crowd.

The Islanders sharpshooting sophomore caught fire with 24 points in the first half on 9-for-12 shooting from the field, including 4-for-6 from three-point range. Almost every shot followed with him pointing to his bench and fans.

Udean started the game perfect from the field with 14 points on 5-for-5 shooting. His first miss came with just under six minutes left in the first half, but he then scored eight of his team’s next 12 points, including back-to-back three-pointers from NBA range.

Kamar Thomas also had 12 points in the first half, including a buzzer-beating three-pointer going into intermission. Deon Wallace-Johnson had eight points, six rebounds and six assists in the first half for the Islanders, who 61% from the field and 7-for-13 from three.

— Marcus Fuller

3A: Udean has perfect shooting start to first half

Last season, DeLaSalle’s Jaeden Udean had 27 points in a losing effort against Orono in the Class 3A quarterfinals.

Udean looked like he had that loss on his mind with a hot start to today’s Wednesday’s quarterfinal matchup against Grand Rapids. The 6-2 junior started the game with 12 points on 5-for-5 shooting from the field, including 2-for-2 from three-point range.

The Islanders opened the game with a 15-0 lead, but Udean also scored eight consecutive points to put them ahead 23-6. After Udean took a seat to rest, the Islanders kept up the pressure with Deon Wallace-Johnson’s fastbreak dunk. Evan Miller also scored off a turnover to make it 30-12 around the seven-minute mark.

DeLaSalle was shooting 67% from the field (12-for-18) when Udean returned to the game. He was fouled immediately and went to the foul line. His perfect streak remained after drilling two free throws for 14 points for the Islanders, who led 35-14.

— Marcus Fuller

Northfield extends once-in-a-century run to state

The last time Northfield reached the state tournament in 1932, basketball score lines looked a bit different. In that trip, Mankato — just Mankato, not yet split into schools East and West — beat the Raiders 17-15. Nearly a century later, Northfield defeated Mankato East 56-49 in the Class 3A quarterfinals to book its ticket to face No. 1 Totino-Grace in Thursday’s semifinals.

Northfield senior forward JT Graupmann (22 points, five rebounds) sank a three-pointer with 7:24 to play to give the Raiders their first lead of the game, which they never relented.

“We played way more aggressive defensively,” Graupmann said of the team’s second half, in which they held Mankato East to 31.6% shooting. “We were flying around way more, and we pushed in transition more.”

Possession after possession through a 35-17 Northfield second half, the Raiders turned defense into offense, as senior All-Minnesota guard Kayden Oakland was able to drive downhill for 15 second-half points, including an and-one to clinch the win in the game’s final minute.

“The coaches trusted me, they told me to be aggressive, get downhill, just go, just go,” Oakland said.

Oakland had just four points in the first half.

“Want it, you know. So I think that was a big spark.”

The two teams are more familiar with one another than typical state tournament opponents. As Big 9 Conference foes, they split two regular season meetings.

Despite the familiarity between the two programs south of the Twin Cities, an injury to Mankato East senior captain and forward Amari Nobles just over halfway through the first half made this particular matchup feel different for the Cougars. After Nobles had to be helped off with what coach Tony Ball said afterwards seemed to be a knee injury, yet to be diagnosed, the Cougars had to adjust to playing without one of their top players.

“When your good friend and your teammate goes down, and you’re asked to respond in that type of scenario, it’s pretty hard,” said Mankato East standout senior guard Lucas Gustafson, who the Raiders often double-teamed and held to just eight points.

“[Nobles] is a pretty tough kid, and if he’s going to stay down like that, it means that something’s really hurting,” Ball said. “One of the big things we talked about down the stretch here of the year was just play for each other and representing our community and our school, and so that was just kind of the reminder when we went to our huddle before we restarted.”

Mankato East came out of the restart with a 12-3 run, leading by as many as 14 in the first half. After halftime, the Raiders defense wore the Cougars down, and both the Oakland brothers — Kayden, heating up offensively, and Liam Oakland, his sophomore brother who finished with four steals and four blocks — helped make sure the Raiders would be extending their once-in-a-century tournament run even longer.

“[The Raiders] know us so well,” Gustafson said. “They know the plays that we’re going to run, and we just couldn’t really hit any shots. We couldn’t get a flow going. … That’s credit to them preparing so well. And, I mean, we just kind of ran out of gas at the end. It’s hard, but I’m super proud of the guys.”

— Cassidy Hettesheimer

3A: DeLaSalle shows off scoring balance in fast start

The Islanders really don’t rely on one player to lead them in scoring on a game-to-game basis. Sure, junior guard Jadean Udean usually leads them in big games, but it could be others that step up.

In today’s Class 3A quarterfinals, DeLaSalle had four different players contribute to a 11-0 start against Grand Rapids at Williams Arena, including Udean’s four points. Sophomore Ichima Idoka also hit the game’s first three-pointer to start the early run.

Eight different players saw the floor by the time Deon Wallace-Johnson hit two free throws to make it 13-0 with 13:20 to play in the first half.

On the next possession, Kamar Thomas scored his first basket of the game with a transition dunk.

— Marcus Fuller

3A, pregame: DeLaSalle vs. Grand Rapids

DeLaSalle has the most state tournament experience of any program in the Class 3A field this year with 15 consecutive state appearances, but it will be looking for its first title since 2019.

The Islanders (26-3) were state runner-up in 2022 and 2023, but their road back to the championship starts today against No. 7 seed Grand Rapids.

Juniors Jaeden Udean and Kamar Thomas combined for 44 points, including Udean’s 27 points in the quarterfinals last year, but they lost to Orono. Udean and Thomas are DeLaSalle’s top scorers this season.

Udean was held to eight points in the Class 3A, Section 4 final against Mahtomedi, but Deon Wallace-Johnson, Evan Miller, Ichima Idoko and Thomas combined for 50 points in the 67-46 victory on March 12.

Grand Rapids (24-5) reached the state tournament for the first time since 2017 after a 63-50 victory over Hibbing in the Class 3A, Section 7 championship on March 13, powered by Ethan Morgan and Gavin Wegwerth, who led the Thunderhawks with 15 and 14 points, respectively. Senior Joey Sutherland, a 6-5 forward, leads the team in scoring this year.

— Marcus Fuller

3A, Final: Northfield 56, Mankato East 49

No. 4 seed Northfield, in its first trip to state since 1932, rallied from an early deficit to defeat No. 5 Mankato East 56-49 in their Class 3A quarterfinal. The Raiders get the challenge of trying to take down No. 1 Totino-Grace in the state semifinals on Thursday.

Senior forward JT Graupmann led the Raiders with 22 points, including the go-ahead three-pointer with 7:24 left to play that gave Northfield its first lead of the game, having trailed by as many as 14 in the first half. The Raiders, who outscored the Cougars 35-17 in the second half, never gave up that lead, shutting down Mankato East defensively and hitting a few key shots from deep down the back stretch of the second half.

All-Minnesota senior guard Kayden Oakland had 19 points and six rebounds for the Raiders. Fifteen of those points came in the game’s second half, including the and-one to ice the game in its final minute.

Braden Petzel scored 11 points to lead Mankato East, the Class 3A runner-up the past two seasons, though he was held to just three points in the game’s second half. They were missing one of their leading scorers, senior forward Amari Nobles, for the majority of the game after he exited in the first half with what appeared to be a lower left leg injury.

— Cassidy Hettesheimer

3A: Oakland comes up big

Northfield senior guard Kayden Oakland got a three-point play when he finished another tough layup through contact with 31.2 seconds to play. Timeout called, but Northfield leads Mankato East 55-49 with 27.3 to play. That might seal the deal for the Raiders.

— Cassidy Hettesheimer

3A: From deep, in crunch time

With four minutes to play, Northfield leads Mankato East 49-46. Corner three-pointers from JT Graupmann and Tyler Hupton gave the Raiders their biggest lead of the game, but Mankato East’s Lucas Gustafson answered with his own pull-up three from the top of the key.

— Cassidy Hettesheimer

3A: Raiders out ahead

Northfield took its first lead of the game with 7:24 left to play, thanks to a JT Graupmann three-pointer, which he sank in front of his own bench off an assist from Tyler Holz, who has a team-high four assists. Graupmann has a game-high 16 points. The Raiders trailed by 14 in the first half.

— Cassidy Hettesheimer

3A: Raiders fight for control

Northfield has been quick in transition to try and grab a hold of momentum here, headed into the game’s final 10 minutes trailing Mankato East 40-36. They’ve got nine steals and eight fast break points, including Eli Bengston’s latest layup.

Though the Cougars are getting help from a wide array of scorers, Mankato East standout Lucas Gustafson has had a quieter game, now at four points and missing the free throw on an and-one opportunity. The Cougars are just 1-for-6 from the line.

— Cassidy Hettesheimer

3A: Northfield cuts it close

With just over 12 minutes to play, Northfield has narrowed Mankato East’s lead to 35-32. The Raiders’ All-Minnesota guard Kayden Oakland is up to 13 points, nine in the second half, his latest bucket coming off a nice leaping tip-in off a lob from JT Graupmann from outside the arc.

— Cassidy Hettesheimer

3A: Raiders find Oakland

Northfield senior guard Kayden Oakland has a quick five points to open the second half, already more than he scored in the first half, thanks to two tough drives to the basket, the second drawing a foul as he finished through contact. Mankato East countered with a Mason Diede three-pointer before an early timeout helps both teams regroup three minutes into the second half. Mankato East 35, Northfield 26.

— Cassidy Hettesheimer

3A: Scrimmage kept Totino-Grace sharp during break before state

Totino-Grace’s Nick Carroll prepares his team to play in the postseason as well as anyone.

Still, Carroll needed to change his routine this year.

The Gophers women’s basketball team hosted the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament last week, so that pushed back the start of the boys state tournament.

The top-seeded Eagles played one of the toughest schedules, but they also needed to find a way to stay sharp with a week off. They scrimmaged defending 3A champion Alexandria, a team that moved up to Class 4A this season.

Carroll’s decision to find competition during the break paid off with Wednesday’s 90-56 win in the Class 3A quarterfinals against Minneapolis South at the Barn.

“We have standards that we want to play at” Carroll said. “These guys have been in a lot of battles this year by way of scrimmages or games. They’ve played against a lot of the best teams in the state. We do that to find out where the cracks in the dam are.”

Senior Dothan Ijadimbola, who had 22 points and 11 rebounds Wednesday, said scrimmaging against Alexandria didn’t bring back memories of losing to them in last year’s Class 3A semifinals. That kept TG from playing for its fourth straight state title.

The Eagles got revenge against the Cardinals with a 92-90 road win Feb. 26 in the regular season, but the scrimmage was a different setting.

“We sharpened our knives,” Ijadimbola said. “Obviously, Alexandria’s a good team. So being able to scrimmage them before we come out here after a long week, I feel like made sure we were ready for what was to come.”

— Marcus Fuller

3A: Mankato East up at half

At halftime, No. 5 seed Mankato East leads No. 4 Northfield, 32-21. Seven Cougars scored in the first half of this 3A quarterfinal, led by eight points by 6-9 post Braden Petzel. Petzel also has a team-high seven rebounds. The Cougars are out-rebounding the Raiders 21-13 early, including 8-2 on the offensive glass, with 12 second-chance points for Mankato East.

East starting forward Amari Nobles went down with what appeared to be a lower left leg injury with around eight minutes remaining in the first half and had to be helped off the court, not putting weight on his left leg. He has not checked back into the game for the Cougars since.

The Cougars’ defense managed to contain the Raiders’ 21-points-per-game scorer, Kayden Oakland, to just four first-half points. Northfield senior forward JT Graupmann has a team-high 13 points on 5-for-7 shooting, plus three boards. Sophomore guard Liam Oakland’s three steals and two blocks have helped bolster the Raiders’ defense.

— Cassidy Hettesheimer

3A: Cougars respond with a run

Mankato East rallied after star Amari Nobles exited the game, going on a 12-3 run to double up the lead on Northfield to 28-14 with 3:56 left to play in the first half, forcing a Northfield timeout. After the Cougars missed their first seven tries from three-point range, Briggs Meyer and Griffin Schott hit back-to-back threes, and Meyer grabbed a big offensive board for a tip-in putback. The Cougars’ defense is holding Northfield to just 6-for-18 shooting from the field.

— Cassidy Hettesheimer

3A: East leads, but Nobles out

Halfway through the first half, Northfield has started to settle in, at one point cutting Mankato East’s lead to three with a three-point play from JT Graupmann, who finished a layup through contact.

But just as quickly, East is back with breathing room, leading 16-9 after another bucket from Cougars post Braden Petzel, who is up to a game-high six points, and a layup from Griffin Schott who came flying into the paint. Schott went off the raised floor of Williams Arena to the left of the basket but is all right after getting a helping hand from a Raiders player.

On the next possession, Cougars forward Amari Nobles, one of the team’s leading scorers with four points in 10 minutes, went down with what appeared to be a lower leg injury. He had to be helped off by two members of the coaching staff, arms around their shoulders, holding his left foot off the ground.

— Cassidy Hettesheimer

3A: Cougars lead early

Four minutes in, Mankato East has the early edge over Northfield, leading 10-2 after forcing four quick Raiders turnovers and finding four different Cougars for early baskets. The Raiders will have a tall task, literally, finding ways to drive inside and create quality scoring looks against Mankato East’s 6-foot-9 post Braden Petzel. He’s already got four points.

— Cassidy Hettesheimer

3A, pregame: No. 4 Northfield (25-3) vs last year’s state runner up, No. 5 Mankato East (21-7).

This trip to Williams Arena been a long time coming for Northfield; the Raiders snapped a 94-year state tournament drought with a Section 1 championship win over Austin.

“I think Amelia Earhart was flying around the world,” Northfield coach and alumni Matt Christensen told Strib Varsity reporter Marcus Fuller when discussing the team’s last tournament appearance in 1932.

All-Minnesota senior forward Kayden Oakland, a South Dakota State football commit, averages 21 points, 8.8 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game for the Raiders.

While Mankato East finished second in Class 3A in both 2024 and 2025, the Cougars will look a little different heading into the program’s 14th trip to state. After last season, head coach Joe Madson resigned after 24 years leading the Cougars, hoping to catch more of his kids athletic careers, including that of his son, Brogan, who graduated last season and played his freshman year at Sioux Falls after leading the Cougars in scoring. Tony Ball took over the Cougars program.

Senior guard Lucas Gustafson, a Northwestern College commit, is now Mankato East’s go-to scorer and had 28 points in a 72-53 win over St. Peter in the Section 2 championship game. Senior Amari Nobles, a 6-foot-7 forward and another player to watch for the Cougars, scored 20 in that win.

These two teams started their seasons against one another, a 74-72 Mankato East victory on Dec. 2. Northfield got revenge in a 62-58 Raiders win on Jan. 24.

— Cassidy Hettesheimer

3A Final: Totino-Grace 90, Minneapolis South 56

Senior Dothan Ijadimbola finished with 22 points and 11 rebounds to lead top-seeded Totino-Grace to a convincing 90-56 victory against No. 8 Minneapolis South at Williams Arena.

Ijadimbola had 13 points in the second half for Totino-Grace (25-2), which won its 20th game in a row. It will be playing in the semifinals for the sixth straight season, which included three consecutive state titles from 2022-24.

The Eagles will play the winner of No. 4 Northfield vs. No. 5 Mankato East on Thursday.

The Tigers (21-9) were led by Jumair Wright with 21 points, eight rebounds and six assists, but he also had 11 of his team’s 24 turnovers. DeAngelo Dungey added 15 points and seven of TG’s 18 steals in the game.

— Marcus Fuller

3A: Tigers turnovers fuel transition game for the Eagles

Minneapolis South’s scouting report had to include limiting Totino-Grace in transition game as priority No. 1. The Tigers did just the opposite.

The Eagles blew the game wide open outscoring their opponent 24-7 to open the second half fueled by their defense. Luther Bunge’s dunk midway through the second half gave his team a 30-point advantage. At that point, TG had 10 of its 19 fastbreak points in the second half, which included scoring 25 points off 20 turnovers.

With less than five minutes to play, the Eagles led 73-50 while outscoring the Tigers 21-10 in fastbreak points.

— Marcus Fuller

3A: Dungey takes over to start the second half

Totino-Grace’s DeAngelo Dungey entered the state tournament as one of the hottest players in the state.

The 6-4 senior averaged 24 points during an eight-game stretch for the Eagles, which included 31 points vs. Champlin Park and 25 points vs. Alexandria.

Dungey, who played for Breck in the 2024 Class 2A championship game, helped TG open the second half with an 17-6 start. He scored his team-best 15th point for a 49-26 lead with just under 15 minutes left.

— Marcus Fuller

3A halftime: Totino-Grace 38, Minneapolis South 23

The first half between Totino-Grace and Minneapolis South looked like two teams shaking off rust after not having any games for more than a week (the boys tournament was delayed a week because Williams Arena was previously reserved to host the first and second rounds of the NCAA women’s basketball tournament).

The two teams had a combined 27 turnovers and 10 missed free throws. The Eagles, though, scored 15 points off 15 turnovers to take control for a 38-23 halftime advantage.

Top-seeded Totino-Grace had no players in double figures in the first half, but Dothan Ijadimbola, DeAngelo Dungey and Malachi Hill combined for 24 points. Minneapolis South is being led by Ridwan Ibrahim’s 10 points. Jumair Wright, who had 31 points in the section finals, has nine points on 3-for-13 shooting in the first half, to go with eight turnovers and seven rebounds.

— Marcus Fuller

3A: South’s leading scorer returns to the game

Minneapolis South sophomore Jumair Wright had a frustrating first half get worse when he left for the locker room following a collision.

Wright changed his jersey from No. 11 to No. 30 because of some blood splatter. He returned to the game a couple of minutes later looking like a different player.

The 5-10 high-scoring guard put up five quick points after starting the game 1-for-7 from the field, but that didn’t help the Tigers fight off a Totino-Grace surge to trail by as much as 15 points (now 36-22).

— Marcus Fuller

3A: Minneapolis South battles back with a run

Minneapolis South trailed by 13 points with less than eight minutes to play before Totino-Grace was called for a technical foul.

It seemed to be a questionable call, but Eagles junior Malachi Hill was whistled for taunting. That led to the Tigers going on an 8-0 run, which included six points from Ridwan Ibrahim, who now has 10 points, to get South within 21-16 with just over six minutes to play in the first half.

Totino-Grace answered to stretch out the lead to double figures again. Minneapolis South took a hit offensively when leading scorer Jumair Wright went to the locker room after being hit in the face colliding with an opposing player.

— Marcus Fuller

3A: Carroll goes deep into his bench

Totino-Grace coach Nick Carroll didn’t like what he was seeing with his team’s offensive rhythm early in today’s quarterfinals, so he went deeper into his bench.

Before the midway point in the first half, Carroll had already put 10 players into the game. The Eagles started the game shooting 5-for-15 from the field and 2-for-6 from the foul line.

Senior Dothan Ijadimbola scored his first two field goals of the game to stretch Totino-Grace’s lead to 17-6 around the nine-minute mark, including a putback on his own missed free throw.

Minneapolis South struggled offensively as well with 10 turnovers, which led to nine points by Totino-Grace in the first half.

— Marcus Fuller

3A: Eagles set the tone early against Minneapolis South

The Totino-Grace student section started chants of “this is over” before their team even scored its the first basket. Did they not see what happened to defending champion Wayzata in its upset loss to Apple Valley on Tuesday, March 24?

The top-seeded Eagles have won 19 consecutive games, but they opened the game with missed free throws and a couple of turnovers. That let Minneapolis South hang around in the first few minutes in today’s 3A quarterfinals at the Barn.

Totino-Grace’s defense forced the Tigers to start 1-for-5 from the field, which included slowing down sophomore scorer Jumair Wright, who averages 22 points per game.

Junior Malachi Hill’s basket plus the foul and three-pointer made it 10-2 with 14:15 to play, including a 7-0 run.

— Marcus Fuller

3A, pregame: Minneapolis South vs. Totino-Grace

No. 1 Totino-Grace enters today’s 3A quarterfinals at Williams Arena against Minneapolis South as the most dominant boys basketball program still standing.

The top-seeded Eagles (24-2) have won three of the past four Class 3A titles. It took Mr. Basketball Chase Thompson from Alexandria to stop a potential four-peat last season.

Apple Valley’s upset of defending Class 4A champion Wayzata on Tuesday means Tartan (No. 1) and Totino-Grace (No. 3) are the highest-ranked teams remaining from Strib Varsity’s last statewide top 25.

The Eagles, 3A’s Section 5 champs, are led by seniors Dothan Ijadimbola, Tian Chatman and DeAngelo Dungey, who have led them to 19 victories in a row. Juniors Malachi Hill and A.J. Taban and sophomore Daniel Zoa are also part of one of the deepest rotations in the state regardless of class.

Dungey, who was on Breck’s 2A championship team in 2024, averaged nearly 24 points for Totino-Grace during an undefeated eight-game streak in January and February. Ijadimbola had 20 points in TG’s section final win vs. Becker on March 12.

No. 8 seed Minneapolis South (21-8) is led by sophomore Jumair Wright and junior Ramadan Ibrahim, who averaged nearly 23 points and 19 points in the regular season, respectively.

Wright had a triple-double with 31 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in a 72-64 win against South St. Paul in the Class 3A, Section 3 championship. The Tigers last played in the state tournament in 2024.

— Marcus Fuller