Only one spot separates Tartan and Maple Grove in the latest Minnesota boys basketball Class 4A coaches poll.

That meant their matchup in the Capitol City Classic would help settle the debate over which team is the biggest threat to No. 1 Wayzata.

The Titans were 29-1 last season, but looked just as talented this year with an early win against Hopkins. They added to that résumé with a 68-61 win Dec. 27 against the Crimson at Macalester College.

Sophomores K.J. Wilson and Emmanuel Oyesanmi combined for 31 points to help No. 2 Tartan (6-0) hold off No. 3 Maple Grove in the second half.

Wilson, who led his team with 18 points, also had 33 points vs. Mahtomedi on Dec. 22 and 27 points in an earlier December win against Hopkins.

“We played with more urgency,” Wilson said about Tartan’s second-half surge. “We knew they were going to go on a run. We had to stay in the game and stay mentally focused to close them out for the win.”

Maple Grove’s Baboucarr Ann, the No. 1-rated junior in the state, finished with 24 points, which included rallying his team from a 13-point deficit to pull within 60-54 late in the game.

The Crimson struggled to create opportunities for others like 7-foot junior Jack Thelen and North Dakota State recruit Max Iversen.

Tartan’s balanced offensive attack led to four starters reaching double digits in scoring against Maple Grove, including seniors Tyrel Pride and Duke King.

“It’s an early signature-type win,” Oyesanmi said. “We have to build off of it, but we still have a lot of work to do.”

Here are a few more takeaways from the Christmas break in boys and girls hoops:

Raiders rally after second loss

The Cretin-Derham Hall boys team learned a lot about itself after early losses to Wayzata and Totino-Grace, the top teams in Class 4A and 3A, respectively.

The Raiders, who finished state runner-up last season, lost the best center in the state to graduation with 6-11 Tommy Ahneman, now at Notre Dame.

One could assume CDH would fill that production void by committee, but juniors Ty Schlagel and Dre Frierson-Hollie are thriving as a frontcourt tandem.

The two combined for 27 points and 13 rebounds vs. Park Center and 46 points, 21 rebounds and three blocks vs. Alexandria in the Holiday Classic at Concordia (St. Paul) on Dec. 26 and Dec. 27.

St. Thomas recruit JoJo Mitchell leads CDH in scoring with 21 points per game this season, but adding an inside presence to his shooting prowess makes this team even more dangerous.

DeLaSalle survives a thriller

All the momentum seemed like it was on Alexandria’s side when Mason Witt nailed a deep three-pointer to force overtime in a Dec. 26 matchup vs. DeLaSalle at Concordia.

Witt, who had 29 points, pulled up from NBA range to keep the Cardinals alive at the end of regulation. The Islanders eventually found their spark in overtime to win.

With a few key players out for the game, including starters Kamar Thomas and Ichima Idoko, sophomore Jonas McCrearystepped up. He made key free throws to force the second overtime and scored in double figures.

The star of the night, though, was DeLaSalle’s Jaeden Udean, who showed off why he’s one of the top juniors in the state with 33 points in a 91-88 double-overtime victory against Alexandria in the Holiday Classic.

No. 1 sophomore Johnson responds

The nation’s best sophomore guard in girls basketball resides in Minnesota with Duluth Marshall’s Chloe Johnson, who proved she could overcome adversity with recent back-to-back losses.

Six days after a humbling loss at Hopkins, Duluth Marshall fell 46-42 on Dec. 26 against Lakeville North at the Granite City Classic at the College of St. Benedict.

The Panthers’ frontcourt had a size advantage, with players standing 6-4 and 6-2, which contributed to Johnson being limited to 16 points on 6-for-21 shooting. She still grabbed 14 rebounds in defeat.

In a bounce-back performance the next day, Johnson put up 22 points and 15 rebounds to lead Duluth Marshall to an 81-47 win against Goodhue on Dec. 27 at Granite City.

Hopkins girls show balance

The scouting report on Hopkins definitely starts with trying to slow down guards Jaliyah Diggs and Ava Cupito. Good luck with that.

The next assignment can be just as difficult with guarding Erma Walker and Marianna Davis in the post.

No team in Minnesota had been able to solve those problems entering Christmas break. That continued to be the case with the Royals getting 63 points combined from their fearsome foursome to crush Lakeville North 83-51 on Dec. 27 at Granite City.

In the opening game Dec. 26 at St. Benedict, Hopkins also handled Fargo Davies 64-30 behind Walker, Diggs and Cupito combining for 46 points.

The Royals, the No. 1 team in Class 4A, travel to play Gophers recruit Tori Oehrlein and Crosby-Ironton on the road Dec. 30.