Lakeville North won the South Suburban Conference boys basketball championship on the final day of the regular season by taking care of its business and getting some help from a rival.
North’s part of the equation was a 52-45 victory at Apple Valley on March 1 that completed its regular season at 16-2 in the SSC and 21-5 overall. Farmington’s 72-71 overtime victory at Shakopee the same night knocked the Sabers one game behind North, which finished first in the league for the second consecutive year.
That’s likely to be the last favor Farmington is willing to do for Lakeville North as the Tigers and Panthers compete in the same playoff section. South Suburban Conference teams Lakeville North, Farmington and Lakeville South are the top three seeds in the Class 4A, Section 1 tournament that began Tuesday night.
Lakeville North has won eight games in a row and 15 of its last 16. The Panthers kept their hopes for the conference championship alive by defeating Eagan 84-57 on Feb. 26. North senior guard Jack Robison, the conference’s second-leading scorer (22.5 average), scored 19 points against Eagan, with fellow seniors Andrew Quam and Matt Drake adding 18 and 14.
Farmington finished the regular season 14-4 in the conference and 20-6 overall after winning its first game ever at Shakopee High School. Brandon Hrncir scored 22 points, and Nik Domier 18 for the Tigers. Cole Wilcek had 12 points, Tyler Beckwith had 11, and Ryan Beckwith and Liam Roche added five each.
Section 1 boys basketball
Three of the top four teams in the South Suburban Conference reached the semifinals of the Class 4A, Section 1 boys basketball playoffs.
The top three seeds are defending section champion Lakeville North, 22-5 and ranked sixth in Class 4A; Farmington, 21-6 and ranked eighth; and Lakeville South, 18-9 and ranked 14th. Lakeville North and Farmington were first and third in the SSC and Lakeville South finished fourth.
On Tuesday, Lakeville North dispatched eighth-seeded New Prague (5-22) 85-38 in the section quarterfinals. The Panthers will play fourth seed Rochester Century (20-7) in the semifinals at 7 p.m. Saturday at Lakeville North High School.
Senior forward Tyler Christianson led North with 16 points. Senior guard Matt Drake made five three-pointers and finished with 15 points, six rebounds, seven assists and two steals. Jack Robison (15 points), Adam Mix (12) and Andrew Quam (10) also scored in double figures for the Panthers. Quam also had six rebounds and eight assists.
Farmington narrowly avoided an upset by seventh-seeded Rochester John Marshall (15-11) in the quarterfinals, winning 78-69 in overtime Tuesday. John Marshall rallied from a 14-point halftime deficit to force overtime, but the Tigers outscored the Rockets 14-5 in the extra four minutes.
Ryan Beckwith had 24 points and Tyler Beckwith scored 19 to lead Farmington. Liam Roche added 16 points and Brandon Hrncir scored 12.
Farmington will play host to third-seeded Lakeville South in a semifinal game at 7 p.m. Saturday. South drubbed Rochester Mayo 71-36 in its quarterfinal game Tuesday, holding the Spartans to 10 points in the first half. DaMarcus Burks scored 15 points and Lauson Schmidt 15 for the Cougars.
Saturday’s game will be the third of the season between Farmington and Lakeville South. Farmington won 87-47 in a South Suburban Conference game Dec. 19, but South took the rematch 72-70 on Feb. 2.
The Section 1 championship game will be 6 p.m. Friday, March 15, at Mayo Civic Center in Rochester.
Section 3 boys hoops
Five South Suburban Conference teams are involved in what could be a wide-open Class 4A, Section 3 playoff. Only two of the eight teams in the section have winning records and the top-ranked team according to the Minnesota-Scores.net Quality Results Formula is Eagan at No. 26.
Eagan (14-12) received the section’s top seed and played host to No. 8 seed Bloomington Jefferson (5-21) in a quarterfinal game Wednesday, after this edition went to press. The winner plays No. 4 seed Rosemount (9-17) or No. 5 Hastings (14-12) in the semifinals at 7 p.m. Friday on the higher seed’s home court.
The other half of the Section 3 bracket had No. 2 seed Apple Valley (13-13) hosting No. 7 seed Burnsville (3-23) on Wednesday, while defending champion and No. 6 seed Eastview (4-22) played at No. 3 seed Park of Cottage Grove (13-13). Winners of those games meet at 7 p.m. Friday.
The higher seed of the two semifinal winners will be host of the Section 3 championship game at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 14.
State Class 4A quarterfinals are Wednesday, March 20, at the Target Center. The semifinals (March 21) and championship game (March 23) will be at Williams Arena.
Adapted floor hockey
The Burnsville/Farmington/Lakeville Blazing Cats will try to continue their remarkable run of dominance at this weekend’s state adapted floor hockey CI Division tournament at Coon Rapids High School.
Since adapted sports resumed in November 2021 following a 20-month pause because of COVID-19, the Blazing Cats have won six CI Division championships – three in soccer, two in softball and last year’s floor hockey title. Last year the Blazing Cats defeated New Prague 15-6 in the floor hockey CI Division championship game as Caden Roseth scored nine goals.
The Blazing Cats begin defense of their championship against the Mankato Knights in a quarterfinal game at 8 p.m. Friday. Burnsville/Farmington/Lakeville is the top seed from the South Division; Maple Grove is seeded first in the North Division and plays Dakota United in a quarterfinal game at 5 p.m. Friday.
In the PI Division, 2022 state champion and 2023 runner-up Dakota United is the No. 2 seed and plays St. Paul Humboldt in a quarterfinal game at 6:30 p.m. Friday.
Top seed in PI is Robbinsdale/Hopkins/Mound Westonka, which won the state adapted soccer championship in November 2023. The third seed is Brainerd, which won four of the last five PI Division championships.
The state tournament continues Saturday with semifinal games followed by championship games at 2:30 p.m. (PI) and 4 (CI).
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