Panthers clinch SSC girls basketball title

North allows 18 second-half points in victory at Eastview

Lakeville North’s 57-48 victory at Eastview on Tuesday night clinched the Panthers’ second consecutive South Suburban Conference girls basketball championship.

But it wasn’t a stroll to the victory on Tuesday – North trailed 30-25 at halftime – nor was it an easy route to the title. “The last time I looked at the rankings, there were five or six teams from our conference in the top 20,” Panthers coach Andy Berkvam said. “It might not be as good as the Lake (which has five teams in the top six) but it’s probably the second-toughest conference.

“Rosemount has a young, very good team and is well coached. Eastview has played well this season. Angie (Iverson-Ohnstad) at Lakeville South has always done a very good job, and they took it to us the second time we played them. Eagan played well the second time we faced them. You have to be consistent to win in a conference like that, and for the most part I think we have been.”

The Panthers are 14-2 in conference games and hold a two-game lead with one remaining – Friday at Burnsville. Berkvam noted that both of the seventh-ranked Panthers’ conference losses were at home and said he hoped the players took that as a message that they can’t let down their guard at any time.

Lakeville North is expected to be the No. 1 seed in the Class 4A, Section 1 playoffs that begin next week but could cross paths again with Lakeville South, which split two games against the Panthers in the regular season. Six Section 1 teams will go into the playoffs with winning records.

North, 20-5 overall, has won 13 of its last 14 games, and defense was the calling card. Only two opponents in that stretch topped 60 points – Eden Prairie in a 69-65 Lakeville North victory and Lakeville South in the Cougars’ 61-52 win at Lakeville North on Feb. 12.

The defense also factored heavily on Tuesday in the SSC title-clinching game. “Eastview deserves a lot of credit. They took us out of our game early, forced us into a lot of turnovers and showed us some things we have to work on,” Berkvam said.

“We only gave up 18 points in the second half. We’ve played good defense all year, so it becomes a matter of making shots and taking care of the ball. We’re tough to beat if we do all those things.”

Center Trinity Wilson had 14 points, guard Gabby Betton 13 and forward Aduke Ojullu 12 for the Panthers. Myah Maull and Gabby Fors led Eastview (11-5, 18-7) with 15 and 14 points.

Wilson and Betton are on the recently released Ms. Basketball watch list. The Panthers’ size and depth at center and forward could serve them well in the playoffs, when the pace often slows down and games are played half-court. Wilson and Ojullu provide size, rebounding and scoring. Berkvam said he believes senior Bella DeHaan might be the best in the state at her sixth-player role. Wilson’s sister Sahara, a 6-foot-3 eighth-grader, has seen more playing time in the second half of the season and that could continue in the playoffs.