10:30 a.m. on East Court

Chisago Lakes vs. Winona

Chisago Lakes will be led by one of the best sophomores in the state in Carmen Backes. The Wildcats will look to improve on an 11-16 record from last year, and all indications are that they will.  In fact, we expect them to be in the hunt for a state tournament appearance in Section 7AAA.

Winona is a team that you find ranked anywhere from No. 2 to unranked in the state, depending on where you look.  The Winhawks roster boasts enough talent to contend with the best teams in Class AAA, but will they put it together? They’ll be led by two Division 1 recruits in Danneka Voegeli and Eden Nibbelink. 

Prediction: Winona by 9

12:00 p.m. on East Court

Mountain Iron-Buhl vs Goodhue

This is the first of two match-ups between storied Class A programs. Mountain Iron-Buhl was dominant at our Summer Showcases, and the Rangers' backcourt is as good as it gets at the small school level with Mya Buffetta and Chelsea Mason.

Goodhue is led by 5’11” sophomore Sydney Lodermeier, who can do everyone from run the point, to play in the post. The Wildcats already have a couple of big wins against bigger schools and you can bet they will be treating this matchup like a state tournament game.

Prediction: Goodhue by 2

1:45 p.m. on East Court

Win-E-Mac vs Mankato Loyola

The last time these two teams met up, Win-E-Mac was en route to a Class A state championship. That game, even though it seems like an eternity ago, was a matchup of point guard play, with Madison McKeever outlasting Lindsey Theuninck.

Both those players are still there, and still dominating basketball in their areas of the state. Theuninck might have a little more firepower to go with her for Mankato Loyola, but make no mistake, this game will be won by whichever point guard performs better.

Prediction: Mankato Loyola by 6

3:15 p.m. on East Court

White Bear Lake vs Rochester John Marshall

White Bear Lake’s strength is inside with a pair of forwards, Brianna Karg and Jordan Ferrand. Alison Hinck is a solid point guard, who is just coming off an ACL reconstruction. One thing this team has going for it, is the Bears play harder than almost every team they play.

Rochester John Marshall is led by the No. 20 player in the country, Jamie Ruden, who is almost unstoppable on the offensive end. Flanking her is another 6’2” forward in Nicole Fautsch, who turned down several D1 basketball offers to head to Kentucky for track.

Prediction: Rochester John Marshall by 8

4:45 p.m. on East Court

Rochester Mayo vs. Minnetonka

Rochester Mayo has a point guard/center combo that most coaches can only dream about in Oliva Korngable and Anna Winter. The Spartans are coming off a season where they beat both Lakeville North and Rochester JM to earn another trip to the state tournament. This game will get them ready to make another run.

Minnetonka is arguably as loaded with talent as Hopkins. The Skippers' trio of D1 seniors (Courtney Fredrickson, Hannah Hedstrom, Lizzie Odegard) welcomes in one of the top sophomores in the country in Chrissy Carr, who transferred in from Eden Prairie.

Prediction: Minnetonka by 13

6:30 p.m. on East Court

Sauk Centre vs. Dover-Eyota

It’s always fun when you can play an early season game in a great environment, let alone when it’s a rematch of last year's state championship.  Sauk Centre will look to turn the tables on Dover-Eyota after a lopsided loss last year. The Mainstreeters' guard play is phenomenal, led by sophomores Kelsey Peschel and Maesyn Theisen.

Dover-Eyota will look to replace Brandi Blattner, who was a big part of what made its high-powered offense tick.  The team does bring back a powerful forward duo in Denver-bound Madison Nelson and Moorhead-bound Megan Hintz. It's not often one finds a pair as good at the small school level.

Prediction: Sauk Centre by 5

8:00 p.m. on East Court

Centennial vs Orono

The night ends with another intriguing matchup between two powerhouse programs in two different classes.  Centennial is extremely talented, but is fairly young, with a bulk of its talent in the freshman and sophomore classes in Claire Orth, Taylor McAulay, and the Stapleton sisters (Sydney and Sara).

Orono brings back an extremely experienced group that had a great year last year and have even bigger aspirations this year. Dolly Jorgenson, Megan Mandel, and Tori Andrew are a point guard, shooter, post trio that blend together to do just about anything you need done on the court.

Prediction: Orono by 2