Sports
PHOTOS: Benilde Knocks Off Undefeated Minnetonka Girls
Minnetonka's Skippers lead 26-19 at the half but couldn't stick with host Benilde-St. Margaret's in the second half and drop first game of the season.
Undefeated Minnetonka had things in hand at the half and still with nine minutes left to play, leading by seven.
But host Benilde-St. Margaret's went on a 17-4 tear in the middle of the second half and the Red Knights knocked off previously undefeated Minnetonka, ranked No. 3 in Class 4A, by a 55-48 count.
"That was a tough loss," said Minnetonka head coach Leah Dasovich. "A loss that we should have had as a win, to a good team, though. Not a game that you hang your head on. Maybe something that we needed to experience early in the season here."
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Minnetonka rolled into Tuesday’s game with six straight wins to start the season and had throttled Class 3A seventh-ranked New Prague 66-36 in its last game. BSM’s poise and experience proved to be the difference down the stretch.
"We talked about the things we need to get better at," said Dasovich. "We need to take care of ourselves and make layups and make free throws when we have those opportunities. But I think, overall, it wasn't a terrible game. We just let down at times."
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Minnetonka led 26-19 at the half and was still in command at 42-35 with 9:13 to play. But BSM roared back with eight straight points to take a 44-42 lead with 6:03 left. The Red Knights outscored 17-4 in a key eight minute span of the second half, eventually moving the lead to 52-46.
Minnetonka’s last best chance to climb back in the game ended when a close block/charge call went against the Skippers with 18 seconds left. A possible 3-point play would have made it a 1-point game. Instead, BSM’s Abby Minea went to the other end and sank two free throws to clinch the win.
Grace Coughlin led the Red Knights with 23 points. Josie Dillon had 9 points and Khadijah Shumpert added 8.
“They’re a good 4A team,” Dillon said of the Skippers. “We’ve got a few more (tough) games coming up. We’ve got Hill-Murray on Thursday and I think we needed that boost to know we can be the best we can be.”
Anne Hamilton and Kelly McKenzie had 13 each for Minnetonka.
BSM improved to 6-1 on the season, the team’s only loss a 1-point defeat to Eden Prairie, ranked No. 2 in Class 4A.
Minnetonka hosts Robbinsdale Armstrong (3-5) Thursday in a game starting at 7 p.m.
Benilde-St. Margaret’s hosts Hill-Murray (4-2), ranked No. 5 in Class 3A, Thursday in a game starting at 6 p.m.
