It seems like nothing can stop Adrian’s girls’ basketball team this season.

The Dragons are undefeated (15-0, 10-0) and ranked third in Class A. On Tuesday night, they defeated Red Rock Central 57-46 to claim sole possession of first place in the Red Rock Conference. They’re allowing just 50 points per game, and they’ve won just one game by fewer than 10 points.

One of the Dragons’ biggest challenges of the season might have come Thursday night, Jan. 22. But it had nothing to do with their game against Southwest Star Concept.

After Adrian’s 81-53 victory over the Quasars, the players changed clothes, packed their bags and boarded a bus that would take them back home from Okabena.

"Sam (Lynn) mentioned, when she got on the bus, ‘Coach, stop at McDonalds?’" Adrian coach Randy Strand said. "I said, ‘Yeah’ — I get a free meal out of the deal."

It wasn’t necessarily free.

While exiting off Interstate 90 and heading toward the McDonalds in Worthington, the Adrian coaches and players heard a loud bang.

"We’re getting off the exit and, all of a sudden, the bus makes a noise," said Lynn, a senior guard. "And it just stopped."

Adrian’s bus forfeited.

"We just pulled off the interstate, and (the bus) just quit," Strand said. "So we coasted down to the stop sign, down to the bottom by (Highway) 59, and it just wouldn’t start. (The engine) turned over, but it just wouldn’t start up."

The Dragons were stranded. But, with the restaurant so close, they were undeterred.

"I said, ‘Well, girls, should we hike it?’" Strand said, laughing. "They said, ‘Yeah, let’s go, Coach.’"

The players grabbed their gear, climbed off the bus and began trekking toward the Golden Arches.

"We decided to get off the bus, so we had to get all of our bags and everything," senior guard Erica Thier said, laughing. "We’re walking off the interstate exit, down the street, and everybody’s got their bags and water bottles. Then the Edgerton girls’ basketball team drives by us and waves."

The low temperature recorded in Worthington that night was 12 degrees, and it probably wasn’t much warmer during the Dragons’ journey.

"We had to walk a half mile," sophomore forward Karli Meyer said, laughing. "It was cold."

But fun?

"Fortunately, it wasn’t one of those 20-below nights," Strand said. "We took all of our gear with us because we didn’t know where the bus was going at that point. They were able to get it started later, but, in the meantime, we brought another bus over from Adrian.

"We enjoyed it."

It was an unusual way to end an already bizarre day.

"First of all, we get up (to Okabena) for a freshman game two hours early, and there isn’t one," Strand said. "But our girls didn’t bat an eye; they didn’t complain or anything. They grabbed their gear and went up and sat at the top of the bleachers; they just kind of hung around. Then we had the bus break down, so we had some real good quality time together."
 

The 2008-09 Pigskin Pick ‘em crew has come together one last time for the final game of the football season — the Super Bowl.

In what could be an epic battle between the Arizona Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Pick ‘em team will give their selection for the winner of the big game.

Below are the picks of the five-member panel which picked throughout this season.

Aaron Hagen: Cardinals

Kurt Warner brings a leadership that a young team like Arizona craves. People gave up on the Cardinals at the end of the regular season with four losses in their last six games, including ugly defeats at the hands of the Vikings and Patriots. However, with a win against Atlanta, a dominant performance at Carolina, and a last-minute win against Philadelphia, I have to go with the hottest team in the NFL.  Couple that with the fact that Arizona is the ultimate underdog, and they get my selection. Besides, Warner is from Iowa, and we Iowegians have to have something to cheer about.

Matt Huss: Steelers

I don’t believe in destiny.

The success of the Arizona Cardinals makes for a wonderful story. Nobody believed in them. Everybody counted them out. Etc. The same was said about the Tampa Bay Rays, who fell short in the World Series. If the Underdog Factor actually worked, the Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Cubs would have won championships by now.

In reality, after we analyze the matchup with our brains and not our hearts/emotions, it’s clear that Arizona will face its toughest challenge on Sunday. The Cardinals, who played in the worst division in the NFL, haven’t faced a defense like Pittsburgh’s all season.
The closest they came was against Philadelphia in the NFC Championship game, which Arizona won 32-25 after escaping from what could have been an historic collapse and another two weeks of highlights from Dennis Green’s infamous post-game news conference.

In the Divisional round of the playoffs, Arizona cruised to a 33-13 victory on the road over Carolina, which didn’t rank in the top 10 in any defensive statistical category. The Panthers were 16th vs. the pass, 20th vs. the run, 18th in total yards allowed and 12th in points allowed.

A week earlier, the host Cardinals defeated Atlanta 30-24 in the first round of the playoffs. The Falcons, also a "team of destiny that nobody believed in and everybody counted out," ranked in the top 20 in only one defensive statistical category. They were 21st vs. the pass, 25th vs. the run, 24th in total yards allowed and 11th in points allowed.

In their regular-season finale, the Cardinals crushed one of the worst teams in football, the Seattle Seahawks, 34-21. Seattle ranked last vs. the pass, 18th vs. the run, 30th in total defense and 25th in points per game.

Prior to the Seattle game, Arizona faced two top-10 defensive teams in consecutive weeks. The host New England Patriots crushed Arizona 47-7 in Week 16, and the visiting Minnesota Vikings left Arizona with a 35-14 victory.

If you don’t believe me, you can study the tapes of those two games.

The Steelers certainly will.

Pittsburgh also will be studying the tape of Arizona’s victory over Philadelphia, which ranked third vs. the pass, fourth vs. the run, third in total yards allowed and fourth in points allowed. Pittsburgh, the No. 1-ranked defense in football, has two weeks to study film and prepare for a one-dimensional team with an aging quarterback and a shaky offensive line that struggles outdoors on a grass field? I’ll take the Steelers, who also have the edge in Super Bowl experience.

Arizona quarterback Kurt Warner picked apart the Eagles’ defense vs. the blitz. But Philadelphia played a 4-3 and was forced to blitz because they couldn’t produce any pressure solely from their Front 4 – much like the Vikings before they signed Jared Allen. The Steelers play a 3-4, and thus can send/disguise/fake blitzes from players/positions/areas virtually impossible in a 4-3 scheme. And, even if the Steelers decide to drop back into coverage, does Warner still have the arm strength to fire passes past Troy Polamalu, who likely will be playing the role of QB spy/ball-hawk the entire game because of Arizona’s league-worst rushing offense? Pittsburgh also will be prepared for the trick plays that worked so well for the Cardinals in their victories over Atlanta and Philly.

The Bottom Line: I’ll always take defense over offense. Look what happened last year to the Patriots, the NFL’s top scoring team of all-time, against the defensive pressure applied by the New York Giants.

And do I even need to mention Minnesota’s loss to Atlanta in 1998? I think I do, because it’s the reason I no longer believe in destiny.

Steelers 30, Cardinals 23

Lucas Knutson: Steelers

 This is an interesting matchup. I never thought the Cardinals would be in this position, as I was pretty sure the Atlanta Falcons — another surprising team led by rookie quarterback Matt Ryan and running back phenom Michael Turner — would beat Arizona in the Wild Card round. Then, after the Cardinals defeated Atlanta, I was ABSOLUTELY positive Carolina would thump the up-start team from Arizona. But, the Cardinals turned the tables and embarrassed the Panthers in their own back yard. What a shocker that was.

I didn’t know what to expect in the NFC title game, but the awesome quarterback-wide receiver tandem (Kurt Warner and Larry Fitzgerald) helped spark the Cardinals to another upset victory over the Eagles….propelling them to their first Super Bowl appearance in franchise history.

It’s been an incredible run for Arizona…..BUT they haven’t played a team as good as Pittsburgh so far in 2009. Mike Tomlin’s club is as tough as they come, featuring a stellar defense and a clutch quarterback in Big Ben Roethlisberger. Arizona’s run ends…plain and simple.

Steelers 31, Cardinals 10.

Les Knutson: Cardinals

So this is Super Bowl weekend — more than two months after Prep Bowl and the finish of high school football. I am an old guy, so I remember the first two Super Bowls when the Green Bay Packers and the NFL dominated. I was a senior in high school when the New York Jets upset the Baltimore Colts and brought the AFL up to “snuff” with the older, established league.

Then, after the Kansas City Chiefs beat the Minnesota Vikings, in the first of four such losses for the Vikings in the ‘70s, the two leagues merged and the Super Bowl continued to become a bigger and bigger deal.

This year’s game is an interesting scenario. Pittsburgh is a veteran of many Super Bowls and the Steelers were one of several strong teams in the AFC that were considered candi-dates to advance to the “Big Show.” Certainly, the Steelers have tradition and a bruising defense as obvious advantages.

But those Arizona Cardinals — what a surprise! The Cardinals have already pulled off three upsets, beating Atlanta, Carolina and Philadelphia. Kurt Warner has been “there” before and won a Super Bowl with the St. Louis Rams — could it have been nine years ago??

Logic says, pick the Steelers. The extra week off has taken the “edge” off the Cardinals — so Pittsburgh’s experience and defense will prevail. But, this picker is going with Arizona!!!
The Cardinals appear to a team of destiny — like the ‘68 Jets or the ‘07 Giants — my prediction:

Arizona 27, Pittsburgh 21.
 

Ryan McGaughey: Cardinals

How many times has this team been counted out this season? First, many were saying the Cards didn’t belong in the playoffs – myself included. But three quality victories in a row has confidence soaring, and who’s to say the Steelers won’t be the next upset victim? The key, of course, will be how well Kurt Warner’s o-line will stand up to the Steel Curtain pass rush. To say Warner isn’t mobile is an understatement, but if given time he’s arguably the best passer in the game. With a reignited Edgerrin James complementing standout receivers Boldin and Fitzgerald, the offense could very well prove to be too much for even defensive genius Dick LeBeau to handle. And if the game does indeed turn into a shootout, advantage Arizona.

Editor’s note: Picks are for entertainment purposes only.

The new high school basketball polls came out Wednesday afternoon. The Worthington girls remain No. 2 in Class 3A, while Adrian holds fast at No. 3 in A.

A week after falling out of the top 10, the Worthington boys re-enter the polls at No. 7, followed by fellow Southwest Conference foe Marshall at No. 8.

Ellsworth is the lone area team ranked in Class A boys, as the Panthers currently hold a No. 7 ranking with a record of 10-2.

The Minnesota girls’ high school basketball rankings, as provided by Minnesota Basketball News, a statewide basketball publication. Records are through Tuesday.

Class 3A
1. Totino-Grace (17-0)
2. Worthington (14-0)
3. New Prague (12-4)
4. Minnehaha Academy (17-1)
5. Hill-Murray (11-4)
6. Orono (14-2)
7. Minneapolis North (9-5)
8. DeLaSalle (14-4)
9. Rogers (10-6)
10. Waconia (11-5)

Class 1A
1. Barnum (15-0)
2. Ada-Borup (15-1)
3. Adrian (15-0)
4. New Life Academy (12-3)
5. Brandon-Evansville (13-0)
6. Red Lake County Central (13-0)
7. Bigfork (14-1)
8. Parkers Prairie (14-2)
9. Cedar Mountain-Comfrey (16-1)
10. Grand Meadow (14-3)

The Minnesota boys’ high school basketball rankings, as provided by Minnesota Basketball News, a statewide basketball publication. Records are through Tuesday.

Class 3A

1. Mankato West (14-1)
2. St. Paul Johnson (12-3)
3. Minneapolis Washburn (9-4)
4. St. Cloud Apollo (14-2)
5. St. Thomas Academy (9-5)
6. Delano (11-1)
7. Worthington (12-2)
8. Marshall (12-5)
9. Willmar (11-4)
10. Spring Lake Park (12-3)

Class 1A
1. Granada-Huntley-East Chain (12-0)
2. Minnesota Transitions (12-2)
3. Chisholm (14-1)
4. Bethlehem Academy (13-2)
5. Bertha-Hewitt (14-0)
6. Spring Grove (12-1)
7. Ellsworth (10-2)
8. Park Christian (14-1)
9. Cedar Mountain-Comfrey (13-1)
10. Mankato Loyola (11-3)
 

Every Monday, Daily Globe sports reporter Matt Huss will hand out awards and highlight the best and the worst in prep sports from the past week. This is the first installment.

In a week that featured some shocking upsets, record-breaking performances and late-game heroics, two left-handed sharp-shooters from Adrian take home awards for Best Individual Performance by basketball players. Interestingly, both players turned in career nights while playing on the road.

TOP INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCES:

Boys’ Basketball:

Brian Tjepkes, Adrian: The senior guard scored 40 points – a single-game program record – on Friday to lead the Dragons to a 66-54 road victory over Southwest Star Concept.

The left-hander made eight 3-pointers, five 2-point baskets and went 6-for-7 from the free-throw line to lead Adrian to its sixth consecutive victory.

With the Quasars leading 47-46 with nine minutes remaining in the game, Tejpkes answered with one of the rarest plays in basketball.

Just minutes after he hit back-to-back 3-pointers, Tjepkes went up for another long-distance shot. He made the trey, of course, but was fouled at the same time. He swished the free throw to convert the four-point play, and and he drilled another 3-pointer on Adrian’s next possession.

SSC clawed back, pulling to within one point (53-52), but Tjepkes made a free throw and, minutes later, drilled a 12-footer in transition to push Adrian’s lead to four points.

SSC cut the deficit to six with 2:12 remaining, but Tjepkes hit a 12-foot leaner in the lane to essentially seal Adrian’s victory.

Tjepkes, who scored 22 points in the second half, added six rebounds, four blocks and three assists.

HONORABLE MENTION:

Codi Gunnink, Edgerton: The junior forward had 28 points, 16 rebounds and four blocks Tuesday to lead the Flying Dutchmen to a 63-60 upset victory over Westbrook-Walnut Grove, which entered the game undefeated (10-0, 5-0) and ranked No. 6 in Class A. Gunnink had eight offensive rebounds in the first half.

Halden Van Wyhe and Andrew Scholten, Hills-Beaver Creek: Van Wyhe scored 29 points, and Scholten had 28 points Tuesday to lead the Patriots in a 78-57 victory over Southwest Christian. Together, the two combined to equal the Eagles’ point total. Van Wyhe, a senior guard, added six rebounds and three assists. Scholten, a junior center, had six rebounds.

Jace Jarmer, Westbrook-Walnut Grove: The senior forward had 19 points, six blocks and a career-high 25 rebounds Friday to lead the Chargers in a 77-69 victory over visiting Fulda.

Girls’ Basketball:

Erica Thier, Adrian: The junior guard scored a career-high 34 points on the road Monday in Adrian’s 82-57 victory over Windom.

The left-hander went 13-for-20 shooting, including 6-for-8 from beyond the arc. She scored 15 first-half points before exploding for 15 points in the first 6:43 of the second half.

Thier went 7-for-9 shooting, including 4-for-4 from 3-point range, in the second half before leaving the game with 6:16 remaining. She did not return. Her performance helped the Dragons remain undefeated (12-0) and snapped Windom’s five-game winning streak.

HONORABLE MENTION:

Thea Engen, Red Rock Central: The senior forward had 24 points, 23 rebounds, six assists and four steals Saturday to lead the Falcons in a 70-55 victory over Ellsworth.

Brooke Burmeister, Jackson County Central: The senior forward had 26 points, 14 rebounds, six steals and three assists Friday to lead the Huskies in a 76-61 victory over visiting Luverne.

Wrestling:

Tony Thier, Worthington: The senior went 4-0 Saturday at the Luverne Team Tournament, leading the Trojans to a second-place finish. Thier, who wrestles at 152 pounds, won three matches via decision and pinned an opponent in less than a minute.

HONORABLE MENTION:

Billy Hochstein, Windom/Mountain Lake/Butterfield-Odin: The junior went 3-0 Monday at the Annandale Invitational to lead the Cobras, who won two of three matches. Wrestling at 145 pounds, Hochstein won a major decision, recorded a technical fall in 5:37 and pinned an opponent in 4:26.

Boys’ Hockey:

Phil Paquette, Luverne: The senior forward had three goals and two assists Thursday to lead the Cardinals to an 8-0 victory over Sleepy Eye.

HONORABLE MENTION:

Tyler Obermoller, Worthington: The senior forward scored two goals Tuesday in the Trojans’ 5-4 overtime loss to Redwood Valley.

Girls’ Hockey:

Brooklyn Drahota, Windom Area: The junior goaltender made 72 saves Saturday in the Eagles’ 4-0 loss to visiting Dodge County.

HONORABLE MENTION:

Sara Luhmann, Windom Area: The senior center scored three goals Thursday to lead the Eagles to a 6-4 road victory over Luverne. With the victory, Windom Area clinched the Southwest Conference title.

BEST GAME:

Adrian 66, Southwest Star Concept 54 (Boys’ Basketball): In a game that was much closer than the final score indicates, the Dragons needed every one of Brian Tjepkes’ single-game program record 40 points to defeat the Quasars.

Many Adrian fans made the trip to Okabena, making for a playoff-like atmosphere in the SSC High School Gymnasium.

SSC’s Ben Scheevel went toe-to-toe with Tjepkes, scoring 15 of his team-high 23 points in the first half. The 6-foot-4 senior guard was all over the court, nailing long-rang 3-pointers, driving to the hoop with reckless abandon, playing intense man-to-man defense, delivering devastating blocks and igniting the crowd (both sides, different reactions) with his passionate displays of emotion.

Behind Scheevel, the Quasars led for much of the first half and held advantages on more than a few occasions in the second half. But Tjepkes stole the show, and the Dragons stole the victory.

HONORABLE MENTION:

Redwood Valley 5, Worthington 4 (OT) (Boys’ Hockey): With the Trojans clinging to a one-goal lead late in the third period, Redwood Valley was awarded a penalty shot after Worthington’s Mitch Benson used his hand to throw the puck out of the crease. The Cardinals converted on the penalty shot and scored the winner with 14 seconds remaining in overtime to hand Worthington its sixth consecutive loss.

Harris-Lake Park 53, Armstrong-Ringsted 52 (Boys’ Basketball): The Wolves opened the game on a 30-11 run but had to fend off a furious A-R rally to earn a one-point victory. A-R’s 22-3 late-game run fell just short. Jacob Newbrough (16), Justin Murphy (15) and Luke Bosma (10) combined to score 41 points for H-LP.

UPSET SPECIAL:

Edgerton 63, Westbrook-Walnut Grove 60 (Boys’ Basketball): Codi Gunnink had 28 points, 16 rebounds and four blocks to lead Edgerton past Westbrook-Walnut Grove, which then was undefeated (10-0, 5-0) and ranked sixth in Class A.

W-WG, which trailed by two points at halftime, opened up a four-point lead with 12 minutes remaining, but Edgerton stormed back and took a 51-42 lead late in the game. The Chargers answered with a 7-0 run to pull to within two points, but Edgerton pulled away.
Alex Heard scored 13 points, and Alex Van’t Hof had 10 for the Flying Dutchmen. Pat Kleinjan added six rebounds and four steals, and Chace Hulstein added nine rebounds.

Mason Comnick scored 28 points, including 18 in the second half, and had a 3-pointer at the final buzzer to lead W-WG.

HONORABLE MENTION:

Redwood Valley 57, Pipestone Area 56 (Girls’ Basketball): The Cardinals rallied from an eight-point deficit at halftime to defeat the Arrows for the first time in more than five years.

LATE-GAME HERO:

Jake Holt, Windom Area boys’ basketball: The freshman forward made a driving layup with 14 seconds remaining Saturday to give the Eagles a 47-46 victory over Montevideo (9-3). Holt finished with 23 points and six rebounds for Windom, which overcame a nine-point halftime deficit.

STATISTICAL SPOTLIGHT:

0 – Pins Tuesday for Adrian’s wrestling team, which still defeated Wabasso 36-21.

1 — Southwest Conference championship in the history of Windom Area girls’ hockey. The Eagles clinched the conference title Thursday with a 6-4 victory over Luverne.

1 – Field goal made in the second half by Mountain Lake/Butterfield-Odin’s boys’ basketball team in a 79-19 loss to host Adrian on Tuesday. The Wolverines were 1-for-16 shooting (6.2 percent) from the field.

2 – Rank of Worthington’s girls’ basketball team in Class AAA.**

2 – Wrestlers who finished with 4-0 records to lead Worthington to a second-place finish Saturday at the Luverne Team Tournament. Tony Thier (152 pounds) and Jordan Schroeder (Hwt.) were perfect on the day.

2 – Worthington wrestlers ranked in the top 10 in their respective weight classes in Class AA. Jordan Schroeder (Hwt.) ranks fourth, and Tony Thier (152) ranks eighth.*

2 – Tracy-Milroy-Balaton wrestlers ranked in the top 10 in their respective weight classes in Class AA. Luke Prairie (140 pounds) ranks fourth, Erik Cooreman (130) ranks ninth, and Zach Campbell (125) ranks 10th.*

2 – Adrian wrestlers ranked in the top 10 in their respective weight classes in Class AA. Shea Klooster (189 pounds) ranks sixth, and Nate Lynn (103) ranks 10th.*

3 – Fulda/Murray County Central wrestlers ranked in the top 10 in their respective weight classes in Class AA. Justin Reinsma (135 pounds) ranks second, Andy Henning (160) ranks fourth, and Elissa Reinsma (103) ranks ninth.*

4 – Windom/Mountain Lake/Butterfield-Odin wrestlers who went 3-0 at a tournament in Annandale on Monday. Sam Fischenich, Billy Hochstein, Mason Anderson and Vance Blomgren each were perfect for the Cobras.

4 – Free throws attempted Monday by Windom’s girls’ basketball team in an 82-57 loss to visiting Adrian. The Eagles made just one.

4 – Players who scored in double figures to lead George-Little Rock’s girls’ basketball team to a 72-45 victory Monday over Ellsworth. Brooke Kruse had a game-high 16 points, Shelby Nagel added 14, and Patrice Peters and Kelli Starr each had 12.

4 – Jackson County Central wrestlers ranked in the top 10 in their respective weight classes in Class A. Bronson Steuber (119 pounds) ranks second, Taylor Menke (130) ranks fifth, Cooper Moore (145) ranks sixth, and Darick Vancura (112) ranks seventh.*

4 – Second-half points for Round Lake-Brewster’s boys’ basketball team in a 67-21 loss to Ellsworth on Saturday.

5 – Worthington girls’ basketball players who scored in double digits in the Trojans’ 75-56 victory over Luverne on Tuesday.

5 — Worthington boys’ basketball players who scored in double digits in the Trojans’ 79-59 victory over Windom on Thursday.

5 – Points scored in the second half by Mountain Lake/Butterfield-Odin’s boys’ basketball team in a 79-19 loss to host Adrian on Tuesday.

5 – Windom Area/Mountain Lake/Butterfield-Odin wrestlers ranked in the top 10 in their respective weight classes in Class AA. Billy Hochstein (140 pounds) ranks third, Spencer Johnson (171) ranks sixth, and Drake Borsgard (112), Josh Falk (130) and Sam Fischenich (135) each rank seventh.*

6 – Rank of Red Rock Central/Westbrook-Walnut Grove wrestler Ryan Schroepfer at 103 pounds in Class A.*

6 – Consecutive offensive possessions with a basket Tuesday night for Worthington’s girls’ basketball team, leading to an early 13-0 lead, in a 75-56 victory over Luverne.

7 – First-half points scored by Edgerton’s girls’ basketball team in a 60-32 loss to Murray County Central on Saturday.

7 – Rank of Ellsworth’s boys’ basketball team in Class A.**

8 – Points scored in the second half by Edgerton’s boys’ basketball team in a 66-30 loss to Hills-Beaver Creek on Friday.

10 – Players who scored in the Worthington boys’ basketball team’s 82-50 victory Tuesday over New Ulm. Travis Meinders made six 3-pointers and scored a team-high 26 points for the Trojans.

10 – Rank of Pipestone Area’s girls’ basketball team in Class AA.**

10 – Goals scored by Luverne’s girls’ hockey team in a 10-1 victory over Redwood Valley on Saturday.

11 – Rank of Adrian’s wrestling team in Class AA.*

12 – Rank of Jackson County Central’s wrestling team in Class A.*

14 – Seconds remaining when Jake Holt made a driving layup to give Windom Area’s boys’ basketball team a 47-46 victory over Montevideo on Saturday. Holt finished with 23 points and six rebounds.

16 – First-half points for Red Rock Central in a 78-44 loss to Westbrook-Walnut Grove on Monday.

19, 15 – Points and rebounds for Jace Jarmer, who led Westbrook-Walnut Grove’s boys’ basketball team to a 78-44 victory over Red Rock Central on Monday.

19 – Points scored Tuesday by Mountain Lake/Butterfield-Odin’s boys’ basketball team in a 79-19 loss to host Adrian.

20 – Percent shooting from the free-throw line for Southwest Star Concept’s boys’ basketball team in a 67-41 loss to Ellsworth on Tuesday. The Quasars went 4-for-20.

21 – First-half points Tuesday night for Kylie Erickson, who led Westbrook-Walnut Grove’s girls’ basketball team in a 74-36 victory over Lincoln HI. Erickson, who made 5 of 7 shots from 3-point range, went scoreless in the second half.

22 – Assists – a career-high – for Mike Vorwald to lead Worthington’s boys’ basketball team in an 82-50 victory over New Ulm on Saturday.

23 – Rebounds for Thea Engen to lead Red Rock Central’s girls’ basketball team in a 70-55 victory over Ellsworth on Saturday. Engen added 24 points, six assists and four steals.

25 – Rebounds – a career-high – for Jace Jarmer, who led Westbrook-Walnut Grove’s boys’ basketball team in a 77-69 victory over Fulda on Friday. Jarmer also added 19 points and six blocks.

27, 8, 8 – Points, rebounds and steals for Tom Nolte, who led Ellsworth’s boys’ basketball team to a 66-44 victory over George-Little Rock on Monday.

29.2 – Percent shooting (12-for-41) from the field for Edgerton’s boys’ basketball team in a 66-30 loss to Hills-Beaver Creek on Friday.

33 – Shots on goal – a season-high – on Tuesday for Worthington’s girls’ hockey team in a 5-1 loss to Redwood Valley. It was the first time the Trojans outshot an opponent this season. They allowed 29 shots on goal.

34 – Points – a career-high – scored by Erica Thier, who led Adrian’s girls’ basketball team to an 82-57 victory Monday over Windom. Thier went 13-for-20 shooting, including 6-of-8 from beyond the arc.

40 – Consecutive Red Rock Conference victories for Ellsworth’s boys’ basketball team after defeating Round Lake-Brewster 67-21 on Saturday.

40 – Points scored – a single-game program record– by Brian Tjepkes, who led Adrian’s boys’ basketball team in a 66-54 victory over Southwest Star Concept on Friday. Tjepkes, who scored 22 points in the second half, hit eight 3-pointers, five two-point baskets and 6 of 7 free throws.

60 – Percent shooting (31-for-47) from the field Tuesday for Hills-Beaver Creek’s boys’ basketball team in a 78-57 victory over Southwest Christian.

72 – Saves made by Brooklyn Drahota in the Windom Area girls’ hockey team’s 4-0 loss to Dodge County on Saturday.

1,220 – Career points scored by Brooke Burmeister, an all-time program record for Jackson County Central’s girls’ basketball team. Burmeister reached the milestone Tuesday night after scoring 20 points in an 84-70 victory over Redwood Valley. The senior forward also added 12 rebounds.

* As of Jan. 16. Rankings via The Guillotine.
** As of Jan. 22. Rankings via The Associated Press.
 

In the latest polls released today, the Worthington girls’ basketball team remains No. 2 in Class 3A. Pipestone Area is No. 10 in Class 2A, while Adrian is No. 3 in Class A.

Ellsworth (No. 7 in Class A) remains the lone area team ranked in the boys’ poll.

Worthington, which lost to Redwood Valley Jan. 16, and Westbrook-Walnut Grove, which suffered a loss to Edgerton this week, each dropped out of the top 10.

The Minnesota girls’ high school basketball rankings, as provided by Minnesota Basketball News, a statewide basket-ball publication. Records are through Tuesday.
Class 4A
1. Minneapolis South (16-2)
2. Hopkins (16-1)
3. Centennial (13-2)
4. Armstrong (12-2)
5. Chaska (12-3)
6. Lakeville North (11-5)
7. Richfield (12-2)
8. Eastview (10-5)
9. Bloomington Kennedy (12-3)
10. Osseo (11-3)
Class 3A
1. New Prague (11-3)
2. Worthington (13-0)
3. Totino-Grace (15-0)
4. Hill-Murray (10-3)
5. Minnehaha Academy (14-1)
6. Orono (12-2)
7. St. Michael-Albertville (11-4)
8. Minneapolis North (8-5)
9. Grand Rapids (10-4)
10. DeLaSalle (12-4)
Class 2A
1. Jordan (12-2)
2. New London-Spicer (14-0)
3. East Grand Forks (14-1)
4. Caledonia (15-0)
5. Eden Valley-Watkins (14-1)
6. Winona Cotter (14-0)
7. New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva (14-0)
8. Rochester Lourdes (12-2)
9. Minneapolis Roosevelt (11-6)
10. Pipestone Area (11-1)
Class 1A
1. Barnum (13-0)
2. Ada-Borup (14-1)
3. Adrian (12-0)
4. New Life Academy (11-3)
5. Brandon-Evansville (12-0)
6. Red Lake County Central (11-0)
7. Bigfork (11-1)
8. Parkers Prairie (12-1)
9. Cedar Mountain-Comfrey (14-0)
10. Wabasso (12-2)

The Minnesota boys’ high school basketball rankings, as provided by Minnesota Basketball News, a statewide basket-ball publication. Records are through Tuesday.
Class 4A
1. Hopkins (12-0)
2. Henry Sibley (11-2)
3. Robbinsdale Cooper (11-0)
4. St. Cloud Tech (9-0)
5. Osseo (12-1)
6. Eden Prairie (11-3)
7. Edina (11-1)
8. Wayzata (10-2)
9. Tartan (9-3)
10. St. Paul Central (8-3)
Class 3A
1. Mankato West (11-1)
2. St. Paul Johnson (10-3)
3. Minneapolis Washburn (7-4)
4. St. Cloud Apollo (12-2)
5. Willmar (9-3)
6. Minneapolis Henry (8-6)
7. St. Thomas Academy (7-5)
8. Delano (10-1)
9. Grand Rapids (9-1)
10. Monticello (8-3)
Class 2A
1. St. Bernards (10-1)
2. Pelican Rapids (12-0)
3. Plainview/Elgin-Millville (12-0)
4. Braham (13-0)
5. Minnehaha Academy (11-1)
6. Redwood Valley (9-1)
7. Virginia (11-1)
8. MACCRAY (10-0)
9. Sibley East (9-1)
10. Minnesota Valley Lutheran (12-1)
Class 1A
1. Granada-Huntley-East Chain (10-0)
2. Minnesota Transitions (10-2)
3. Chisholm (12-1)
4. Bethlehem Academy (11-1)
5. Bertha-Hewitt (11-0)
6. Spring Grove (10-1)
7. Ellsworth (9-2)
8. Park Christian (12-1)
9. Norman County East (11-1)
10. Cedar Mountain-Comfrey (12-1)

Adrian girls’ basketball coach Randy Strand said Erica Thier had “that look in her eye” Monday night.

Thier exuded a sense of focus and confidence that the greatest shooters have and the not-so-great would kill for. On Monday night, in the Dragons’ 82-57 road victory over Windom, Thier had the look of a player who was in “the zone.”

She had the stats, too.

The senior guard scored a career-high 34 points to help Adrian stay undefeated and snap Windom’s five-game winning streak.

Thier’s previous career high was 31 – a total just as impressive if one takes into consideration how difficult the 30-point plateau is to reach on the prep level.

In high school girls’ basketball, there is no shot clock. And each half is just 18 minutes; thus, if a player was to play an entire game without leaving, she’d have to average just slightly less than a point per minute to reach 34 points.

On Monday night, Thier didn’t play more than 26 minutes. So, how did she do it?

Here’s a look at Thier’s game summary from Monday night:

FIRST HALF

17:30 – Fouled on drive; makes 1 of 2 free throws (Adrian 3-0, 1 point)

12:45 – Misses 3-pointer

12:18 – 3-pointer from the right corner off an inbound play from underneath Windom’s basket (Adrian 15-11, 4 points)

10:19 – 3-pointer from the left corner off an inbound play from underneath Windom’s basket (Adrian 22-13, 7 points)

7:30 – Layup after a Windom turnover (Adrian 26-17, 9 points)

7:05 – Misses 3-pointer

6:20 – Misses jumper

3:55 – Misses short jumper

3:53 – Pulls down rebound off own miss and fouled while going up for the putback; makes 1 of 2 free throws (Adrian 32-22, 10 points)

3:11 – 3-pointer that rattles around the rim before falling through (Adrian 35-24, 13 points)

2:50 – Misses deep 3-pointer from the right wing

0:55 – Misses 3-pointer

0:44 – Easy layup under the basket on an assist from Sam Lynn, who recorded a steal near midcourt (Adrian 41-27, 15 points)

HALFTIME STATISTICS: 5-for-11 from the field (45.4 percent); 3-for-7 from beyond the arc 42.8 percent); 2-for-4 from the free-throw line (50 percent); 15 points.

SECOND HALF

16:45 – Misses jumper

16:08 – 3-pointer from right wing Adrian (Adrian 47-34, 18 points)

15:04 — 3-pointer from right wing on a kick-out from the post by Mary Loosbrock (Adrian 50-34, 21 points)

14:41– Layup attempt blocked out of bounds

14:34 – Drives to left down baseline and finishes with a finger-roll layup (Adrian 52-34, 23 points)

12:03 – 3-pointer from the right corner (Adrian 57-36, 26 points)

11:34 – Fouled on a drive; makes 2 of 2 free throws (Adrian 59-38, 28 points)

11:17 – Easy layup on an assist from Sam Lynn (Adrian 61-38, 30 points)

6:53 – Easy layup on an assist from Sam Lynn, who recorded a steal near midcourt (Adrian 74-42, 32 points)

6:34 – Records a steal near midcourt and races the other way for an easy layup (Adrian 76-42, 34 points)

6:16 – Leaves game and does not return

SECOND-HALF STATISTICS: 7-for-9 from the field (77.7 percent); 3-for-3 from beyond the arc (100 percent); 2-for-2 from the free-throw line (100 percent); 19 points.
 

FINAL STATISTICS: 12-for-20 from the field (60 percent); 6-for-10 from beyond the arc (60 percent); 4-for-6 from the free-throw line (66.6 percent); 34 points.

Obviously, Thier was on fire. But she had help.

Sam Lynn was phenomenal. The senior guard didn’t have fantastic stats – she finished with seven points on 3-of-9 shooting – but she quickly realized that Thier was in the zone and, like good point guards do, was determined to feed her the rock. Lynn also recorded a number of steals, leading to odd-player breaks that helped Thier get easy layups.

Thier’s other teammates helped her in much the same way. Their aggressive defense forced turnovers, leading to easy baskets, and they wisely realized who had the hot hand – many of them deferred to Thier and/or looked to get her the ball.

But, of course, the majority of the credit belongs to Thier.

Windom spent nearly the entire game in a man-to-man defense, and Thier attempted and hit many of her 3-pointers with a hand in her face. It was just one of those nights when defense didn’t matter, when Thier probably would have connected on 6 of 10 shots from midcourt, when a great offensive talent simply was “in the zone” and had a look in her eye that comforted teammates and intimidated opponents.