Sports

PHOTOS: Hopkins Girls Advance to State Basketball Final

The Royals beat Osseo 72-50.

The Hopkins girls will once again be playing for a state basketball championship.

The No. 1-ranked Royals advanced to the state tournament class AAAA final by beating No. 4 Osseo 72-50.

Missed shots by the Royals allowed Osseo to keep it close through most of the first period. The normally reliable Nia Coffey scored just seven points—hitting two for 12 from the court, including zero for two three pointers. Erin O'Toole, on the other hand, sank 12 points total to beat her 10 points per game average.

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Nonetheless, Hopkins pulled ahead to 31-25 in the last five minutes of the first half by the half.  From there, the Royals ran away with it.

Hopkins scored 41 points in the second half. The Royals’ shooting percentage climbed from 33 percent in the first half to 43 percent by the end of the game—at one point leading by 31 points. Coffey finished as the game’s point leader, closing out with 20 points.

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O’Toole finished the game with 16 points, and Nia Hollie finished with 13.

The Royals were particularly tough on defense. They forced Osseo into 27 turnovers.

The Royals will play for the championship at 8 p.m. Saturday at the Target Center.


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