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Sports

(PHOTOS) Top-Ranked Hopkins Falls to Red Knights

Host and Class 3A leader Benilde-St. Margaret's ends a 20-game winning streak by the Royals in a 76-71 thriller Friday

In a battle of two No. 1s, Class 3A leader Benilde-St. Margaret's had just enough to stop , ranked first in Class 4A.

The Red Knights used tough defense, fearless offense, clutch shooting and poise down the stretch to knock off three-time defending Class 4A state champion Hopkins in a boys basketball thriller Friday night, winning at home 76-71.

It was the first loss of the season for the Royals and the first defeat since a loss to Eden Prairie on Feb. 1 of last season.

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"I thought it was a hard-fought game," said Hopkins coach Ken Novak, Jr. "It was a fun atmosphere because it was very intense both ways. People battled. I thought we executed poorly offensively and defensively. I think both teams a little bit just kind of played hard and went after it. We've got a lot of learning and a lot of work to do."

Led by a experienced, savvy group of seniors, the Red Knights raced off to a fast start, led 43-31 at the break and then held off a determined Hopkins charge in the final minutes.

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The Royals whittled into BSM’s lead little by little in the second half, eventually taking three-one-point leads in the game’s final seven minutes. But the Red Knights refused to crack under the pressure, and each time Hopkins gained a lead, they took it back.

Hopkins senior Siyani Chambers made two free throws with 45 seconds left to pull the Royals to within 72-71. But the Red Knights proved they could make clutch free throws as well.

Benilde-St. Margaret’s Isaiah Zierden made two free throws with 14 seconds left to give the Red Knights a 74-71 lead. Hopkins missed at the other end and Will Dunn sank two more free throws with three seconds left for the final margin.

Sanjay Lumpkin scored 22 points to lead a balanced BSM offense, followed closely by Zierden’s 20, Dunn’s 17 and Isaiah Gray’s 13.

“I was happy with our defense and I was happy with how we answered them coming back,” said BSM head coach John Moore. “They came back from 12 or 13 at half and went up by one and we kept our poise and came down and executed.

Melvin Martin had 22 for the Royals, Siyani Chambers 17 and Nicholas Jorgensen nine.

Jorgensen said the Royals didn't get after it on defense as much as they needed to Friday against a fired-up BSM team.

"Honestly we weren't upping our guys and it cost us with the back doors that they did a lot," said Jorgensen. "And we let them just pass the ball.

"I don't think we came in overconfident," Jordensen added. "We just didn't execute what we should have, what we needed to."

Almost all the pre-game hype favored top-ranked Hopkins.

The defending Class 4A state champion Royals were 4-0 this season, having bested their first four opponents by an average of 37 points. Included in that season-opening run were a 102-67 stomping of Braham, ranked No. 3 in Class 2A and a 74-45 win over Cretin-Derham Hall, ranked No. 4 in Class 4A.

The Royals came in carrying a 20-game winning streak, not having lost since Feb. 1 of last year. Hopkins had also pounded Benilde-St. Margaret’s 99-65 in the fourth game of last season.

But any thoughts BSM would roll over and play dead in front of the Royals vanished quickly during an 8-0 opening run by the Red Knights Friday.

Hopkins came back to close to 20-17 with 6:04 to play in the first half, but BSM reasserted itself and pulled away to 11-point lead at the half.

Benilde-St. Margaret’s (3-1) hosts Minnetonka (5-0), ranked No. 9 in Class 4A, Tuesday at 7:45 p.m.

Hopkins (4-1) hosts Lakeville South (2-2) Tuesday in a game starting at 7 p.m.

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