Totino Grace Upsets Becker

NSO – NEWS RELEASE

Becker girls’ basketball coach Dan Baird took a moment after Saturday’s Class 3A state tournament championship game to congratulate victorious Totino-Grace.

She was senior guard Hannah Herzig, whose monster first half set a 60-51 upset of defending champion Becker in motion.

Herzig scored 21 of her team’s first half total as No. 3 seed Totino-Grace (23-8) led 28-24 at the break. She finished Saturday’s game at Williams Arena with 31 points.

Dengerud said she never had the pleasure of watching a player carry a team the way Herzig did Saturday. To mangle a slogan made popular by a certain major credit card company, Herzig was everywhere Becker didn’t want her to be.

The 6-foot guard dribbled the ball up the court. She made two of three shots from the three-point arc. She swooped to the basket for reverse lay-ups. And she used her wingspan to clog passing lanes, grabbing four steals.

No. 1 seed Becker (25-5) got outrebounded 37-28 and turned the ball over 17 times. The Bulldogs couldn’t shoot their way back into contention, either. They finished 6-for-26 from the three-point line.

The Bulldogs had their 19-game winning streak snapped. Senior guard Adeline Kent led her team with 18 points. She and junior guard Ayla Brown spent time covering Herzig, without much success.

The Eagles’ student section serenaded Herzig with chants of “MVP” after the game, as players lined up to receive their medals. Totino-Grace, a private school located in Fridley, previously won a state title in 2008.