Hopkins Wins AAAA Championship

NSO – NEWS RELEASE

It had been the thorn in the side of Hopkins for an entire year and was easily their biggest motivating factor.

One year after an unexpected loss in the Class 4A semifinals ended a state record-tying 78-game winning streak, the Royals rid themselves of the sour taste that loss left in their collective mouths with a 72-56 victory over St. Michael-Albertville in the Class 4A championship game.

It’s the eighth state title for Hopkins, which won it all in 2019. All have come since 2003.

St. Michael-Albertville came out firing, taking a 7-1 lead on a pair drives into the lane by Ja’Kahla Craft and a three-pointer by

Tessa Johnson, but that was as good as it would get for the Knights.

As they had during all three tournament games, the Royals turned to the one player on their starting five who hasn’t made a high Division I college commitment, guard Liv McGill, to ignite their offense.

McGill scored eight points, including back-to-back three pointers, in an 11-0 run that turned that deficit into a 12-7 Royals advantage. McGill finished with a team-leading 25 points on 11-for-13 shooting.

Hopkins (26-1) had defeated their Lake Conference rivals twice already during the season, but Starks was determined not to let their past success enter into her team’s thinking.

St. Michael-Albertville coach Kent Hamre said nothing about the result surprised him.

Junior Taylor Woodson added 16 points and Nunu Agara had 11 for Hopkins.

Johnson led St. Michael-Albertville (23-8) with 18 points.