The Winona Winhawks defeated the Becker Bulldogs in a defensive minded 37-33 game Thursday at Williams Arena on the University of Minnesota campus.

The Faribault Falcons handed Winona one of their six losses during the regular season (62-55).

The Winhawks also fell to Rochester Mayo twice (a state-ranked Class 4A team), Rochester Century (another 4A team) and Northfield (state-ranked in 3A).

The Bulldogs suffered their 10th loss of the season after upsetting No. 3 seed St. Paul Como Park in the opening state tournament game 62-57.

The difference in the game was free throw shooting. Winona was 7 of 13 and Becker 1 for 1 at the charity stripe. Both teams had 13 total field goals in the game and Becker had six three pointers and Winona four.

Each team was credited with three assists and Becker outrebounded the Winhawks 36-28.

My favorite Winhawk is 6-foot-2 junior Eden Nibbelink and, while she did not shoot very well in The Barn, she was the only player to collect double-digit points, with 11, and added seven rebounds in 32 minutes.

Nibbelink plays guard and is very good handling the basketball. Her size obviously poses a matchup nightmare for opponents.

Five-foot-11 senior Hallee Hoeppner had nine points and five rebounds while playing every second of the game for the Winhawks, and 6-foot-2 junior center Danneka Voegeli collected six points and eight rebounds in 26 minutes.

The 25-6 Winona team will play Academy of Holy Angels in the Championship game Saturday at 6PM. The Stars are 24-5 after their 55-42 semifinal victory over Thief River Falls.

Academy of Holy Angels in Richfield has five losses on the season. They lost three of their first four games to Totino-Grace, Hutchinson and Minnehaha Academy of Minneapolis. Their other losses were to Kasson-Mantorville and Cretin-Derham Hall of St. Paul.

Winona is the No. 2 seed in the tournament and was ranked No. 5 in the final Minnesota Basketball News coaches poll in Class 3A.

Holy Angels received the No. 5 seed and was ranked No. 6 in the state.

In Class 4A, the No. 1 rated and seed Hopkins Royals cruised by Eastview 85-67 and the No. 3 seed and No. 4 ranked Minnetonka Skippers defeated White Bear Lake Area 75-50.

The Royals have two losses this season and one of them was to Minnetonka.

Hopkins is looking for their second straight state championship and seventh overall. If they accomplish that goal, all of their titles would have come over the past 12 seasons and they would capture five of the past six titles.

Minnetonka has four losses this season: Hopkins, Rochester Mayo, Eastview and St. Michael-Albertville. The Skippers are in just their second tournament and have never won the title.

Tip-off is scheduled for 8PM in Williams Arena on Saturday.

Minnesota Girls Basketball Tournament Program Cover Courtesy of MSHSL
Minnesota Girls Basketball Tournament Program Cover Courtesy of MSHSL
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