Hopkins is Back On Top

The Hopkins Royals boys basketball team used a 15-0 run midway through the second half to surpass Lakeville North and win the Class 4A boys basketball championship.

The game was tied at 23 in a terrific first half.

The Panthers took a 42-37 lead with 9:15 to go in the game and then Hopkins got back to back-to-back turnovers and cashed them in for points to tie the game at 42 with 7:20 to go.

They would eventually have a 52-42 lead with 4:13 to go.

Lakeville North did get to within four points with 1:10 to go but Hopkins senior Vinnie Sahid sealed the deal with free throws and a steal down the stretch in the 64-55 win.

Six-foot-8 senior and future Gopher Amir Coffey usually looks to facilitate, but in this game he repeatedly took the ball to the basket and finished with 19 points, six rebounds and three assists and never came out of the game.

Shahid finished with 13 points and senior Xavier Johnson had 10 points.

Lakeville North 6-foot-10 junior Nathan Reuvers came into the game averaging about eight boards per contest,= but Hopkins did a masterful job boxing him out. Reuvers finished with just two rebounds to go with his 16 points in 34 minutes.

Senior super sub Nick Fossey finished with 11 points, eight rebounds and four assists off the bench.

Clearly turnovers were the difference, with Lakeville North finishing with 17 and Hopkins six, and Hopkins scored 23 points off those turnovers compared to ninie points for the Panthers. Hopkins also had a 42-18 advantage in the paint.

After the game, Lakeville North head coach John Oxton told reporters the Royals are a "Proud program, just like we are."

Lakeville North defeated Hopkins in a buzzer-beater game two seasons ago and Hopkins head coach Ken Novak Jr. told reporters, "We should have won that game."

If the Gophers can keep Coffey healthy, they will be very happy. He's very long and athletic.

For Lakeville North, Nathan Reuvers, Nick Fossey and Carter Brooks were named to the All-Tournament team. For Hopkins, Amir Coffey was joined by Vinnie Shahid and Xavier Johnson.

Apple Valley won the third-place game over Osseo 93-82 and landed three guys on the All-Tournament team also: Tre Jones, Gary Trent Jr. and Cameron Kirksey. Osseo's Allan Anderson was the other selectee.