The Minneapolis DeLasalle Islanders are a perennial power in Class AAA and the Kenyon-Wanamingo Knights competed well before losing 72-58.

Junior Knights guard Mara Quam was chosen for the All-Tournament team at the Pat Paterson Thanksgiving Invitational Tournament at Hamline University. She posted 32 points Saturday and 24 points Friday in the K-W 61-54 loss to Stillwater. Stillwater is a Class AAAA school. The Knights are Class AA.

Kenyon-Wanamingo fell behind 44-35 at the break and I remember saying during our broadcast that Knight head coach Brent Lurken wouldn't be happy with his team giving up 44 points in a half.

Minneapolis DeLasalle has a new head coach after Faith Johnson Patterson went to Eden Prairie. Tanysha Scott was a star player at DeLasalle and did a great job adjusting her team's style after their season opening 80-73 loss Friday to New Prague.

The Islanders came out in the full court pressure defense they are known for but quickly abandoned it when Mara Quam and company beat them down the floor a few times and showed they may actually be the quicker team.

The Islanders went to work attacking the basket with very athletic seniors Teja Bodden and Camryn Speese. Bodden finished with 17 points, 13 in first half, and Speese had 14 points, with 10 in the second half. These girls are athletic and strong and frankly I think that style suits this team better. It was impressive.

Islander guards sophomore Dacoda Speidel and senior Aiza Wilson tallied 12 and 14 points respectively and combined for five threes to provide outside punch to go along with that pounding of the basket inside.

The Kenyon-Wanamingo team shot their free throws well and frankly that's how they stayed in the game.

The Knights were 26 of 32 from the free throw line and DeLasalle was 11 of 16.

Mara Quam was 13 of 15, Savannah Blees was a perfect 8 for 8 to lead the Knights.

Junior Megan Flom had three 3-pointers and finished with 11 points and Blees had 10 for Kenyon-Wanamingo.

The Knights will be just fine when they compete with schools their own size and Lurken loves playing these bigger schools and stiffer competition because he knows it helps his team get better.

Kenyon-Wanamingo will play Byron on Tuesday in the Castle at KWHS. The Bears are led by 6-foot-5 sophomore post Ayoka Lee, who started her season with a 30-point, 17-rebound effort against Gilbert, Iowa, in a tournament at Grand Meadow.

Our next Kenyon-Wanamingo girls broadcast will be Friday when they make the long road trip to Rushford-Peterson. Coverage begins at 7:15PM on KDHL Radio 920 AM.  You can also listen online at www.kdhlradio.com by clicking on the Listen Live button, or by downloading the free RadioPup app you can listen on your favorite mobile device.

Elsewhere at the Hamline event, which is more of a showcase than a tournament on Friday, Providence Academy 52 St. Paul Central 41, Eastview 59 Bloomington Kennedy 51, St. Paul Como Park 87 Waconia 60, Lakeville North 61 White Bear Lake 56.

Saturday scores: Lakeville North 60 Bloomington Kennedy 48, Eastview of Apple Valley 60 White Bear Lake 31, Waconia 68 St. Paul Central 31, New Prague 71 Stillwater 48, and St. Paul Como Park 56 Providence Academy 50.

In other girls baseball action Saturday, Byron rolled over Houston 68-22. Faribault Bethlehem Academy defeated Blake 55-34, Northfield got by Mankato East 71-66, Minnehaha Academy downed defending AA champion Dover-Eyota 69-56, Rochester Mayo crushed Farmington 52-22, Minnetonka rolled over Apple Valley 92-67, Goodhue dominated Red Wing 62-24 and Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton edged Sleepy Eye St. Mary's 55-53.

Joe Hutton Arena Hamline University
Joe Hutton Arena Hamline University
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