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Hopkins girls pass test at Lakeville North gym
BY john sherman - sun newspapers
It was bound to happen sooner or later, and the Hopkins High girls basketball team had a fight on its hands in a 46-41 overtime win Dec. 9 at Lakeville North.
"This was just what the doctor ordered," said Hopkins head coach Brian Cosgriff. "We had been winning easily, but I knew this would be a tougher game."
Lakeville North's band, heavy on percussion, was seated near the Hopkins bench, so communication during timeouts was mostly on Cosgriff's white board.
"It was an intense environment, more like a section game than a regular-season game," said Cosgriff.
Hopkins outscored Lakeville North 7-2 in overtime to earn the victory.
"We made free throws at the end, and that was the difference," said Cosgriff. "Lakeville North is well coached by Andy Berkvam, who has won three state championships. He threw a triangle-and-two [defense] at us and we didn't shoot very well.
"Lakeville North slowed the game way down. Their girls would make nine or 10 passes and shoot, and then we'd come down, make one pass and shoot a three. But we played well when we had to at the end of the second half and in overtime."
Taylor Anderson led the Royals with 13 points and Nia Coffey added 10 points. Mikaala Shackelford scored nine points.
Hopkins returned to business as usual Dec. 10 in an 82-43 rout of Chaska at Hopkins Lindbergh Center.
Back in less hostile surroundings, the Royals ran the fast break to perfection in running their season record to 8-0.
Shackelford and Nia Coffey led the Royals with 19 points each and Sydney Coffey, Nia's sister, added 14 points.
"Chaska is in a tough situation after the school district split out there and some of their girls went to Chanhassen," said Cosgriff.
Hopkins, the defending state champion and No. 1-ranked team in Class 4A, seldom has to rebuild.
Post player Gracia Hutson and wing Sydney Coffey were starters all of last season while Nia Coffey, who missed almost half of last season because of an injury, was a starter during the playoff run.
"We expect a double-double from Nia every night," said Cosgriff.
Guard play has been solid thus far with Shackelford, Taylor Anderson and a pair of ninth-graders, Viria Livingston and T.T. Starks.
Cosgriff said one of the keys to Hopkins' success is what the girls do in the off-season.
"They've put in the time," he said.
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