Great Day of Basketball at Tip Off Classic

Both Hopkins High School boys and girls teams won convincingly at last weekend’s Breakdown Sports USA Girls’ Tip Off Classic. Minnetonka High School boys won their game, but the girls lost to Centennial. 

The 10th-annual event featured 12 girls’ games and three boys’ games played at Hopkins’ Lindbergh Center. Fifteen of the 24 girls’ teams are in Breakdown Sports’ top 15 preseason rankings, including the No. 1 team in all four classes.

The Royals boys’ team dominated St. Michael-Albertville 77-36. Senior guard Jake Wright led Hopkins with 18 points, including four three-pointers. Senior guard Kamali Chambers scored 14 points, senior forward Stephon Sharp had 13, senior center Treyvon Edwards had 12 and sophomore forward Amir Coffey scored 11.

In the Hopkins girls’ game, Hopkins beat Anoka 68-57. Sophomore guard Ashley Bates tallied an impressive 28 points, while sophomore guard Nia Hollie sank 12 points.

In the Skippers boys' game, Minnetonka beat the Breck Mustangs, 78-65. The second half began with the Skippers maintaining a 10-point lead. Delshon Strickland hit a three pointer with 15 minutes to go. At that point, the game started opening up for the Skippers. Strickland led the Skippers with 15 points. 

In the final girls' Breakdown Tip Off Classic game on the east court, the Skipper girls matched up with Centennial in a rematch of a game that went to extra time a year ago. But this time, Centennial pulled away for a 61-49 victory over Minnetonka. Caroline Shelquist led the way for Minnetonka with 11 points.

Both boys teams will return Saturday (Dec. 14) for the Boys’ Tip Off Classic at Minnetonka High School. The event features 15 boys’ games. Twenty-three of the 30 teams are ranked in Breakdown Sports’ top 15 preseason rankings, including the No. 1 team in two of the four classes.

Minnetonka, as the host school, plays Robbinsdale Cooper in the last game of the Breakdown Tip Off Classic. The game begins at 8:15 p.m. in the Minnetonka west gym.

The Royals will take on Lakeville North at 5:15 p.m.