Girls State Basketball: Stifling defense leads Hopkins to 52-27 win over White Bear Lake

A year after falling short of its intended destination, top-ranked Hopkins navigated the Class AAAA semifinals on Thursday, March 17, 2022, and found a familiar place. Hopkins was in control from the start and never trailed in posting a 52-27 victory over No. 5 White Bear Lake at Williams Arena on the University of Minnesota campus.

The Royals, ranked No. 6 nationally, showed power and strength on the inside and precision on the perimeter in earning a championship game berth for the 13th time since 2004. In that span, the Royals (25-1) have claimed seven championships. In 2020, Hopkins qualified for the big-school final, but the event was cancelled in the midst of a global pandemic. Last season, the Royals were favored to add to its championship tradition, but couldn’t get past Chaska, who snapped Hopkins’ record-tying winning streak. Chaska would go on to win the Class AAAA crown in an abbreviated season.

Junior guard Nunu Agara led the latest Royals’ entry into the championship game with 14 points. Senior guard Amaya Battle added 11 points and eight rebounds for the Royals, who coaxed White Bear Lake into 24 turnovers.

White Bear Lake (21-10) did enough things to disrupt the Royals and stay close in the early stages, however, Hopkins used a late surge in the first half to build a 27-19 advantage at the break. Senior forward Neveah Hughes and sophomore forward Jordyn Schmittdiel had seven points each for the Bears.