Last week the prep basketball season began
Tuesday, November 28
Senior point guard Marianna Monita — displaying a shooting touch and flawless overall floor game — led St. Paul Johnson girls’ basketball team to its first victory of the season, helping Governors to a 58-28 win over Liberty Christian.
Friday, December 1
Lu’Cye Patterson led Brooklyn Center with 25 points in a 78-69 win over St. Paul Johnson.
Saturday, December 2: Breakdown Tip-Off Classic (boys’ games)
Courtney Brown (East Ridge): Scored 29 points in 60-58 loss to Minnehaha Academy.
Javonni Bickham and Lorenzo Smith (Minneahaha Academy): Bickham a University of Denver recruit, led the way with 17 points and Smith added 10 in a win over East Ridge.
Sy Chatman (Cretin Derham Hall): The Sienna recruit led the way with 33 points, leading the Raiders to an 86-73 victory over Hopkins.
Gabe Kalscheur (DeLaSalle): The University of Minnesota recruit led the way 31 points in 65-62 setback to Iowa City West.
Saturday, December 2: Breakdown Tip-Off Classic (girls’ games)
Sommer Blakemore (Park Center): The point guard scored 20 points in a 78-56 win over Prior Lake.
Zoe Hardwick (Minnetonka): Led her team to a 67-64 comeback victory over Forest Lake with 16 points.
Paige Bueckers and Raena Suggs (Hopkins): Bueckers had 30 and Suggs added 18 in 84-68 win over Centennial.
Frannie Hottinger and Haley Moore (Cretin Derham Hall): Hottinger led the way with 31 points, and Moore chipped in 14 in 81-62 victory over Minneapolis South.
Morgan Hill and Jade Hill (Minneapolis South): Morgan Hill scored 26 points and Jade Hill 14 respectively in loss to Cretin Derham Hall.
Former prep stars spotted at Breakdown Tip-Off Classic
Lisa Lissimore (St. Paul Central): The person who played on the first Class AA State championship girls’ team in 1976 has a son playing for East Ridge.
Courtney Brown (St. Paul Highland Park): The former Scots basketball great has two sons playing for East Ridge.
Rickey Suggs (St. Paul Central): The former football and basketball star for the Minutemen was watching his daughter play for Hopkins.
Tara Starks (Minneapolis North): The former Polar hoop star was there to watch Hopkins, where her daughter, now in college, starred for four years.
Larry Suggs (Woodbury): The former hoopster was watching his son, who is a sophomore at Minnehaha Academy.
Michael Binns (St. Paul Highland Park): The former point guard for the Scots has a son playing for Minnehaha Academy.
David Hollman (St. Paul Central): The former sharpshooter was watching his niece play for Park Center.
David Holmgren (Minneapolis Central): The former hoops star has a son playing for Minnehaha Academy.
Brian Sandifer (Saint Agnes): The former football and basketball standout was there to watch Minnehaha Academy.
Arvesta Kelly Jr. (Cretin Derham Hall): The two-time state champion was a forward for the Raiders and now has a daughter playing for Minneapolis South.
Derek Reuben (Minneapolis North): The former star guard, who was 1988’s Mr. Basketball, has a daughter playing for the junior varsity at Hopkins.
Gary New (St. Paul Central): The former football and basketball standout has a daughter playing for Minnehaha Academy.
Paul Hill (Minneapolis South): The former point guard has two daughters playing for his alma mater.
Mitchell Palmer McDonald welcomes reader responses to mcdeezy05@gmail.com.
Dr. Mitchell Palmer McDonald is a contributing columnist at the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder.