Tyseanna Johnson scored 25 points to lead the DeLaSalle Islanders to a 65-50 win over the Red Wing Wingers in the Class AAA championship game Saturday night at Target Center in Minneapolis.
It was the third consecutive title for the Minneapolis school near the Mississippi River. They are the first to win threee striaght Class AAA titles since Minneapolis North in 2003-05. Both teams were coached by Faith Johnson Patterson. The islanders got off to an outstanding start,going on a 10-0 run before Macy Kelly put the Wingers in business with a three pointer. Red Wing battled back to tie the score at 28 and Natalie Eull's basket gave DelaSalle a 30-28 halftime lead.
Red Wing tried to slow down DelaSalle in the second half by fouling. They gave Allina Starr frequent trips to the free throw line. Starr, who will be playing next season at Auburn, went 14-22 from the line, as islander fans serenaded her with "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star."
The Wingers would lose three players due to five fouls. Kelly, McKenzie Muelken and Schaffer.
Starr was the only other islander in double figures with 20 points. Kelly led the Wingers with 17. Tesha Buck and McKenzie Muelken each had 13.
Johnson Patterson became the first coach in state tournament history to win three consecutive titles with two different schools. She gave her reaction on accomplishing this milestone.
"I never thought I could possibly be successful." She also strives to have her players become the best athletes they can be. "My heart is in the right place and Zi want to make them better."
In the third place game at Concordia University in St. Paul, Richfield mastered Monticello 64-39
Comments