The Minnesota Basketball News Class 2A poll saw its share of shaking up this week, starting at the very top of the poll. On Monday night, the sixth-ranked Hawley Nuggets dominated #1 Pelican Rapids, defeating the Vikings by 28 points to tighten up the top of the Heart O’ Lakes Conference. That loss by Pelican Rapids opened the door for a new #1, and previous #2 St. Peter made the last step up the ladder to claim the top spot in the 2A rankings. St. Peter, who enjoyed a 28-2 season and a trip to the state tournament last year, will get a stiff challenge in their first contest as top dogs- they travel to #10 Fairmont, one of the two teams that defeated the Saints last year, in a Friday night showdown that will leave the winner alone in first in the South Central Conference.
Elsewhere in 2A, the Byron Bears moved up from #5 to #3 thanks to a 17-point victory over #7 Hayfield that put them alone in first place in the Hiawatha Valley League’s Gold division. Hawley’s victory moved them up from #6 to #4, while Pelican Rapids tumbled to #6.
In Class 1A, the defending champs Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa made it to the top of the rankings for the first time this season after previous #1 Maranatha Christian was edged by Duluth East 81-78. BBE has a number of impressive winning streaks going- they’ve won their last 48 games overall and their last 76 regular season contests. They’ve got a big challenge looming on their schedule next Thursday, as they travel to 2A #2 Melrose to take on the Dutchmen in a non-conference game. The loss by Maranatha to Class 4A Duluth East dropped them just one spot to #1.
In Class 4A, Roseville tumbled seven spots to #10 after back-to-back losses last week. Friday’s loss to Woodbury bunched up the standings in the Suburban East Conference; it was also good enough to get Woodbury into the top 10 for the first time this season. The Royals, who defeated Roseville in the Section 4AAAA title game last year, enter the rankings at #9; they were the only new team in the rankings across all four classes.
The Minnesota Basketball News top 10 rankings as of Jan. 23, including this week’s schedules and results:
Class 4A
1. Park Center (14-1; Last week- #1)
This week: d. Champlin Park 98-61; vs. Maple Grove, 7pm Friday
2. Apple Valley (13-1; Last week- #2)
This week: d. Rosemount 74-53; vs. Prior Lake, 7pm Friday
3. Hopkins (12-2; Last week- #4)
This week: d. 3A #4 Blake 64-59
4. Osseo (12-2; Last week- #5)
This week: d. Elk River 86-72; at Anoka, 7pm Friday
5. Eden Prairie (12-2; Last week- #6)
This week: d. Owatonna 66-49; at 3A #1 DeLaSalle, 5:15pm Saturday
6. Minnetonka (13-2; Last week- #7)
This week: d. Minneapolis Henry 76-64; d. St. Thomas Academy 61-57; vs. Minneapolis Southwest, 5pm Saturday
7. Lakeville North (12-3; Last week- #8)
This week: d. Prior Lake 66-65; vs. Lakeville South, 7:30pm Friday
8. Tartan (12-2; Last week- #9)
This week: d. Simley 96-69; at Mankato East, 2:30pm Saturday
9. Woodbury (12-3; Last week- not ranked)
This week: d. Park of Cottage Grove 72-25; at Mounds View, 7:15pm Friday
10. Roseville (12-3; Last week- #3)
This week: d. White Bear Lake 79-73; vs. Hastings, 7:15pm Friday
Class 3A
1. DeLaSalle (11-1; Last week- #1)
This week: d. Providence Academy 88-54; at St. Anthony Village, 7pm Thursday; vs. 4A #6 Eden Prairie, 5:15pm Saturday
2. Austin (16-0; Last week- #2)
This week: d. Mankato East 75-53; vs. Owatonna, 7:30pm Friday
3. Blake (9-4; Last week- #4)
This week: l. to 4A #4 Hopkins 64-59; d. Minnehaha Academy 64-48; at St. Paul Academy, 7:30pm Friday
4. Delano (14-1; Last week- #7)
This week: d. Holy Family Catholic 93-56; vs. New London-Spicer, 7:30pm Thursday
5. Holy Angels (10-5; Last week- #3)
This week: d. #9 New Prague 70-56; at Northfield, 7:30pm Friday
6. Grand Rapids (10-3; Last week- #5)
This week: at Bemidji, 7:30pm Thursday
7. Columbia Heights (11-4; Last week- #6)
This week: d. St. Francis 85-72; vs. Totino-Grace, 7:15pm Friday
8. Marshall (13-2; Last week- #10)
This week: d. Jackson County Central 86-63; vs. Sioux Falls Washington (SD), 7:30pm Thursday
9. Waconia (11-4; Last week- #8)
This week: d. Orono 67-62; vs. Litchfield, 7:30pm Friday; vs. Shakopee, 7:30pm Saturday
10. New Prague (9-5; Last week- #9)
This week: l. to #3 Holy Angels 70-56; vs. Chaska, 7:30pm Friday
Class 2A
1. St. Peter (13-1; Last week- #2)
This week: d. Blue Earth 80-53; at #10 Fairmont, 7:30pm Thursday
2. Melrose (12-1; Last week- #3)
This week: d. Sauk Centre 85-62; at Long Prairie-Grey Eagle, 6pm Thursday; at BOLD, 6pm Friday
3. Byron (14-1; Last week- #5)
This week: d. #7 Hayfield 62-45; at Winona Cotter, 7:15pm Friday
4. Hawley (13-1; Last week- #6)
This week: d. #1 Pelican Rapids 79-51; d. Breckenridge 69-40; at Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton, 7:30pm Thursday
5. St. Cloud Cathedral (12-3; Last week- #4)
This week: d. Zimmerman 86-84; at Princeton, 7:30pm Thursday
6. Pelican Rapids (11-3; Last week- #1)
This week: l. to #6 Hawley 79-51; d. Barnesville 73-48; at Perham, 7:30pm Friday
7. Hayfield (13-3; Last week- #8)
This week: l. to #5 Byron 62-45; at Stewartville, 7:15pm Friday
8. Rochester Lourdes (11-4; Last week- #8)
This week: d. Lake City 83-58; vs. Kasson-Mantorville, 7:15pm Friday
9. Maple River (12-3; Last week- #9)
This week: d. Granada-Huntley-East Chain 76-56; at Cleveland, 7:30pm Thursday; vs. Mankato Loyola, 7:30pm Friday
10. Fairmont (12-3; Last week- #10)
This week: d. Ellsworth 75-55; vs. #1 St. Peter, 7:30pm Thursday
Class 1A
1. Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa (15-0; Last week- #2)
This week: d. Pierz 75-42; vs. Holdingford, 7:30pm Friday
2. Maranatha Christian (14-1; Last week- #1)
This week: d. Lester Prairie/Holy Trinity 99-80; at Southwest Christian, 7:30pm Thursday
3. Southwest Minnesota Christian (11-1; Last week- #43
This week: vs. Edgerton, 6:15pm Thursday; at Adrian, 6:15pm Saturday
4. Upsala (13-0; Last week- #4)
This week: at Royalton, 6pm Friday
5. Russell-Tyler-Ruthton (14-1; Last week- #5)
This week: d. Edgerton 89-61; at #10 Dawson-Boyd, 7:30pm Thursday; vs. Ortonville, 4pm Saturday
6. Heritage Christian (14-1; Last week- #6)
This week: d. Trinity School 69-37; at New Life Academy, 7:30pm Thursday; vs. Minneapolis Henry, 2pm Saturday
7. Browerville (9-1; Last week- #7)
This week: vs. Osakis, 7pm Thursday; at Eagle Valley, 6pm Friday
8. Rushford-Peterson (13-2; Last week- #8)
This week: d. St. Charles 70-54; vs. Lewiston-Altura, 7:30pm Friday
9. West Lutheran (12-3; Last week- #9)
This week: d. New Life Academy 74-59; at Lester Prairie/Holy Trinity, 7:30pm Thursday; vs. MetroTech Career Academy, 4pm Saturday
10. Dawson-Boyd (12-2; Last week- #10)
This week: vs. #5 Russell-Tyler-Ruthton, 7:30pm Thursday
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