Girls Basketball 2025: Maple Grove powers its way into Class AAAA championship
Posted: Thursday, March 13, 2025 - 8:45 PM
As the final seconds elapsed in the first Class AAAA semifinal on Thursday, March 13, Maple Grove head coach Mark Cook thrust his arms to the rafters of Williams Arena. A few heartbeats later, his players assembled at center court for a joyous celebration.
With a 69-50 victory over No. 4 Lakeville North, the top-seeded Crimson made it past an elusive hurdle in the Minnesota State High School League’s Girls Basketball State Tournament: They earned a berth in the big-school championship game.
A year ago, the Crimson made it to the semifinals for the first time, but didn’t advance. In five previous trips, Maple Grove couldn’t advance out of the quarterfinals.
“What a feeling!” Cook said in the aftermath. “We aren’t done, though.”
The Crimson (28-2) will play in the Class AAAA championship game on Saturday night against the second semifinal winner between No. 2 Eastview and No. 3 Hopkins. Maple Grove lost to Hopkins 59-55 on Dec. 28 during the holiday break.
Lakeville North (19-12), a team that Maple Grove defeated 72-51 on Dec. 3, gave the Crimson fits and starts early on with physical play. Maple Grove would counter, though, with speed and slick transition offense.
Senior guard Jordan Ode scored 30 points, including 19 in a 12-minute span in the first half, to power the Crimson. Senior forward Bella Hanna added 15 points.
Lakeville North, which defeated Brainerd in Wednesday’s quarterfinals, used its two-post power of senior Aduke Ojullu and ninth-grader Sahara Wilson to keep the Crimson within close range on the scoreboard. Ojullu, at 6-foot-2, had 17 points and the 6-3 Wilson added 14.
