St. Michael-Albertville advanced to the Class 4A championship game for the second consecutive year with a 55-40 victory over Eden Prairie in Thursday's semifinals of the girls basketball state tournament.
Postgame analysis often ranges from strategy to halftime adjustment to critical mistakes, but this time coaches and players for both teams were in agreement as to the biggest factor in the game: Tessa Johnson. And it really wasn't close.
St. Michael-Albertville's senior guard, the Star Tribune Metro Player of the Year, scored 29 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and routinely dashed Eden Prairie hopes for a rally with clutch baskets whenever the Eagles tried to build momentum.
Johnson and Molly Lenz, Eden Prairie's All-State guard, are close friends, having played AAU basketball together.
Lenz, who guarded Johnson in the second half, had a midgame message for her. "It was very frustrating, but Tessa is just that type of player," Lenz said. "A lot of times after she scored, I'd be like 'Tessa, you are so annoying.' Once we got into a rhythm on offense, you have to get stops and that's almost impossible when Tessa is shooting as well as she did tonight."
Eden Prairie coach Ellen Wiese shook her head when she considered the damage Johnson did to her team's hopes.
"She was unstoppable tonight," Wiese said. "Her mentality was she was gonna refuse to lose."
Count Johnson's St. Michael-Albertville teammates and coaches as members of her fan club. "I can't tell you how many times in practice I just go 'Wow,' " coach Kent Hamre said.
"She sees the court so well," said senior Piper Carlson. "She's just a powerhouse in all aspects on the court."
It was St. Michael-Albertville's third victory over Eden Prairie this season, the other two coming in Lake Conference play.
The Knights earned the right to play another Lake Conference foe, Hopkins, in Saturday's Class 4A championship game. It will be the fourth meeting of the two teams in the past year.
Hopkins won the 4A final last year and beat St. Michael-Albertville twice in conference play this year.
