Becker High School was the place to be last Saturday for girls basketball, as the top two rated teams in Class AAA put on an absolute stellar show. The Bulldogs, ranked #2, used a huge first half and an unbelievable performance from Ayla Brown to down the #1 ranked team in the state, Benilde-St. Margaret’s, 84-78.

Brown poured in 32 points and grabbed four rebounds, but more importantly, according to Coach Dan Baird, was her clinch defense in holding phenom Olivia Olson to just 18 points. As a member of the 2021 USA Basketball U16 National Team, Olson won a gold medal and is currently ranked the #3 Junior in the nation by ESPN.

“This was one of, if not the best performances I’ve witnessed here at Becker regardless of sport,” Baird said. “To watch Ayla play that well against a Power 5 recruit that’s going to Michigan was so fun to watch. Ayla’s competitiveness and defensive drive helped create six turnovers for Olson, who was visibly frustrated throughout the game. I always stress team ball, but you can’t help being happy for Ayla’s amazing individual matchup here.”

While Brown was dominating both ends of the court, the rest of the Bulldogs were purring on all cylinders as well, as the Bulldogs built a surprising 47-31 halftime lead.

Maren Westin added 25 points for the Bulldogs and Hannah Dierkes was a huge spark off the bench, scoring 12.

“We knew Benilde would make a second half run – they are just too talented and competitive to not make one,” Baird added. “The key was going to be how we responded to it and we responded like seasoned veterans, relying on our Seniors to make good decisions down the stretch when [The Scarlet Knights] cut the lead to two points. From there, we knocked down foul shots and handled the ball well to secure the victory.” 

Baird also credited Dani Nuest with playing great defense, holding Sierre Lumpkin to just two points in the game.

The Bulldogs hit 10 three-pointers in the first half and then made 17 of 22 free throws in the second stanza to safeguard the win.

“This was a great win for our team, as we competed on the boards against a much taller team and only committed 11 turnovers which was efficient,” Baird concluded. “This win will propel us to the #1 seed most likely if we can qualify for the state tournament.  You get the funny feeling after this contest that this won’t be the last time these two teams meet this year.”

Becker scoring: Dani Nuest 12 (5 assists), Maren Westin 25 (9 rebounds), Hannah Dierkes 12, Ayla Brown 32 (4 assists), Evelyn Kreft 3, Liz Mackedanz (8 rebounds).

Redhawks

Monday night, the girls hosted one of the top AA programs in Minnesota and defeated Minnehaha Academy, 91-88, to secure the Bulldogs’ 20th win of the season.

Baird’s team had excellent offensive balance, with Nuest and Brown each connecting for 27 points, while Westin poured in 22.

“Evelyn Kreft came up huge for us, securing 11 key rebounds to go with 7 points,” Baird added.

The Bulldogs again played a style that fit the flow of the game, hitting nine three-pointers in the first half before making 16 of 23 free throws in the second half.

Becker scoring: Nuest 27 (5 assists), Westin 22 (5 assists), Brown 27 (6 assists), Madi Bass 3, Lauren Croal 3, Kreft 7 (11 rebounds), Mackedanz 2.

Vikings

Tuesday night, Becker downed North Branch 67-28 in a game that saw ten different Bulldogs break into the scoring column.  The Bulldogs hit nine three-pointers in the first half and added six more in the final period.

Westin led the charge for Becker, scoring 16 points, while Brown (12) and Nuest (11) joined her in double figures.

With the win, Becker remained undefeated in M8 Conference play on the season and improved their overall record to 21-3. They have two games remaining in the regular season.

Scoring: Nuest 11, Westin 16, Dierkes 8, Brown 12, Reese Hausmann 7, Bass 3, Alexa Voller 2, Adele Changamire 2, Kreft 2, Mackedanz 4.