Holiday tourneys bring less joy to to South basketball teams

The holiday tournaments didn't provide too much joy for several of the state's top-ranked teams south of the Minnesota River.

The two Class 4A, No. 1-ranked basketball teams — Apple Valley (boys) and Eastview (girls) — were both handed their first setbacks of the season. Both fell to the squads ranked at No. 2.

Apple Valley lost to Champlin Park 79-74 in the final game of the Granite City Classic in St. Cloud. It topped No. 4 Maple Grove 86-75 the previous night in the 14-team tournament.

Eastview was knocked off by Hopkins 68-55 in what turned out to be the championship game in the St. Olaf Invitational in Northfield. Each team played three games in the 10-team event.

The defending state champion Lightning edged Hopkins 75-70 in overtime in the Breakdown Classic earlier this season. That game was on Hopkins' home floor.

The state's marquee wrestling program, Apple Valley, suffered two losses —both to out -of-state teams — in The Clash National Duals in Rochester.

The nine-time defending state champion Eagles lost to Oak Park River Forest (Ill.) 43-26 and Carl Sandburg (Ill.) 38-30. Oak Park River Forest is the No. 2-ranked team in the nation, according to InterMat. The same serveice has Carl Sandburg ranked No. 42.

Shakopee junior Steffon Mitchell missed the team's championship game against host Eden Prairie in its boys' basketball holiday tournament with an injured ankle. The Class 4A, No. 8 Sabers lost 68-66 to the No. 3 Eagles.

Mitchell scored 26 points in the Sabers' 56-51 victory over Chaska in the semifinals. He is their leading scorer at 25.4 points per game.

Mitchell returned to the lineup in a 62-55 victory at Burnsville in a South Suburban Conference matchup. He scored 22 points.

• New Prague wrestler Griffin Parriott won the 145-pound weight class in the Cheesehead Invitational at Kaukauna, Wis. The junior, who is currently ranked sixth in the country, is now 23-0 on the season.

• Northfield senior Bailey DuPay won the all-around competition in the Faribault Invitational gymnastics meet with a score of 38.625. She is the Class 2A two-time defending state champion in the all-around.