State Champions 2004, 2006 and 2011

“I’ll never forget this moment. I don’t know how to describe it in words. It’s just a great feeling to know we all have the same passion and we all have love for each other.”

 

Mikaala Shackelford

Sophomore member of the State Champion Royals

As the final seconds ticked away at Saturday’s Class AAAA championship game, the Hopkins girls basketball team flocked together and embraced in one big celebratory hug.  Chanting together after beating Eden Prairie 67-45 for the schools’ first state title since 2006, the display on the Target Center floor illustrated exactly what coach Brian Cosgriff said made this team so successful. The Royals are more than a team. They’re family. “This team was a team from the first man to the 18th man,” Cosgriff said. “They love each other, and that was cool to see.”

 

It was evident on the floor, as Hopkins (30-2) seemingly leaned on one another through each stretch of the game. Ten different players scored points in the contest—none netting more than 18—and tied at 22 heading into the second half the Royals began using tick-tack passing to open up a fast-break game Eden Prairie couldn’t match. Feeding off one another’s energy, the Royals turned a tie at halftime into a 12-point lead within eight minutes. Much of that was due to a surge by junior Sydney Coffey. The 6-foot guard scored 15 of her game-high 18 points in the second half and helped the Royals begin to pull away. “She was amazing,” sophomore Nia Coffey said. Nia Coffey chipped in 12 points of her own.

 

While the Coffey sisters led the way statistically, the Royals got plenty of contributions from other players in the state title game. Senior point guard Julia Wiemer scored eight points and handled the ball brilliantly against the Eagles' full-court pressure in the second half. Junior forward Gracia Hutson added eight points and eight rebounds while shutting down the Eagles inside game in the second half. The state’s Sixth-Man of the Year award winner, senior Ebony Livingston scored seven points shooting 3-of-3 from the field while senior guard Brianna Williams chipped in six points. Like a family, Hopkins beat the Eagles (25-6) by spreading the ball around and giving everyone a chance to contribute. 

 

The win was Hopkins’ third state championship overall—the previous two coming in 2004 and 2006. But it’s the first for this group of players, and the Royals couldn’t help but take in the excitement with each other in a lengthy post-game celebration on the Target Center floor.

 

The Royals advanced to the state championship game with a convincing 52-34 victory over White Bear Lake in the semifinal round on Thursday, March 17. The Royals led by 16 at halftime and never relinquished the double digit lead in the second half. Livingston led all scorers in the victory with 15 points on a 6-of-10 shooting performance. Nia Coffey and Williams also scored in double figures with 14 and 11 points respectively. In their quarterfinal game against Buffalo on Wednesday, March 16, the Royals relied on their defensive pressure as they forced 36 turnovers and cruised to a 79-62 victory. Four Royals scored in double figures in that win including Williams who led all scorers with 19 points on 7-of-11 shooting from the field. Nia and Sydney Coffey each recorded 12 points, while sophomore guard Mikaala Shackelford added 11 points and four steals.

 

The Royals, who finished the season with a record of 30-2, placed four players on the All-Tournament Team including Nia Coffey, Williams, Hutson and Livingston.