Class AAAA Final: Hopkins Avenges Only Loss, Wins Third Straight Title

After splitting the first two meetings between the schools, Hopkins defeated Eden Prairie 64-52 on Saturday and won its third consecutive Class AAAA Minnesota boys basketball title at Target Center in Minneapolis.

Senior wing Joe Coleman, a Minnesota commit and Minneapolis Star Tribune player of the year, scored 22 points and grabbed eight rebounds for Hopkins, which is now 92-3 over the last three seasons. Northern Iowa commit Marvin Singleton was a force inside for the Royals, finishing with 15 points.

Neighboring suburbs of Minneapolis, Hopkins (31-1) and Eden Prairie (27-5) shared the Lake Conference championship this season, and even though the Eagles handed the Royals their only loss of the season in their own gym, Eden Prairie could not overcome numerous turnovers, including 10 in the first half that led to 12 points for the Royals.

Hopkins, which has won eight titles overall and five since 2005, when Blake Hoffarber famously made the game-winning basket in overtime from a prone position on the floor, stretched a 32-28 halftime lead into double digits early in the second half by shooting 12-pf-20 from the field.

In contrast, Eden Prairie cooled off in the second half after shooting 65 percent in the first half, making only eight of 26 attempts. The Eagles also cooled off from distance, converting two of seven threes in the second half after making all four attempts to start the game.

Eden Prairie finished with 16 turnovers that the reigning champs turned into 18 points.

As part of a balanced effort by the Royals, Siyani Chambers added 12 points with inside presence Zach Stahl putting up 10 points and eight rebounds.

Eden Prairie’s Grant Soderberg, who hit his first three three-point attempts for the Royals, finished with 18 points. He was the only Eagle player to score in double figures.

The victory by Hopkins marks only the third time in Minnesota prep history that a team has won three straight boys titles. In addition to the win by the Hopkins boys, the girls squad prevailed over Eden Prairie last week to take home its own state title.