Minnesota Lynx Honor Two Teams
Published on January 6, 2009 under Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)
Minnesota Lynx News Release
MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL - The Minnesota Lynx are proud to announce the two schools that have earned the distinction of receiving the fourth "Team of the Week" awards for the 2008-09 High School season, which includes games played through Jan. 1.
In conjunction with the "Lynx Ballerz Tour Live," the "Lynx Team of the Week" initiative is part of an off-season program that the Minnesota Lynx have brought back this winter in an effort to give back to the basketball community in the state of Minnesota. The "Lynx Team of the Week" initiative celebrates excellence in the classroom, in the community, and on the court.
This is the fourth consecutive week that the Minnesota Lynx have recognized one girls team and one boys team. The program will continue every week throughout the high school regular season.
"I have coached basketball at every level, including winning the Class A state championship when I coached the boys basketball team at De La Salle High School," said Lynx head coach Don Zierden. "The one thing that has impressed me most is the amount of talent that there is in the high schools here in Minnesota. We have some of the nation's best teams playing right here in our own backyard. I am thrilled that the Minnesota Lynx are continuing their outreach to the high schools so these teams and athletes are able to receive the recognition that they deserve for their achievements on the court, in the classroom, and in the community."
This week's winners:
Boys Basketball
Class AA's Braham is the Boys Lynx Team of the Week after winning the St. Cloud Cathedral "Crusader Classic" last week. The Bombers are off to a 7-0 start to their 2008-09 season and rank fourth in the latest Class AA rankings distributed by Minnesota Basketball News. The Bombers kicked off their impressive week on Monday, Dec. 29, with a 64-46 win over Litchfield in their tournament opener. Ninth-grader Tyler Vaughan broke out to score a team-high 16 points as Braham jumped out to a 35-16 halftime lead and held on to defeat the Dragons. The next night, Braham stayed perfect at 6-0 on the season by holding off the Sauk Rapids-Rice Storm (4-3) to reach the tournament championship where they would take on Concordia Academy. The Bombers began strong, taking a 36-31 lead into the locker room at halftime. The second half featured much of the same, and Braham would cruise to a 75-57 victory to claim the tournament championship. For the season, the Bombers are averaging 75.6 ppg and have outscored their opponents by an average of 30.7 ppg this season.
Girls Basketball
The Orono Spartans are the Girls Lynx Team of the Week after claiming the Mayer Lutheran holiday tournament championship last week. The Spartans opened tournament play with a 58-40 route of Minnetonka. Senior Sarah Luse led the way for the Spartans scoring 14 points. The win moved the Spartans to the semifinals where they would take on the Tigers of Delano. Despite being behind 17-15 at halftime, the Spartans rallied to defeat the Tigers 48-42 to advance to the championship game. The Christmas Eve matchup pitted Orono against the tournament hosts, the Mayer Lutheran Crusaders. Orono jumped out of the gates early and raced to a 37-21 halftime advantage. The second half featured much of the same, and the Spartans cruised to a 66-45 win to take home the tournament crown. The Spartans are off to a 7-2 start to their 2008-09 season, defeating their opponents by an average of 13.9 ppg. Orono currently sits seventh in the latest Class AAA poll distributed by Minnesota Basketball News.
Each team will receive a Certificate of Merit, courtesy of the Minnesota Lynx, along with a spotlight on Lynxbasketball.com. All 24 teams will also be invited to a Lynx game during their season next summer.
Women's National Basketball Association Stories from January 6, 2009
- Minnesota Lynx Honor Two Teams - Minnesota Lynx
- Mystics Completes Coaching Staff - Washington Mystics
- Kennedy Named Sun Team Of The Week - Connecticut Sun
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