Hopkins has finished off Maple Grove and now holds the record most girls basketball titles in Minnesota history: nine. That breaks a tie with Rochester Lourdes, which won its eighth and latest title in 2005.

Sophomore forward Erma Walker scored a game-high 28 points on 13-for-15 shooting.

Hopkins senior guard Maliyah White hits two back-to-back threes to give Hopkins its largest lead of the night, 67-51, with 4:35 to go. White has been an underrated player for this Royals team late in the season, scoring double figures in their last three games with nine points tonight, and grabbing key steals throughout their tournament run.

It's 49-46, Hopkins up, but teams are trading buckets back-and-forth now. Maple Grove went on a 15-8 run after Jaliyah Diggs hit a three to open the second half for Hopkins. Jordan Ode is up to 18 for the Crimson, and senior Lexi Hanna has four points all in this half with under 12 minutes left in the game.

No. 3 seed Hopkins has led since the second minute but never by more than seven, staving off No. 1 Maple Grove so far. Sophomore Erma Walker leads the Royals with 13 points, shooting 6-for-8 and, for the most part, getting her way offensively in the paint. Senior guard Jordan Ode has 14 for Maple Grove, 5-for-10 from the field.

Only one three-point attempt for the Crimson in that half, while Hopkins finished 4-for-9 beyond the arc. But Maple Grove has made up some ground from the free-throw line, shooting 9-for-10, while Hopkins has attempted a single foul shot.

With 5:35 left in the first half, Hopkins has a 26-21 edge, but things, otherwise, are fairly even: rebounds, shooting percentage, turnovers, all identical. But Hopkins has shot 3-for-4 from three early, while Maple Grove has only gotten off one unsuccessful three-point attempt. Hopkins smothered Eastview at the three-point line in their semifinal, holding the Lightning to just 0-for-3 from beyond the arc.

Hustle play after hustle play for Hopkins so far. Senior Maliyah White gets the steal on Maple Grove’s inbounds pass to set up senior London Harris’ layup that puts the Royals up 21-16. But Jordan Ode is putting all of her athletic 6-1 height to work for the Crimson, driving to the basket for eight points so far with eight minutes left in the first half.

At the first timeout, Hopkins has the lead thanks to Erma Walker’s play in the paint. The sophomore forward has seven points early, all down low, shooting 3-for-3. Sophomore Jaliyah Diggs hit a corner three to put the Royals up 17-10 with 11:58 to play in the first half.

No. 1 Maple Grove has only lost twice this season. Once, to Providence Academy, crowned Class 2A champion for the fourth year in a row just a few minutes ago. The Williams Arena court is still warm from the blistering speed of their team.

The only other blemish for the Crimson is a 59-55 loss to Hopkins in a late December tournament.

The Crimson and No. 3 Royals run it back today in the Class 4A title game, tipping off here at 8 p.m. Maple Grove is seeking its first title, Hopkins a state-high ninth, last on top in 2022.

These squads also met in the Class 4A state semifinals last year, with the Royals getting the edge 84-78. In that game, Royals now-sophomore forward Erma Walker shot 14-for-16 from the field for 30 points. She offers a blend of size, physicality and skill that few teams can contain, though the Crimson did hold her to just six points in December.

Hopkins offers a multipronged attack, though, and in the case of December’s matchup, senior Lauren Hillesheim and sophomore Jaliyah Diggs stepped up to score while physical defense kept the Crimson at bay. Maple Grove also boasts a well-rounded starting lineup with few weaknesses (but plenty of Hanna sisters) and is led all-time in scoring by senior combo guard Jordan Ode, a Michigan State commit who has put up 30 points in both this tournament’s quarterfinal and semifinal. 

Providence Academy is again a state champion, for the fourth season in a row, the first girls basketball team in Minnesota to pull that off. The Lions just kept running Saturday at Williams Arena, and Crosby-Ironton, like so many teams, could not keep up. Maddyn Greenway scored 40 points and Hope Counts 23 for the Lions (32-0). Gophers commit Tori Oehrlein had a double-double (17 points and 15 rebounds) for Crosby-Ironton.  Red the full game recap here.

The game has gotten away from Crosby-Ironton. Providence Academy leads 75-50 with 5:45 remaining.