Huskies Earn Fourth Seed, Home Playoff Game
The Owatonna girls' basketball team will open the Section 1AAAA playoffs at home Wednesday, February 28 as the fourth seed against No. 5 Rochester John Marshall. Game time is 7PM on KRFO AM1390. OHS (20-6) swept JM (13-13) this season 54-43 and 69-49. The winner goes to the Mayo Civic Center Saturday for a 1PM against the winner of top-seed and defending section champ Lakeville North (21-5) and Rochester Century (6-20).
The Huskies have won 12 of their last 13 games, led by the school's all-time leading scorer Sydney Schultz and Jenna Zeman, who will both play college basketball next winter. Owatonna is deep with experience as their roster has nine seniors on it. The Huskies can play an aggressive defense that leads to fast break baskets and have a number of players that can drain three-pointers. Schultz is an undersized force inside, battling against taller players for rebounds. John Marshall offer a tall inside game.
The opposite bracket starts with No. 2 seed Farmington hosting No. 7 New Prague Wednesday and No. 3 Lakeville South entertains No. 6 Rochester Mayo. Owatonna lost to Farmington 71-59 in the season opener in November and dropped a game at Lakeville South in early December 58-43, leading to South's higher seed despite their 13-13 record.
Big Nine champion Northfield is the top seed in Section 1AAA and has a first-round bye. Mankato West tops Section 2AAA and has a first-round pass as well.
The Blooming Prairie girls' basketball team faces top-five ranked Hayfield Monday, February 26 at 6PM at the Mayo Civic Center in Rochester in the Section 1A quarterfinals. No. 3 seed NRHEG has a home playoff opener Tuesday against No. 6 WEM in Section 2AA. Fifth-seed Medford travels to fourth-seed Maple River Tuesday.