The Medford Tigers girls basketball team has finally cracked the Minnesota Basketball News Top 20 in Class 2A.  The Tigers are 9-0 and many of the same athletes that played in the Class A state volleyball championship match in November are on the hardwood.  The MBBN girls and boys high school rankings were updated Friday.  Medford is rated #19.

I can see why Medford has had trouble cracking the top 20.  The Class 2A Tigers have played primarily Class 1A schools.  For example last Thursday they defeated Mabel-Canton 73-34.  The Lady Cougars have 4 wins this season.  I saw them against a struggling Bethlehem Academy team in Van Orsow Auditorium on December 14.  They ran away with the game 61-17.  The girls can't control their schedule.

The Tigers are averaging 64.6 points and allowing 38.9 points per game.  Emma Kniefel leads the team in scoring with a 21 points per game average.  Kiley Nihart is an excellent point guard.  Nihart and the rest of her team exhibit the same fearlessness on the basketball court that they did for the Class A state runner-up volleyball team.

Medford is in Section 2AA, the South Subsection.  The Tigers have big games this week with seed implications against Tri-City United Monday at home and at Maple River Tuesday.

Other area teams in the Class 2A rankings include #6 Rochester Lourdes, #7 Stewartville, #13 Lake City, #14 Jordan, #18 Norwood-Young America.

In Class 1A :  #4 Grand Meadow, #8 Goodhue.

Class 3A:  #5 Red Wing, #6 Waseca, #9 Mankato West, #14 Austin, #17 Northfield.

Class 4A:  #4 Farmington, #5 Eastview, #12 Apple Valley, #13 Lakeville North, #17 Burnsville, #18 Shakopee, #19 Prior Lake, #20 Rosemount.

Complete rankings for girls basketball by Minnesota Basketball News are here:

Class 1A

  1. Minneota (Class A Volleyball Champs)
  2. Mountain Iron-Buhl
  3. Menahga
  4. Grand Meadow
  5. Pelican Rapids
  6. Ada-Borup
  7. Heritage Christian
  8. Goodhue
  9. Lac qui Parle Valley
  10. Hills-Beaver Creek
  11. BOLD
  12. Parkers Prairie
  13. Stephen-Argyle
  14. Cromwell-Wright
  15. Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa
  16. Pine River-Backus
  17. Southwest Mn Christian
  18. Park Christian
  19. Cherry
  20. Wabasso

Class 2A

  1. Sauk Centre
  2. Roseau
  3. Eden Valley-Watkins
  4. Holy Family Catholic
  5. Minnehaha Academy
  6. Rochester Lourdes
  7. Stewartville
  8. Rush City
  9. Hawley
  10. Minneapolis North
  11. Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial
  12. Annandale
  13. Lake City
  14. Jordan
  15. Foley
  16. Royalton
  17. Proctor
  18. Norwood-Young America
  19. Medford
  20. Rockford

Class 3A

  1. Alexandria
  2. Hill-Murray
  3. Holy Angels Academy
  4. St. Paul Como Park
  5. Red Wing
  6. Waseca
  7. Waconia
  8. Willmar
  9. Mankato West
  10. New Ulm
  11. Benilde-St. Margaret's
  12. Simley
  13. Becker
  14. Austin
  15. Robbinsdale Cooper
  16. DeLaSalle
  17. Northfield
  18. Grand Rapids
  19. Hibbing
  20. Fergus Falls

Class 4A

  1. Hopkins
  2. Wayzata
  3. Stillwater
  4. Farmington
  5. Eastview
  6. St. Michael-Albertville
  7. Roseville
  8. Eden Prairie
  9. Park Center
  10. Forest Lake
  11. Centennial
  12. Apple Valley
  13. Lakeville North
  14. Robbinsdale Armstrong
  15. Elk River
  16. Maple Grove
  17. Burnsville
  18. Shakopee
  19. Prior Lake
  20. Rosemount  
Minnesota High School Girls Basketball. Photo by Gordy Kosfeld
Minnesota High School Girls Basketball. Photo by Gordy Kosfeld
loading...

More From KRFO-FM