With the game in doubt, Hopkins used a balanced offensive attack for a championship-clinching run. Erma Walker scored 28 points to lead four players in double figures and the Royals beat Maple Grove 81-67 to win the Class 4A girls’ basketball championship Saturday night at Willams Arena. Jaliyah D iggs had 15 points, London Harris 11 and Lauren Hillesheim 10 for the third-seeded Royals (27-5), who shot 72% from the field in the second half and 57.9% for the game, to earn the school’s fourth title since 2015. Hopkins is the only school with nine state championships, breaking a tie with Rochester Lourdes. “It’s the best feeling. I’m just proud of my teammates for what we’ve accomplished and what we’ve gone through this season,” Hillesheim said. Hopkins lost to Minnetonka in last year’s title game and after lost a couple key players to injury. “We still live by ‘We’re still Hopkins,’” Harris said. “Whether everybody else believes in us or not, it’s our expectation every single year to be in this game,” said coach Tara Starks. Jordan Ode, a Michigan State commit, led the top-seeded Crimson (28-3) with 26 points and 12 rebounds. Addie Hanna finished with 14 points and Bella Hanna 11. “We did a lot of things that we wanted to do. They just made plays when they had to make plays,” said coach Mark Cook. “We expected to see 90 feet of chaos and that’s what they did. They’re extra physical. That’s what we prepared for, that’s what we were expecting, and that’s what we got. We handled it really, really well about 90% of the time. There were a few times where it got to us a little bit and they capitalized on that.” Maple Grove likes to live outside the arc but finished just 1 for 7. Hopkins was 9 for 18 from deep. “Part of the game plan was to run them off their perimeter, close out, stay under control and force them into hard shots,” Starks said. Related Articles High School Sports | Providence Academy makes it four straight by beating Crosby-Ironton for 2A crown High School Sports | Girls basketball tournament: West Central Area wins Class A title High School Sports | Girls basketball tournament: Benilde-St. Margaret’s wins third straight Class 3A title High School Sports | Girls state basketball: Crosby-Ironton dash Minnehaha Academy title dreams High School Sports | Girls basketball tournament: Eastview’s rally falls short in 4A semifinal loss to Hopkins Tied at 46 about five minutes into the second half, the Royals scored 10 straight points as part of a 21-5 run that was capped by consecutive 3-pointers by Maliyah White. Maple Grove missed 11 shots, including eight straight at one point, as the title hopes were dashed. Harris and Walker each had five points, Hillesheim had four and Inarah Nesbitt two. “Every single game we’ve played we’ve had at least four double-figure scorers,” Starks said. “Everybody just contributes, everybody has something to offer, everybody is a different player, so when you can get them to play together everybody helps everybody play to their strengths.” ...read more read less