HOPKINS, Minn. — The Wayzata Trojans punched their ticket to the state tournament Tuesday night with a hard-fought 76-72 victory over the Hopkins Royals in the Section 6AAAA championship at Hopkins High School.
Wayzata came out firing, racing to a 22-11 lead midway through the first half with crisp ball movement, strong rebounding, and deadly accuracy from beyond the arc. Hopkins, meanwhile, struggled to find its rhythm offensively, shooting inconsistently and committing costly turnovers. Despite their early struggles, the Royals clawed their way back late in the first half, trimming Wayzata’s lead to 34-27 at the break.
The second half was a battle of momentum swings. Hopkins managed to tie the game at 69-69, but Wayzata seized control in the closing minutes. With under five minutes remaining, Hopkins’ Jayden Moore fouled out, and head coach Ken Novak was assessed a technical foul. Wayzata’s Christian Wiggins stepped up and calmly drained two free throws, then helped the Trojans extend the lead to 11 points on the next possession. Hopkins fought to stay in the game but couldn’t recover as Wayzata’s defense held firm.
Wiggins led the way with 31 points and 4 assists, shooting an efficient 8-of-11 from the field while knocking down six three-pointers, and also a run of 10 points early in the second half. He was near flawless from the free-throw line in the final minutes, ensuring the Trojans stayed ahead. Isaac Olmstead contributed across the board with 9 points, 5 rebounds, and 6 assists and hit two clutch 3-pointers late in the game, while Wyatt McBeth had a crucial impact on both ends, finishing with 11 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 blocks, including a key rejection in the closing seconds to seal the victory. Nolen Anderson anchored the interior, pulling down 8 rebounds to go along with 4 points.
For Hopkins, Anthony Smith led the Royals with 21 points and 6 rebounds, but struggled from the field, shooting just 6-of-16 despite making four three-pointers. Tre Moore recorded a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds, while Davion Hart and JJ Semanko each added 16 points, with Hart going 8-of-10 from the free-throw line.
With the victory, Wayzata avenged an earlier season loss to Hopkins and secured their spot in the state tournament with a 26-2 record. The game was well officiated, and had a host of Hopkins staff and administrators positioned around the perimeter of the court to prevent any issue during or after the game.
With their victory over Hopkins on March 11, 2025, the Wayzata High School boys’ basketball team secured their fifth consecutive berth in the Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) Class AAAA state tournament. This achievement adds to their recent record of state tournament appearances, which includes championships in 2021 and 2023, and runner-up finishes in 2022 and 2024. Notably, the 2025 appearance marks their seventh state tournament participation since 2017.
