APPLE VALLEY, MN -- New year, same recent results. What once was a close showdown has now become a lopsided affair in the Breakdown USA Border Battle.

Minnesota straight took it to Wisconsin on Saturday at Apple Valley High School, winning six of seven games, to solidify the state's dominance and extend the series lead to 40-24 in the 11th year of the event.

FINAL RESULTS

What was more impressive than Minnesota taking the final six games of an action-packed day were some of the performances on display from both states. There was no shortage of talent from players who will make an impact at the high-major level in the coming years.

KING OF THE COURT

At the rate Kobe King was scoring, hearing his name Saturday afternoon time and time again made it feel like there was an echo in the gym. There wasn't, though. There wasn't a glitch in the public address system. The LaCrosse Central and Wisconsin-bound senior wing was simply that good.

Despite a 15-point loss to Lakeville North and fellow Wisconsin signee Nathan Reuvers (33 points), King had the most impressive showing of anyone on the court Saturday with 49 points and 14 rebounds.



Sure, a win would have been sweeter, but the efficiency of King connecting on 17 of 28 shots from the field is nothing to take lightly.

THE "LITTLE" GIANT

With a 6-foot-6 and powerful frame, calling Minnehaha Academy's JaVonni Bickham little would not be accurate. However, when his task was to guard Prescott's 7-foot-1 center, Owen Hamilton, it brings even more appreciation for the performance the junior put up.

Yes, Bickham surrendered some height to Hamilton, who had 27 points and nine rebounds, but for what he lacked in size, he made up for in smarts.

In this case, Bickham was brilliant and scored 30 points and snatched 12 rebounds to help Minneapolis' Minnehaha Academy secure an 81-73 win over Prescott (WI). He used his athleticism to run the floor for buckets and even stepped outside to knock down four 3-pointers. It was a great display of his scoring arsenal, especially when stud freshman Jalen Suggs struggled most of the contest with foul trouble.

A GREAT 1-2 PUNCH

Most teams would be happy with either a strong, reliable floor leader or a dominant big man. Cretin-Derham Hall (MN) has both.

While Daniel Oturu, a 6-foot-9 junior Minnesota commit, shined his way to 30 points, eight rebounds and five blocks by using his great athleticism to impact both ends of the court, it was junior point guard Ryan Larson who set the tone during the Raiders' 71-68 victory over Stevens Point (WI).

To put it mildly, Larson was everywhere. He finished with 16 points, seven rebounds, six assists and four steals to stuff the stat sheet, and there was nothing quiet about his performance.

When Cretin-Derham Hall trailed in the first half, there was Larson getting the steal and pushing the ball in transition. When it needed a timely shot, he was there to calmly knock it down.

Then, when the Raiders were looking to put the game away, Oturu, the No. 29 prospect in 2018, would come clean up a miss with a big rebound or with a nasty putback dunk.



It's a dangerous combination, and when those two play at that level, it's a tough squad to beat.

MR. EFFICIENT

DeLaSalle (MN) doesn't lack scoring options. After all, seven players scored at least eight points in the commanding 97-65 win over Kaukauna (WI). Yet, none were as efficient as Gabe Kalscheur.

The junior scored 25 points on 9-for-13 shooting before fouling out in the second half.

Kalsheur was feeling it, and nobody on Kaukauna was ever close to stopping him.

DOING IT ALL

Asking what makes Apple Valley's Tre Jones so special is a loaded question. The answer, however, is rather obvious. He does it all.

For the second time on FloHoops this season, Jones notched a triple-double. This time, it was 12 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in a comfortable 66-46 win over Milwaukee Riverside (WI).

Perhaps most importantly, Jones is not scared to get after it on the defensive end. The 6-foot-2 point guard flustered Riverside's Terrence Lewis all night, face-guarding and forcing him to take long, contested jumpers to get 19 points on 24 shots.

Although his scoring numbers didn't wow the home crowd, they didn't have to Saturday. The Flo40 junior impacts the game at all times and on so many levels.

SLIGHTLY OFF

For Joey Hauser, it was just one of those games on the hardwood. Some of it had to do with the defensive schemes of the opponent. The other parts were he just couldn't connect on shots.

Still, the 2018 Flo40 prospect from Stevens Point (WI) had 22 points and 11 rebounds in the loss to Cretin-Derham Hall, but he made only 8 of 24 shots in nearly 31 minutes.

The talent is most certainly there. Posting a double-double without a good game is a reflection of that. But it was noticeably frustrating to not be at his best in a close loss.