St. Paul Johnson Wins Pacesetter Sweet 16

Class AAA St. Paul Johnson won the Pacesetter Sweet 16 at St. Benedict's Sunday with an 88-86 overtime victory over Class AAAA Hopkins. Robbinsdale Cooper defeated Henry Sibley in the third place game 81-66 and St. Cloud Tech bested Sibley East 83-76 in the fifth place game.

Class AAA tied the score at 80-80 in regulation as Dion Suggs made two free throws. Ray Cowels, who committed to Santa Clara this weekend, put the Royals up 82-80 in overtime, but Suggs sank a three-pointer to put the Governors up by one point. Royce White scored and was fouled, but missed the free throw, leaving the score at 84-83. Cowles made it 86-83, but St. Paul Johnson countered to cut the margin to 86-85.

White took an ill-advised shot when the Royals were trying to milk the clock and Suggs scored an inside bucket and was fouled for a three-point play to make the score 88-86. White's layup attempt rolled out and Cowels tip-in hit the rim at the buzzer.

Hopkins was without Mike Broghammer and Marcus Williams, who are traveling with the Howard Pulley AAU team in Belgium, D.J. Peterson, who was at a church camp and Moses Sundufu was not with the team. Trent Lockett, who committed to Arizona State, did not play Sunday.

Suggs led Johnson with 24 points and Martivion Shaw added 15 points. Royce White paced Hopkins with 25 points. Cowels had 22 points and Marvin Singleton chipped in with 18.