Sabers on to Section Championship Vs. Prior Lake on Wednesday Evening - SOLD OUT
By Bill Schleper
The #1-seeded Shakopee Sabers boys’ basketball team will take on the #2-seeded Lakers from Prior Lake in a matchup that could be one for the ages this coming Wednesday evening at Shakopee High School. Judging from the pace at which the online-only tickets sold out, students and fans know full well what this game means to both programs.
The two arch-rivals will face off in the Class 4A Section 2 Championship Game, with available tickets selling out in record time on Monday afternoon, according to the Shakopee Activities Office, leaving many disappointed, slow-fingered fans in its wake. There will be NO tickets available at the door—so if you didn’t get your tickets when they were released at 3:00 p.m. on Monday, then you are, unfortunately, out of luck for seeing the game in person—lest you have a friend with the foresight to buy an extra ticket!
Your next best option for watching the game will be to livestream it via Gametime Media’s SabersLive Channel, the official (and ONLY) live-streaming network for Shakopee Sabers activities. SabersLive is a free livestreaming service available to Saber fans and their opponents worldwide. You can tune in at https://www.shakopeesabers.com beginning at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, March 12.
The #1-seeded Sabers plucked the feathers of the Chaska Hawks this past Saturday afternoon with a dominant 82-59 victory. They had received a first-round bye in the section playoffs after earning the #1 seed with an overall record of 22-5-0. The game remained close throughout the first half, with the Sabers heading into the locker room with a 46-41 lead, thanks to a buzzer-beating three-pointer. Coach Dammann and his staff turned up the defensive intensity in the second half, limiting the Hawks to just 18 points in the final 18 minutes, securing a lopsided win for the home team.
The Sabers had the top three scorers in the game: Luke Wherley (who averages a team-high 17.3 ppg) led all scorers with 23 points, followed by Devin Pass and Eli Schroeder with 14 points each. Isaac Cordes added 10 points, Marcus Bailey had 9, and Tommy Auge chipped in 6. Jake Courts, Blake Betton, and Luke Schroeder rounded out the scoring with 2 points apiece.
Wednesday night’s game will feature the #5-ranked Sabers versus the #9-ranked Lakers in the state rankings. The Lakers (22-6-0) have a nearly identical record to the Sabers and were seeded just behind them. The two teams split their regular-season matchups 1-1, setting the stage for an intense showdown. With the winner earning a berth in the 2025 State Tournament, which begins next week, the stakes couldn’t be higher. Bragging rights will belong to the victor for years to come.
Should the Sabers win on Wednesday evening, follow this link to access the MSHSL State Tournament brackets, along with program and ticket: https://www.mshsl.org/tournaments/2025-state-class-aaaa-basketball-boys-tournament