Hornets Basketball Earns First State Tourney Bid Since '91

Following a lengthy dry spell—22 years, to be exact—the Edina Hornets basketball team is headed to the state tournament.

The Hornets defeated the Hopkins Royals 55-53 Tuesday night, Mar. 12, at Osseo High School to clinch the Section 6AAAA championship and a trip to the state basketball tournament. 

Senior Graham Woodward—and future Penn State player—led the team with 25 points, while fellow seniors Reggie Lynch and Mark Handberg contributed 15 and 10 points, respectively.

Woodward told MN Basketball Hub he was feeling plenty of Edina pride when the final horn sounded.

“I’m so proud of all my teammates,” Woodward told them. “We have all worked really hard to get where we are.”

Edina narrowly missed a state tournament trip in 2012, falling 69-55 to the Hopkins Royals. The Hornets were prepared for their Lake Conference rival this season, with Tuesday's victory marking Edina's third win over the Royals this winter.

The Hornets will hit the court at Target Center for the first round of the 2013 tournament on Wednesday, Mar. 20. Their seeding and opponent have yet to be announced.

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