Shakopee Rolls to 85-52 Win in Boys Basketball State Tournament Quarterfinals
By Bill Schleper
The #3-seeded Shakopee Sabers Boys’ Basketball Team showcased massive offensive firepower at Target Center in the opening round of the 2025 Class 4A Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) Boys Basketball State Tournament, thumping the #6-seeded Anoka Tornadoes (23-7) by a final score of 85-52.
Anoka took an early 4-0 lead as the Sabers turned the ball over multiple times while working through opening-round jitters. Luke Wherley put the Sabers on the board with a pair of baskets, followed by two free throws from Isaac Cordes to give Shakopee a 6-4 lead. Anoka tied the game after another Saber turnover, but Wherley sank his third bucket at the 13:30 mark, briefly putting the Sabers back in front before Anoka’s Trey Borchers knocked down a three-pointer to reclaim the lead. That was the last time Anoka would be ahead, as Cordes answered with a bucket, followed by Marcus Bailey scoring under the basket off a nice assist from Wherley. Wherley continued his strong play with a steal and a basket, extending the Sabers’ lead to 14-9 at the 11:47 mark.
Eli Schroeder then got on the board with a three-pointer, followed by another bucket from the red-hot Wherley, pushing the Sabers ahead 20-12. Anoka quickly called a timeout as Shakopee had shaken off its early jitters and found a rhythm. The timeout did little to stop the momentum—Cordes and Devin Pass each connected on three-pointers, and suddenly the Sabers were in control, leading 30-17 with just over five minutes left in the first half.
Anoka wasn’t ready to pack it in, going on a scoring run to close the gap to 37-31 with under a minute remaining in the half. Meanwhile, starter Devin Pass exited the game with early foul trouble (3). Cordes finished off the first-half scoring with a pair of free throws, sending the Sabers into halftime with a 39-31 lead in front of a Shakopee student section that appeared nearly twice the size of Anoka’s. The general admission family section for Shakopee was equally impressive.
In the second half, Wherley again opened the scoring, followed by a nice assist from the power forward to 6’11” center Tommy Auge. Auge then scored again, and the Sabers began to widen their lead. That’s when the Schroeder brothers—senior Eli and sophomore Luke—started to heat up. Big brother to little brother for a score at the 14:00 mark, followed by a four-point play from Luke, who connected on a three-pointer and the ensuing free throw. That sequence pushed the Sabers ahead by 13, and he followed it up with another basket to extend the lead to 57-42.
Bailey added an “and-one,” followed by a pair of free throws from Blake Betton. Another three-pointer from Luke Schroeder and a bucket from Auge sealed Anoka’s fate, as the Sabers took complete control.
Even as the substitutes entered, Shakopee didn’t let up. Senior Carter St. Martin knocked down a long-range three-pointer, sophomore Andrew McGee tapped in a rebound, and sophomore Daniel Chua scored with an “and-one” to put the finishing touch on an 85-52 victory. The Sabers closed the game on a dominant 36-12 run in the final 14 minutes.
Luke Wherley led all scorers with 25 points, adding eight rebounds, seven assists, and two blocks in 30 minutes of action. Eli Schroeder followed with 14 points and seven rebounds, while Cordes chipped in 12 points. Luke Schroeder contributed nine points off the bench.
The Sabers advance to the semifinal round, where they will face the #2-seeded Wayzata Trojans following their 61-52 quarterfinal victory over #7-seeded Moorhead. The matchup will take place Thursday at 8:00 p.m. at Williams Arena (1925 University Ave. SE, Minneapolis, MN) on the University of Minnesota campus. The game will be broadcast live on 45TV and streamed online at www.prep45.com.
A win on Thursday would send the Sabers to the championship game on Saturday at 8:00 p.m. at Williams Arena, where they would face the winner of the #1-seeded Cretin-Derham Hall vs. #4-seeded Maple Grove matchup.
• Semifinal and final games will be broadcast live on 45TV and streamed at www.prep45.com.
• State tournament tickets can be purchased online at MSHSL Tickets.
• State tournament souvenir programs can be found at MSHSL Programs.
