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Girls basketball: 16 Rotary teams in 16 sentences

Rochester Mayo (7-1) is No. 8 ranked in Class AAAA and brings the second-best defensive average (36.4) to the tournament, led by the inside-outside combo of senior center Anna Winter (15.4 ppg) and junior guard Liv Korngable (16.1).

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John Marshall's Jamie Ruden grabs an offensive rebound triple teamed against Farmington Monday afternoon December 29, 2014 during the Rotary US Bank Holiday Classic at the Mayo Civic Center Auditorium.

• Rochester Mayo (7-1)is No. 8 ranked in Class AAAA and brings the second-best defensive average (36.4) to the tournament, led by the inside-outside combo of senior center Anna Winter (15.4 ppg) and junior guard Liv Korngable (16.1).

• Woodbury (6-1),a bracket finalist last year, returns to the tournament with a high-scoring team (61.3) that features underclassmen guards Rachel Hakes (14.9) and Cecile Kieger

• Plainview-Elgin-Millville (7-0)is No. 1 ranked in Class AA with both the highest-scoring (74.7) and best defensive (32.6) team in the 16-team tournament, and it's a 10-player deep team with four double-figure scorers led by St. Bonaventure recruit and senior guard Sarah Hart (15.0).

• Burnsville (3-4)has lost four straight, including to No. 3 Edina and No. 6 Shakopee, and the Blaze are allowing nearly 63 ppg, led by senior guard Hannah Mitby (13.0 ppg) and 6-2 junior center Emma Fee (10.7).

• Chanhassen (0-7)was a bracket finalist last year but the Storm are struggling right now at both the offensive (42.1) and defensive ends (62.9), and only one player averages double figures scoring, senior guard Nikki Lucas (10.0).

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• St. Paul Como Park (4-4)is a Class AAA team and defending bracket champion which has won two straight, averages 54 ppg, and is led by one of the state's leading scorers senior guard Andrayah Adams (29.1).

• Rochester Century (6-2)rolls into the Rotary on a four-game win streak and the Panthers can score (66.3), behind sophomore forward Kiara Lindsey (17.3) and 6-foot senior forward Kendall Kupfer (16.6).

• Farmington (2-3), back after going 0-2 in last year's Rotary tournament, is a youthful team that is averaging 47.6 points per game and gets most of its points from sophomore guards Alyssa Wagner (11.5) and Lexi Laube (10.0).

• Bloomington Kennedy (0-7)is a Class AAA team and former Rotary tournament champion (2008) that has had challenges at the defensive end (61.9) and features 6-foot-1 senior forward Lashayla Wright-Ponder (19.8)

• Osseo (5-2)went 0-2 here last year, but the Orioles are back with a high-scoring (65.6) which has won four straight and features one of the state's top scorers senior guard Kiara Russell (27.3).

• Rochester Lourdes (5-3)has five starters who are averaging between 9.7-13.1 points per game and the Eagles were fortified recently with the return of 6-foot junior center Megan Hobday (12.0) from a volleyball season knee injury.

• Waconia (7-2)is a Class AAA team whose two losses were to AAAA opponents, and the Wildcats have been outscoring teams by an average of 60-45, led by high-scoring senior guard Madelin Dammann (20.8).

• Goodhue (9-0)is the only Class A team in the tournament again but the Wildcats have the creds, No. 1 ranked and winning by nearly a 25 points per game (64.4-40.0), with a deep roster led by one of the area's best young players sophomore forward Sydney Lodermeier (15.8).

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• Lakeville North (7-1)is No. 9 ranked in AAAA and its only loss was to No. 1 Eastview, so the high-scoring Panthers (60.0) will be tough led by junior guard Temi Carda (14.2) and senior guard Sarah Krynski (11.4).

• Rochester John Marshall (6-2)had a 36-game conference win string snapped by Winona, but the youthful Rockets rebounded with a 2-point win over Mayo and they're a tough match-up with 6-foot-1 senior guard Jamie Ruden (18.0) and 6-2 senior center Nicole Fautsch (14.9).

• Chaska (2-6)was a bracket champion last year with a 1-point OT win over Mayo, and among their losses this year were No. 3 Edina and No. 6 Shakopee, so don't underestimate thled by senior forward Joanell Leggett (11.9) and senior guard Emily Waletski (11.1).

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