Hopkins senior Zeke Nnaji (22) dunks over Wayzata's Camden Heide (23) in the second half of the Royals' 90-80 victory Friday at Hopkins. Photo: DAVID JOLES •david.joles@startribune.com
Hopkins had Zeke Nnaji. Wayzata didn’t. And that made all the difference.
The 6-foot-10 Nnaji scored 41 points and Hopkins converted 26 of 29 free throws in the second half to rally from a six-point halftime deficit to defeat Lake Conference and Section 6 rival Wayzata 90-80.
Wayzata’s constant motion and relentless ball movement had Hopkins on its heels in the first half. The Royals gave numerous drives and open looks, leading to a 43-37 halftime lead for the Trojans (14-5).
“They’re a frustrating team to play,” Nnaji said of Wayzata. “They’re all good players and they were doing as great job of driving and kicking it out.”