The Minnesota Star Tribune
The Minnesota Star Tribune
The Trojans had been to five straight 4A championship games, but they were upset by No. 7 seed Apple Valley in Tuesday’s state tournament opener at Target Center.
By Marcus Fuller and Alicia Tipcke
The Minnesota Star Tribune
Apple Valley boys basketball coach David Collier teared up when asked what it meant to be part of one of the biggest upsets in the history of Minnesota’s boys basketball state tournament.
The Eagles were once a Minnesota Class 4A power during the Tyus and Tre Jones era, but this was a different group that shocked defending champion Wayzata in a 75-73 victory in the state quarterfinals Tuesday, March 24, at Target Center.
The Trojans, who won three 4A titles in five years, were trying to continue a dynasty, but they ran into a team motivated to prove it belonged among the best programs in the state again.
“It shows the resilience and the belief,” said Collier, who took the program to its first state semifinal since finishing runner-up in 2018. “In today’s landscape, when in college and high school everybody’s moving and chasing the next best thing, these guys believed.”
It was the first time the No. 2 seed fell in the Class 4A quarterfinals since Eagan defeated Park Center at the Target Center in 2024.
None of the players on Apple Valley’s current roster has a Division I basketball scholarship offer, but a top baseball prospect sealed the win down the stretch Tuesday afternoon.
Senior Ryan Christiansen, who finished with 11 points and eight rebounds, scored on the game-winning basket on a putback with 4.9 seconds left.
After Christian Wiggins’ contested layup fell short at the buzzer, Apple Valley’s fans and players celebrated the victory nobody saw coming.
“We had a sour taste in our mouth from last year and were going to keep fighting until the end,” said Christiansen, referring to a state quarterfinal loss last season. “Right place, right time. Just there to clean up the boards and put myself in the best position to score.”
The Trojans (25-4) featured Wiggins, who has signed with Iowa State and who had a game-high 27 points Tuesday, and Gophers signee Nolen Anderson, who struggled with 13 points on 5-for-18 shooting from the field, including 1-for-10 from three-point range.
Wiggins and Anderson led Wayzata to a title last season at Williams Arena, but the Trojans shot just 4-for-22 from three-point range.
The Eagles (20-10), who were 11-for-27 from the arc, were led by their own formidable tandem with Trey Parker and Camare’ Young, who had 31 points combined. Parker and Young, who both averaged 20 points last season, returned hungrier after helping break Apple Valley’s seven-year state drought in 2024-25.
“These guys could’ve gone other places,” said Collier, who was hired in 2022. “We won four games our first year, so they could’ve said, ‘I’m going to go to another culture that’s winning.’ But they stuck it out.”
The Eagles were heavy underdogs entering the state tournament after squeaking past Eagan in the section finals. The talk leading into Tuesday’s play at Target Center was whether Wayzata would play Tartan in the Class 4A state title game Saturday, March 28, at Williams Arena, especially after the top-seeded Titans cruised to a 72-44 opening win vs. No. 8 Blaine in the first quarterfinal.
Wayzata led 18-6 to open the game with Wiggins starting strong, but the Eagles used a 17-4 run to take the lead in the first half. The Trojans led 37-31 at halftime, but it was clear the game wouldn’t be the blowout most people expected.
“Last year, we came in here not knowing what to expect,” Parker said. “This year, we came in here expecting to win. We got down early but stayed together and never lost our confidence.”
Wiggins gave the Trojans a 59-55 lead on two free throws with just over seven minutes to play, but Tylan Ward’s layup started a 14-5 Apple Valley run to take control late in the game.
Ninth-grader Gio Horton, who finished with 15 points, and Parker and Ward continued to answer with big shots and drives to the rim that kept Wayzata from pulling ahead.
Wiggins tied the score at 73 with two free throws with 26 seconds remaining, but Christiansen’s clutch offensive board and basket proved this was finally Apple Valley’s moment again to win on the biggest stage.
“It was tough,” Wiggins said. “If that ball goes down, this would be a lot different. They’re well coached. They have great players. They showed it today.”
Marcus Fuller
Reporter
Marcus Fuller is Strib Varsity's Insider reporter, providing high school beat coverage, features, analysis and recruiting updates. He's a former longtime Gophers and college sports writer for the Minnesota Star Tribune.
Alicia Tipcke
Strib Varsity videographer
Alicia Tipcke is a video reporter for Strib Varsity. Prior to joining the Minnesota Star Tribune in 2025, she spent seven and a half years as a multimedia journalist and sports director for WDIO-TV in Duluth. A Stillwater native, Alicia graduated from the College of St. Scholastica in 2018.
© 2026 StarTribune. All rights reserved.
Apple Valley pulls off the shocker against defending 4A champion Wayzata in boys state basketball quarterfinals – StribVarsity
Leave a Comment
