Four consecutive state championships had only been done once before in Minnesota girls basketball history, but never in two of the biggest classes.

On Saturday, March 14, Benilde-St. Margaret’s set the standard for team success in a state where the individual talent has never been greater.

The second-seeded Red Knights faced a Stewartville squad in the Class 3A championship with a 28-game winning streak and the top seed, but it wasn’t long before they proved to be the better team in a 75-63 victory at Williams Arena.

“It’s incredible to win four,” Benilde-St. Margaret’s coach Tim Ellefson said. “I go back to the first year and the seniors we had. We talked about this is a start of something special. You look at our future success whatever that looks like, you’ll be a big part of it.”

BSM faithful and some former players at the St. Louis Park Catholic school showered the team with heavy applause during the trophy ceremony that was similar to what some fans and members of the community had experienced in years past.

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1/14

Current Michigan standout Olivia Olson was part of the first two state titles. So was Zahara Bishop, now at Seton Hall. Kendall McGee, a BSM star last year now at Creighton, was in the crowd Saturday at Williams Arena.

“Every single one of them that were in the crowd or watching [on television] were part of this four-peat,” said Sydney Friedly, who had 24 points, five rebounds and five assists in the championship game.

This time, juniors Friedly and Pressley Watkins and sophomore Zaida Jenkins, who joined their coach in the postgame news conference, talked about how special it was to win four titles in a row, a feat that had only been done by Providence Academy in Class 2A last season.

“The reason behind all of our success is how much love we have for each other,” Watkins said. “How much love we have for our seniors playing for them. Playing selfless and playing for each other just builds that family bond that’s going to stay for life.”

The senior whom the Red Knights (26-6) gave most credit to Saturday was forward Mira Wismer, who gave them the inside presence they lacked when they lost to Stewartville (29-2) on Jan. 17.

The Tigers, who hadn’t lost since falling to Lakeville South on Nov. 22, outrebounded BSM 40-27 in the first meeting. But that flipped around in the rematch. The Red Knights had a 44-34 edge on the boards, including Wismer’s 14 rebounds.

“Mira is really what holds this team together,” Watkins said. “There is never really a game where I felt like we could’ve gotten more out of Mira. She leaves everything she has on the floor. The culture of our team, she is a huge part of.”

Stewartville senior Audrey Shindelar, who had a game-high 29 points, scored 11 points during a second-half run to get the Tigers within 48-45 with 9:55 to play.

That’s when BSM’s championship experience took over.

The Red Knights got a lift from Wismer’s offensive rebound and putback on a missed free throw to start a 19-5 charge.

Junior Alivia Bell, who had 12 points, followed a three-pointer from Friedly with two free throws to make it 67-50 with under four minutes to play.

BOXSCORE: Benilde-St. Margaret’s 75, Stewartville 63

It wasn’t long until Benilde-St. Margaret’s players returning in the fall were already talking about a potential fifth consecutive state title. They only lose one senior, Wismer, in the main rotation.

“We always have younger girls coming up ready to step up,” Watkins said. “So we’re just as good in a position to win a five-peat as we were this year to win.”