The girls basketball state championship matches are set for Minnesota’s biggest high schools.

Today, the smallest schools compete for a spot in Saturday’s championships at Williams Arena.

There are four games today, and we’ll be updating this live report from Williams Arena. Go here for today’s scores and schedule as you read yesterday’s recap. Other stories — and much more — are available on Strib Varsity’s Girls Basketball Hub, as well as the complete brackets for 4A, 3A, 2A and 1A.

. . .

1A: Six-seed seeking upset?

Central Minnesota Christian is hanging with No. 2 seed Sleepy Eye Saint Mary’s. The No. 6 Bluejays have scored four straight points to take a 31-30 lead into halftime. They are not backing down. Last year, the Knights had a four-point lead on No. 7 MACCRAY in this same semifinal game and lost.

Will history repeat itself or will the Knights get the win this year?

— Joe Gunther

1A: Knights, Bluejays all tied up

Sienna Duininck made a three-pointer with 9:29 left in the first half to give Central Minnesota Christian its first lead of the game. Sleepy Eye Saint Mary’s came right back to tie the game on a layup by Olivia Scheiffert.

— Joe Gunther

1A: Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s vs. Central Minnesota Christian underway in second semifinal

North Dakota State bound guard Morgan Mathiowetz already made two three’s to give Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s a quick 6-0 lead. Central Minnesota Christian responded with seven straight points, but the Knights scored two points to have a 8-7 lead.

— Joe Gunther

1A, Final: Mountain Iron-Buhl 78, Hillcrest Lutheran Academy 56

Mountain Iron-Buhl advances to the championship game with a 78-56 victory over Hillcrest Lutheran. The Rangers will face the winner of the Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s vs. Central Minnesota Christian matchup, coming up next.

— Joe Gunther

1A: Neyens up to 30 points

Anna Neyens got up to 30 points for Mountain Iron-Buhl on 10-of-13 from the floor and 8-of-11 on three-pointers.

Hillcrest Lutheran battled hard to the end, but it was not enough to keep up with Mountain Iron-Buhl. The Rangers lead 74-56 with 1:43 left and the starters are exiting for both teams.

The Rangers showed why they have been the top team in Class 1A all season.

— Joe Gunther

1A: MIB takes double digit lead

Mountain Iron-Buhl is starting to assert its dominance. The Rangers have opened the second half outscoring the Comets 12-4 in the first 4:57. The Comets have really gone cold. They have missed their last five shots and turned the ball over four times in the last 3:20. The Rangers lead has grown to 51-38.

— Joe Gunther

Cheers to Maddyn Greenway, Chloe Johnson and Minnesota’s premier point guards

The basketball courts at Williams Arena and Maturi Pavilion sit less than a 60-second walk apart. Two venues, two courts, easy access for hoops fans wanting to consume as much of the girls basketball state tournament as possible this week.

Unless the objective is to watch all the elite point guards in action. That’s a problem.

There are too many for one person to observe without missing somebody.

Spend a few days at the showcase event and it’s clear that Minnesota is a province of point guards. College coaches in need of a floor leader would be wise to buy a ticket and take notes.

Find out who Chip Scoggins listed as the premier PG’s here.

1A: MIB starter sidelined with injury

Mountain Iron-Buhl appears to be without starting guard sophomore guard Izzy Wiita for the rest of the game. She is on the bench to start the second half with her arm in a sling. She was second on the team in scoring this season, but had five points and three assists before exiting with 3:17 left in the first half.

— Joe Gunther

1A: Hustle gives MIB the lead

Mountain Iron-Buhl started to win the hustle battle down the stretch of the first half. The Rangers took the lead against Hillcrest Lutheran at 49-34 entering halftime after trailing most of the half. Anna Neyens scored nine points to lead the Ranges on a 15-4 run over the last four minutes. The Comets shot just 1-of-5 from the floor and turned the ball over three times in that span.

— Joe Gunther

1A: Rangers finding a rhythm

Mountain Iron-Buhl has cut into the deficit. The Rangers have trimmed it down to four after trailing by as much as 11. Hillcrest Lutheran has gone cold, making three of its last nine shots, including going 1-for-5 from beyond the arc over the last 4 1/2 minutes. Hillcrest leads 30-24 with 3:16 left in the first half.

— Joe Gunther

1A: Comets in control vs. No. 1 team

Hillcrest Lutheran has control of this game. The Comets, making their state tournament debut, went on a 15-5 run to take a 21-10 lead. They are out battling Mountain Iron-Buhl on both ends of the floor. The Comets have three steals and six rebounds compared to the Rangers one steal and three rebounds.

— Joe Gunther

1A: Hillcrest Lutheran takes early lead

Four minutes into the game, Hillcrest Lutheran leads Mountain Iron-Buhl 9-5. Hillcrest is getting its buckets by crashing the glass. They are outrebounding the Rangers 5-0.

— Joe Gunther

Pregame: Mountain Iron-Buhl vs. Hillcrest Lutheran Academy

Mountain Iron-Buhl and Hillcrest Lutheran Academy are set to battle in the first Class 1A semifinal game at Williams Arena.

The Rangers have been the favorite to win the state title all season. They held the No. 1 spot in the coach’s poll since Week 1. They entered the tournament as the No. 1 seed after cruising through the Section 7 playoffs.

The Rangers (29-1) are on a six-game winning streak after losing to Rock Ridge on Feb. 10. They are led by Anna Neyens and Izzy Wiita. They both average over 16 points per game. Farrah Thomas also averages in double figures at 11.4 points per game.

The Comets (29-2) have earned the No. 4 seed and a spot in the semifinal round on the back of a 14-game winning streak. Sisters Elin and Elsa Retzlaff led the Comets in the quarterfinal round with 31 and 18 points, respectively.

Free throw shooting could be the difference maker for either team. The Comets made 11-of-16 shots from the line, including Elin Retzlaff’s 9-of-12. On the other hand, the Rangers were 9-of-21 against Braham.

— Joe Gunther