Final results from state semifinals: Providence Academy, Duluth Marshall to play for title
Strib VarsityStar guards Maddyn Greenway and Chloe Johnson will face off for the 2A crown on Saturday, while Mountain Iron-Buhl and Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s will square off in 1A.
By Cassidy Hettesheimer and Joe Gunther
The Minnesota Star Tribune
The four girls basketball state championship matches are set.
There were four semifinals at Williams Arena on Friday, March 13, to determine the matchups for the 1A and 2A state title games. For more on 3A and 4A, read Thursday’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.
. . .
Yet another stellar 2A title matchup
Perhaps Minnesota Star Tribune columnist Chip Scoggins had a premonition when he wrote about all the standout point guards that spectators can see at this year’s girls basketball state tournament.
Perhaps a crystal ball told him that Providence Academy senior point guard Maddyn Greenway and Duluth Marshall sophomore point guard Chloe Johnson would be matching up in this year’s Class 2A title game, set for 4:30 p.m. Saturday at Williams Arena.
Or Scoggins just used his eyes, and knows good basketball when he sees it.
Johnson’s 36-point, 12-rebound, five-block performance helped the No. 2 Hilltoppers pull away from No. 3 New London-Spicer in the second half of their 71-56 victory in the second Class 2A semifinal on Friday. The Wildcats held Johnson, the nation’s No. 3 recruit in the 2028 class, to 14 points in the first half, but other Hilltoppers like junior guard Morgan Lucero knocked down shots. And when the Wildcats turned to defend the other Hilltoppers, the 6-foot Johnson sealed the deal late.
“At the beginning, we definitely held our ground,” New London-Spicer senior guard Ayla Caskey said. “Once they started setting on-ball screens, it was a lot harder to get around and defend her as long and keep up with her.”
Said New London-Spicer assistant coach Joey Dreier: “When Chloe took over, she took over. She was hitting a bunch of midrange shots. She was finishing at the free-throw line. She was going up there strong.”
The other key difference down the stretch, said Duluth Marshall coach CJ Osuchukwu, was offensive rebounding. The Wildcats had size on the Hilltoppers, and Osuchukwu initially stopped counting after New London-Spicer’s ninth offensive rebound. He just knew they had “so many,” even if the Hilltoppers were forcing tough shots.
“I just told them, in the second half, if we can slow them down on the offensive glass, it should be a 20-point game,” Osuchukwu said.
The Hilltoppers, in their first appearance in a state title game, will take on Providence Academy, the four-time defending state champion. It’s the second year in a row that the Lions will face the winner of a tough Section 7 for the title, after beating Crosby-Ironton last year. The Rangers made it out of Section 7 the previous three seasons before Marshall did this year.
“As a team, [reaching the championship] was one of our biggest goals,” Johnson said. “I think a lot of people didn’t even have us getting to the state tournament. So it’s really fun to be able to prove who we are and that we belong here.”
— Cassidy Hettesheimer
2A, Final: Duluth Marshall 71, New London-Spicer 56
The No. 2 Hilltoppers stifled No. 3 New London-Spicer in the first half, then relied on a big second half from All-Minnesota sophomore guard Chloe Johnson to book their first-ever trip to a state title game.
Duluth Marshall will face four-time defending champ Providence Academy, the No. 1 seed, at 4:30 p.m. Saturday.
Johnson scored 22 second-half points to finish the game with 36 on 10-for-19 shooting. She added 12 rebounds, five assists and five blocks, stepping up as a few key Hilltoppers found themselves in foul trouble down the stretch. She earned some well-deserved “MVP” chants from the Marshall student section in the game’s final minutes. Junior guard Morgan Lucero was sharp from three for Marshall, shooting 4-for-8 from deep, with all of her makes coming in the first half. Senior Carine Berger finished with 11 points and four first-half steals.
Keep an eye on Korbin Tanner for New London-Spicer. The 6-2 freshman power forward will certainly be key to the Wildcats’ success in future seasons. She finished Friday’s semifinal with 20 points and 13 rebounds.
— Cassidy Hettesheimer
2A: Crunch time Chloe Johnson
Chloe Johnson won’t let New London-Spicer get any bit of momentum.
New London-Spicer senior Ayla Caskey hit a three and then grabbed a steal on the other end of the floor, looking for a five-point Wildcats swing. But Johnson got her fourth block of the night on Caskey’s drive into the paint, and then hit her second three of the game. On the next possession, Johnson was sent to the line and made both free throws. While Johnson spent some of the first half dishing the ball, she’s taken control of this one down the stretch.
Duluth Marshall leads 63-50 with 3:14 to play.
— Cassidy Hettesheimer
2A: Candice Ndomb out
Duluth Marshall starting guard Candice Ndomb fouls out with 5:47 to play after a six-point, seven-rebound night. After the New London-Spicer cut its deficit to 53-47, Duluth Marshall sophomore Chloe Johnson sunk a three and then hit a pull-up jumper to give her 25 points and push the Hilltoppers’ lead back to 11 with 5:04 remaining. That forces a Wildcats timeout.
— Cassidy Hettesheimer
2A: More foul trouble
That’s four fouls for Duluth Marshall’s sharpshooting guard Morgan Lucero with less than eight minutes to play and the Hilltoppers up 49-44. She’s the second Duluth Marshall player one foul away from missing crunch time in this semifinal.
— Cassidy Hettesheimer
2A: Chloe Johnson stays strong
Duluth Marshall leads New London-Spicer 49-42 with 9:28 to play.
To say Chloe Johnson has looked strong this half might imply that she hadn’t already started strong in the first, but she’s looked sharp here as the Hilltoppers try to see this one out. She’s 5-for-10 from the floor after finishing a tough and-one, and is up to 21 points, eight rebounds and two blocks. On her fourth assist of the night, she found Cairin Berger for a corner three.
However, Wildcats senior Taylor Munsch hit her third three-pointer of the game to claw New London-Spicer back into this one; the team has already made four three-pointers this half, after hitting just two in the first.
— Cassidy Hettesheimer
2A: Wildcats’ final push
New London-Spicer called a timeout with a dozen minutes to play trailing 43-34, looking to regroup and string together a run. Taylor Munsch hit a three out of the timeout to cut the Hilltoppers’ lead to six.
Freshman Korbin Tanner, a 6-2 power forward, has impressed for the Wildcats. She already has a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds. But Duluth Marshall has manage to limit reliable New London-Spicer scorer Ayla Caskey, who is shooting 1-for-12 from the field and 1-for-8 from three.
— Cassidy Hettesheimer
2A: Chloe Johnson’s quick eight
Duluth Marshall has a 39-28 lead five minutes into the second half. Candice Ndomb sank a three to open the half. Chloe Johnson beat two defenders for a tough layup and later hit a pullup jumper to keep the Hilltoppers ahead.
New London-Spicer keeps getting to the line, where they’re 8-for-13.
Ndomb, with six points, is up to four personal fouls and heads to the bench. Johnson is up to 18 points.
— Cassidy Hetteheimer
2A: Unexpected added suspense
The score on both the in-arena scoreboard and live stats has been changed to 30 for the Hilltoppers, negating one Duluth Marshall basket, so that’s a seven-point lead to start the half for the Hilltoppers (30-23).
Once players finished a brief halftime warmup and took the court for the second-half tipoff, we had a 5-10 minute delay due to troubles with the game clock and electronic scoreboard. Rival student sections played rock-paper-scissors, then a wave traveled around Williams Arena that even the New London-Spicer players began participating in while waiting for the game to resume.
— Cassidy Hettesheimer
2A, halftime: Duluth Marshall ahead at the break
The Hilltoppers are up 32-23 over New London-Spicer at halftime, having never trailed. Their defense held the Wildcats to just 21.2% shooting from the floor and generated nine steals. The Wildcats at least have the rebounding edge, 36-16, grabbing 18 offensive boards for 11 second-chance points.
For Duluth Marshall, junior Morgan Lucero lit it up from deep, shooting 4-for-6 from three. Point guard Chloe Johnson is up to a team-high 14 points.
— Cassidy Hettesheimer
2A: Berger breaking it down
With five minutes to play in the first half, the Hilltoppers lead 25-13 and continue to put on a scrambling defensive clinic. The Wildcats are 0-for-10 from three and just 4-for-26 from the floor. However, they are 5-for-6 from the line, and Korbin Tanner’s got a team-high six points.
Duluth Marshall senior Cairin Berger is up to four steals, and Morgan Lucero is 3-for-5 from three. Chloe Johnson has a team-best 10 points for Marshall.
— Cassidy Hettesheimer
2A: Duluth Marshall dominating on defense
The Hilltoppers have four steals in the game’s first eight minutes, including two from senior Cairin Berger. They’ve held New London-Spicer to 1-for-13 shooting early and lead 18-5.
— Cassidy Hettesheimer
2A: Hilltoppers ahead early
Six quick points from junior Morgan Lucero, who is shooting 2-for-3 from three, have helped Duluth Marshall build an early 12-3 lead just over four minutes in, forcing a New London-Spicer timeout.
— Cassidy Hettesheimer
Providence Academy wins battle of the boards
Four-time defending Class 2A champion Providence Academy was uncharacteristically cold in the first half of its state semifinal against Perham. The Lions needed to win the battle of the defensive boards to spring their signature fast breaks, led by speedy point guard Maddyn Greenway, and get second-chance points on the offensive glass.
Junior Lexi Nicolai set the tone for the Lions, finishing with a team-high 14 boards despite playing limited minutes in the second half due to foul trouble. Greenway finished with 12 rebounds, and junior guard Emma Millbernd added 10.
Nicolai, a 5-11 power forward, has stepped up this season after the graduation of former all-state 6-2 post player Hope Counts, who headed to play Division I ball at Lipscomb.
“For Lexi to go in and fill those shoes is so massive,” Providence head coach Conner Goetz said. “We’re a very small team, so we need that interior presence. What she’s been able to provide for us, all the dirty work, all the little things, it’s truly not describable, because it’s just the heart and soul of what we do.”
Nicolai has been a steady rock for the Lions this season, even as she’s been adjusting to an increased minutes load, Greenway said.
“The way she carries herself is really something I look up to, in a way, even though she’s younger than me,” Greenway said. “There were some rough patches. Hopkins was our second game of the season. She kind of got tossed around a little bit, just to be honest, and the way that she responded and takes it in … she wants to [grow].”
“She’s the calming presence I look to when things aren’t going well,” Greenway added.
The Lions outrebounded the Yellowjackets 55-35. Perham head coach TJ Super said the absence of Addison Draeger, who was out injured, and injury limitations to Lauren Gjerde hurt the Yellowjackets on the glass.
— Cassidy Hettesheimer
2A, Pregame: Who gets to face Providence Academy?
Next up, it’s No. 2 Duluth Marshall vs. No. 3 New London-Spicer to see who gets to try to snap the Lions’ four-year title streak.
Duluth Marshall, last at state in 2021, is seeking its first spot in a state title game, led by standout sophomore point guard Chloe Johnson. The last time the Hilltoppers were at state, Gianna Kneepkens — now a pro-bound senior standout at UCLA — scored a record 67 points in a quarterfinal loss to Providence Academy. Duluth Marshall came close in 2020, too. The Hilltoppers were headed to the semifinals before COVID-19 paused their tournament.
Duluth Marshall beat Sauk Centre 66-35 in this year’s quarterfinal, with 35 points and 16 rebounds from Johnson.
Meanwhile, the Wildcats program oozes state tournament experience: They’ve made 21 trips, led by the state’s all-time winningest basketball coach, Mike Dreier. They’ve made the trip to Williams Arena as recently as 2024 but their last title came in 2002. New London-Spicer beat Minnehaha Academy 55-48 in its quarterfinal, led by 17 points for Korbin Tanner and 16 for Taylor Munsch.
— Cassidy Hettesheimer
1A Preview: No. 1 and No. 2 to face off for title
Mountain Iron-Buhl and Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s have been at the top of the Class 1A rankings all season.
Those two teams remain on top heading into last day of the season. They’ll play for the title at noon Saturday, March 14, at Williams Arena.
Read more about the matchup here.
— Joe Gunther
2A, Final: Providence Academy 72, Perham 49
Though the snowstorm isn’t supposed to start until Sunday, Providence Academy, team-wide, had to weather a few patches of cold shooting Friday.
The Lions instead dominated on the fast break (17 points, to Perham’s none) and on the boards (54-35) to book a trip to the Class 2A championship game Saturday with a chance to win a fifth straight title. The Lions outscored the Yellowjackets 39-18 in the second half.
Maddyn Greenway led Providence Academy with 30 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists, while Lexi Nicolai grabbed 14 boards and Emma Millerbernd added 10. Lily Sabers scored 14 points for the Lions.
Senior Kaia Anderson led Perham with 26 points, including 17 in the first half. She shot 6-for-12 from three.
— Cassidy Hettesheimer
2A: Final four minutes
The Lions hold a 64-45 lead with 3:30 left. Though Providence Academy’s looks from deep have been hit-or-miss, the team is dominating on the fast break, with 17 fast-break points to the Yellowjackets’ zero. The Lions have outscored the Yellowjackets 31-14 this half.
Lexi Nicolai, Providence Academy’s leading rebounder, picked up her fourth foul with 10:50 remaining in the game. She’s sat for a large part of this back stretch, but her teammates have done a solid job grabbing boards in her place.
— Cassidy Hettesheimer
2A: Providence Academy inches closer to title game return
Providence Academy leads Perham 58-43 with just over six minutes remaining. Kaia Anderson, after scoring 17 points in the first half, hit a big Perham three here in the second but has otherwise largely had to defer to others beyond the arc.
Maddyn Greenway is up to 26 points, eight rebounds and six assists for the Lions. She is 10-for-28 from the floor but has found teammates for a few key buckets.
— Cassidy Hettesheimer
2A: Final stretch
With 11 minutes to play, Providence Academy leads Perham 51-38. The Lions have it more difficult for the Yellowjackets to get buckets, and they also hold a 40-26 rebounding edge (including a 15-3 advantage on the offensive glass). Lexi Nicolai is up to 13 boards for the Lions, and Emma Millerbernd has nine.
— Cassidy Hettesheimer
2A: Lions come out strong in second half
Providence Academy opens the first 2:29 of the second half with a 9-2 run to take a 42-33 lead. Maddyn Greenway sank two threes, one fed by a particularly tough board from Lexi Nicolai, and Beckett Greenway added another.
— Cassidy Hettesheimer
2A, halftime: Back-and-forth battle
At the break, it’s Providence Academy 33, Perham 31. Providence Academy gets some last-minute separation with a layup from Stella Serie in the final minute of the half.
The star of the half was Perham senior guard Kaia Anderson, a Southwest Minnesota State commit. She scored 17 points and was automatic from three, shooting 5-for-6 from beyond the arc. The Yellowjackets shot 7-for-14 from three-point range as a team in the first half.
The Lions didn’t have the same success from deep, going 5-for-21, but they were able to grab five steals and generate eight fast-break points. Junior forward Lexi Nicolai and junior guard Emma Millerbernd were called on to do some tough work in the post, with eight and seven rebounds, respectively. Providence Academy is shooting 33.3% from the floor, Perham 39.3%. Maddyn Greeway has a team-high 12 points for the Lions.
— Cassidy Hettesheimer
2A: Perham connecting from deep
Perham, up 23-22 with just under five minutes to play in the first half, has started 5-for-9 from beyond the arc. Kaia Anderson’s done a good job to make herself available, popping out at the top of the arc to sink her third three of the game, while Regan Hemberger made another from the corner. On the other end of the floor, the Yellowjackets are rotating well. Shots are still tough to come by for the Lions.
— Cassidy Hettesheimer
2A: Providence Academy’s shooting woes continue
Halfway through the first half: Perham 13, Providence Academy 12. The Lions have forced four Perham turnovers and have given up none of their own, but are 2-for-14 from deep. Kaia Anderson makes a tough bucket in the paint for the Yellowjackets. She’s up to 8 points.
— Cassidy Hettesheimer
2A: Providence Academy settling in
A third of the way through the first half, Providence Academy is settling in and has taken a 12-9 lead. The Lions are now 5-for-18 from the floor after starting 1-for-13. Perham is 3-for-8. Maddyn Greenway is up to five points for the Lions.
Perham senior Kaia Anderson sunk her second three of the afternoon, this one from the corner, grabbing the ball after a block from Lexi Nicolai on a Yellowjackets teammate. Anderson’s six points lead the Yellowjackets.
— Cassidy Hettesheimer
2A: Shots won’t fall for Lions
Three minutes into this one, Providence Academy is still looking to find its rhythm after starting 1-for-13 from the field. The Lions were 0-for-7 on their first two possessions, with hustle plays from freshman Beckett Greenway and Lexi Nicolai leading to offensive rebounds.
On the other end, senior Kaia Anderson sunk a three-pointer for Perham and Sophie Nelson went 1-for-2 from the line to give her team an early 4-0 lead. The Lions get their first bucket three minutes in, a layup from junior from Emma Millerbernd, to make it 4-2.
— Cassidy Hettesheimer
First 2A semifinal underway
After player intros, we’ve tipped off here at Williams Arena, after the public address announcer made sure all the spectators at this Class 2A semifinal between Providence Academy and Perham had heard about the time change for Saturday’s championship game.
— Cassidy Hettesheimer
MSHSL changes championship schedule because of weather forecast
The Minnesota State High School League has changed the schedule for two of the four girls basketball state championship games happening Saturday, March 14, at Williams Arena with a snowstorm that could land on the list of the Twin Cities’ all-time biggest expected to slam the state this weekend.
Blizzard conditions and snowfall exceeding 12-18 inches are possible across much of Minnesota, the National Weather Service says.
The MSHSL adjusted the start times for the Class 2A and 4A games, from 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. The Class 1A and 3A games remain as scheduled for noon and 2 p.m.
2A semifinals pregame: Providence’s push for five
First up in the 2A semifinals: No. 1 Providence Academy vs. No. 5 Perham. The Lions (26-4) are looking for a fifth straight state title, already the only program in Minnesota girls basketball to string together a consecutive quartet. Senior point guard Maddyn Greenway, the Kentucky-bound 2026 All-Minnesota Girls Basketball Player of the Year, dropped a casual 53 points, 13 assists and seven rebounds in the Lions’ 103-68 quarterfinal win over Central Public Schools, pulling away in the second half.
Perham (25-4), seeking a spot in its first title game on the program’s third trip to state in four years, took down No. 4 Rochester Lourdes 66-63 in its closely-contested quarterfinal. Senior Kaia Anderson (a Southwest Minnesota State commit and the Yellowjackets’ leading scorer, averaging over 16 points per game), sophomore Regan Hemberger and freshman Ashtyn Kunza combined for 52 points in that win.
Perham ran into Providence Academy in the 2024 Class 2A quarterfinals, falling 94-84 in a high-scoring battle.
— Cassidy Hettesheimer
NDSU commit carries team to first ever championship game
Morgan Mathiowetz single-handedly carried Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s past Central Minnesota Christian in the semifinal round of the Class 1A girls basketball state tournament at Williams Arena on Friday.
She made her fifth three-pointer of the day with 29 seconds left to seal the 53-47 victory for the Knights.
Mathiowetz finished the game with 32 points on 11-of-24 shooting. She added six rebounds, four steals and three assists to lead the Knights. The rest of the Knights had 19 points combined, including 10 from Olivia Schieffert.
“Morgan does Morgan things,” Central Minnesota Christian head coach Brian Nelson said. “She makes that run where it goes 10 points. She blitzes you where she makes a couple threes. She is a phenomenal player.”
The Knights (31-1) were the favorite as the No. 2 seed going up against the No. 6 seeded Bluejays. Last season, in this same quarterfinal game, the Knights, then the No. 3 seed, lost to seventh-seeded MACCRAY. This time it worked out differently for the Knights.
“[We had] trust in each other. We’re the same team as we were last year,” Knights senior Natalie Fischer said. “We knew we could do it. It went down to the wire last year too. We said right before we need to have so much confidence into this game.”
The Knights trailed most of the game until taking the lead for good on a free throw by Mathiowetz with 5:57 left.
Anna Neyens leads Rangers back to 1A championship game
Anna Neyens took it upon herself to make sure Mountain Iron-Buhl would not lose in the semifinal of the Class 1A girls basketball state tournament on Friday.
Against Hillcrest Lutheran Academy, Neyens finished with 30 points on 10-of-13 shooting, including 8-of-11 from beyond the arc, in a 78-56 victory.
The junior was sparked by the loss of teammate Izzy Wiita, who had five points before exiting with a wrist injury in the first half.
“Izzy is one of my best friends. So I really felt like I needed to step up for her,” Neyens said.
Wiita is the team’s second-leading scorer this season.
“It’s always bittersweet when we have an injury like that,” Rangers head coach Jeff Buffetta said. “We knew we had to fight through the fact that we lost a starter.
“When it happened, I liked how these [players] decided together to make plays and win this for her.”
The Comets (29-3) led by as much as 12 in the first half, but struggled to score and keep up with the Rangers (30-1) in the second half. The Comets made just 8-of-33 shots in the second half, including 2-of-14 from beyond the arc.
Eighth-grade starting guard Elin Retzlaff had a team-high 29 points for the Hillcrest Lutheran Academy. She recorded her 1,000th career point on a layup in the second half.
A three-time defending champ vs. the No. 1 seed. Who’s the favorite?
Benilde-St. Margaret’s girls basketball coach Tim Ellefson knew the question was coming after his team advanced to the Class 3A basketball championship for the fourth consecutive season this week.
Ellefson’s face didn’t light up, though, with the thought of focusing on the rare four-peat.
“It’s really not about that,” said Ellefson, who hopes the Red Knights (25-6) have what it takes to beat No. 1 seed Stewartville (29-1) in the title game on Saturday at Williams Arena. “It is a special run but we have more work to do.”
Only one team has won four consecutive titles before in Minnesota girls basketball history, with Providence Academy doing so in Class 2A last year. So obviously the chance for BSM to make history was a hot topic. Not so much for the coach.
“This team is just trying to win one. It’s a different team,” Ellefson added. “We do rely on some of that past experience, but it’s really not about the fourth one. It’s really about this year. Some kids in this locker room have never been here before.”
Junior starters Pressley Watkins and Sydney Friedly looked over at their head coach and nodded their heads on Thursday as if they understood the mentality. Don’t look ahead.
The Red Knights, seeded second in the bracket, are underdogs in Saturday’s final against Stewartville, a team on a 28-game winning streak that beat BSM 85-76 on Jan. 17.
Continue reading: Class 3A championship preview: Benilde-St. Margaret’s vs. Stewartville
Can Rosemount dethrone reigning champion Hopkins? Easier said than done.
Only once in the last decade has Hopkins not reached a girls basketball state title game. Rosemount players remember that season well.
While sitting in the stands at Target Center in April 2021, several Rosemount middle schoolers watched their future high school basketball program fall just short of its first state championship, losing 45-43 to Chaska.
“We had one back-door play …” junior guard Amisha Ramlall recalled, trailing off.
“That last shot …” her sophomore sister, Ashna Ramlall, chimed in, referring to Chaska’s game-winning layup with 5.7 seconds to play.
Rosemount head coach Chris Orr dropped his head in his hands, though not looking too dejected coming off Thursday’s 65-64 semifinal win over Rochester Mayo.
“Why’d you have to bring it up?” he sighed.
On March 14, Rosemount (28-3) gets to try again for an elusive state championship, facing the program that’s made its residence in the title game since that 2021 season, when champ Chaska also booted Hopkins from the state semifinals, 67-62.
Top-seeded Hopkins (27-2) hasn’t faced a so-called “early exit” (by its high standards) since that 2021 season, delayed and shortened by the coronavirus pandemic. The Royals hoisted a championship trophy in 2022, finished runner up to St. Michael-Albertville and Minnetonka, then lifted another trophy in 2025 — the latter a Minnesota-record ninth state title.
Continue reading: Class 4A championship preview: Hopkins vs. Rosemount
Final, 1A: Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s 53, Central Minnesota Christian 47
Sleepy Eye Saint Mary’s held on to beat Central Minnesota Christian 53-47 and advance to Saturday’s Class 1A state championship, the program’s first state final appearance. Morgan Mathiowetz made her fifth three-point shot of the game with 29 seconds remaining to give the Knights a six-point lead. She finished with a game-high 32 points. That was the backbreaker for the Bluejays.
— Joe Gunther
1A: Knights smell victory
Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s has made it more difficult for Central Minnesota Christian to get shots off around the basket. The Knights have dared the Bluejays to shoot from outside. The Bluejays are forcing the ball into the post.
— Joe Gunther
1A: Knights regain the lead
Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s has its first lead since the 16:38 mark of the first half. Morgan Mathiowetz has scored all eight points of an 8-2 run for the Knights. She is up 27 points.
— Joe Gunther
1A: CMC leads 41-38 with under eight minutes left
There hasn’t been much scoring in the second half, but the breakdown of scorers is a stark contrast between the two teams. Central Minnesota Christian has a more balanced approach with three players in double figures: Sienna Duininck, Emmi Braem and Addie Taatjes have 10 points each.
Sleepy Eye Saint Mary’s is reliant on Morgan Mathiowetz. Mathiowetz has 21 points while no one else on the team has more than eight.
— Joe Gunther
1A: Bluejays in control of second half
Central Minnesota Christian has extended its lead to 37-30 over Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s three minutes into the second half. The Bluejays are making shots and taking away all the space for the Knights on the defensive end.
— Joe Gunther
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
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