Final results from girls basketball state quarterfinals Wednesday

Thirty-two teams enter the state tournament this week. Only four will leave as state champions.

Several teams punched their tickets to the semifinals on the opening day of the 2026 Minnesota girls basketball state tournament Wednesday, March 11, at Williams Arena and Maturi Pavilion.

Visit our Girls Basketball Hub for all the info you need, and view the complete brackets for 4A, 3A, 2A and 1A. Here is a recap of the day’s action:

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2A: Minnehaha Academy, despite quarterfinal loss, has bright future

Minnehaha Academy fell 55-48 to No. 3 New London-Spicer in the Class 2A quarterfinals at Maturi Pavilion.

Even though they struggled at times to make shots or solve the Wildcats’ 2-3 zone, the Redhawks have a lot to be excited about.

“I’m excited for next year but definitely bummed [about tonight],” junior Gigi Coleman said. “At the beginning of the season, my goal was to help lead the team to a state championship, to get a banner. That’s the end goal.”

The Redhawks (18-12) have grown accustomed to making the state tournament. They’ve won their section in 17 of the last 19 seasons, including this year.

This group is a little different. The Redhawks are a lot younger than they have been in the past. They will have all five starters back next season. They are losing only one player off the roster, Chattanooga commit Sinae Hill, who was injured in the first game of the season.

The Redhawks had five players play over 20 minutes Wednesday. Those five included one junior, two sophomores, one freshman and one eighth-grader.

“[This loss] keeps us motivated,” Redhawks sophomore Danasia Anderson said. “We got a goal not just to get here, but to make it to the championship and win.”

The Wildcats (30-1) looked frustrated at times. They had some trouble with the Redhawks’ full-court press, but they found a way to pull away at the end.

Freshman Korbin Tanner led all scorers with 17 points and Taylor Munsch added 16 for the Wildcats.

The Redhawks anticipate future runs in the state tournament. They expect to be here every year. There is a swagger around the program.

“With Sinae, we had some big expectations,” coach Kendall Givens said. “Even with Sinae going down, the expectations didn’t drop. Minnehaha basketball has high expectations any time we step on the court.

“I’m not proud. I’m super proud of the girls for what they did this year. These games do sting. As a head coach, I want the girls to feel it and to remember this feeling. When we do get here next year, we’ll make sure the feeling is different.”

Despite losing their only senior, who was expected to be their best player, the Redhawks did not change course.

— Joe Gunther

2A: Perham’s sharp shooting leads it to victory

Perham’s deadeye long-range shooting proved to be too much for Rochester Lourdes to overcome as the Yellowjackets slipped past the Eagles 66-63 in the Class 2A quarterfinals.

Perham was outrebounded and gave up more points in the paint but made 13 of 29 three-point tries. Senior Kaia Anderson led Perham with 21 points and made a pair of clutch free throws with 4.7 seconds left. Junior guard Regan Hemberger got the Yellowjackets (25-4) off to a strong start, hitting four straight three-pointers out of the gate. She finished with 18 points on 6-for-10 shooting from three-point range.

Rochester Lourdes (24-7) built a seven-point lead in the second half, but the Eagles could not maintain that edge with Perham continuously hitting from outside. Senior forward Lauren Hust had a double-double for Lourdes with 19 points and 13 rebounds.

Perham will face Providence Academy in the Class 2A semifinals at 6 p.m. Friday at Williams Arena.

— Jim Paulsen

2A, Final: New London-Spicer advances

New London-Spicer held on to beat Minnehaha Academy 55-48 despite making just two field goals in the last 3:01. Defensively, New London-Spicer held the Redhawks to 11 points over the last 3:59 of the game, with four coming in the final 10 seconds.

— Joe Gunther

2A, Final: Perham advances to semis

Kaia Anderson made two late free throws, and the Yellowjackets won 66-63.

Big shots in a big spot.

— Jim Paulsen

2A: Rochester Lourdes, Perham set up for dramatic finish

Teams are tied 63-63 with 38.1 seconds left. It’s been a whale of a second half. Big shots being hit by both teams. Perham’s Annie Draeger went out after a collision. The Yellowjackets are down two starters.

— Jim Paulsen

2A: New London-Spicer trying to hold off Redhawks

New London-Spicer’s leading scorer, Korbin Tanner, is up to 15 points. She leads all scorers, but it has not been easy. The Redhawks have not given her any room. She is shooting 5-of-14 from the field and 5-of-8 from the free-throw line. The Redhawks will not go away, though. The Wildcats lead 43-40 with 3:47 left.

— Joe Gunther

2A: Crunch time for Rochester Lourdes, Perham

Getting down to crunch time: Teams are trading big baskets. Perham leads 60-59 with four minutes left.

— Jim Paulsen

2A: Rochester Lourdes gives up control

The Eagles had built a seven-point lead and own a 35-27 edge in rebounding for the game. Lauren Hust is controlling the paint, with 17 points and 10 rebounds. If it wasn’t for three-pointers, Perham would be in a world of hurt. But three-pointers are the name of the game these days, and Perham has made 10 of them. We’re tied 52-52 with 6:38 left.

— Jim Paulsen

2A: New London-Spicer clings to narrow lead over Minnehaha Academy

New London-Spicer is clinging to a 31-29 lead with 12:24 left. Neither team is putting on a shooting clinic. They are a combined 6-for-24 this half, including 1-of-6 from beyond the arc. The Redhawks are just missing shots. The Wildcats have been unable to figure out how to score with Redhawks post Addison Harris on the floor.

— Joe Gunther

2A: Rochester Lourdes, Perham in tight battle

Rochester Lourdes has found its outside shooting touch after halftime, hitting three three-pointers. Perham is still making outside shots, but it’s been Kaia Anderson instead of Regan Hemberger. It’s tied 39-39 with 12:19 left in the second half.

— Jim Paulsen

2A: Rochester Lourdes rallies, pulls within one

The Eagles are still struggling with shooting woes, but as the bigger, more physical team, they’ve shut down Perham and now trail 29-28 at the half. Perham’s Regan Hemberger leads all scorers with 18 points, hitting six of nine three-pointers. Lourdes’ Lauren Hust has 15 points and has helped the Eagles climb back into the game.

— Jim Paulsen

2A: New London-Spicer takes lead at halftime

New London-Spicer has crawled its way to a 23-21 halftime lead. Minnehaha Academy has gone cold from the floor. The Redhawks scored one point in the last 4:35. With 1:15 left in the half, the Wildcats took their first lead since scoring the game’s first basket 18 seconds into the game.

— Joe Gunther

2A: Passing comes easy for Greenway in eighth straight win

It would be easy just to focus on Maddyn Greenway’s 53-point night as the reason Providence Academy cruised to a 103-68 win in the Class 2A quarterfinals against Norwood Young America on Wednesday night.

But it was her 13 assists that took Greenway’s team to another level, especially when taking advantage of her chemistry with younger sister, Beckett.

On the third play of the game, Maddyn to Beckett on a behind-the-back pass made the Lions student section erupt with cheers.

“That behind the back got our fans going,” Maddyn Greenway said. “It kind of demoralized the other team a little bit.”

Eight of Maddyn’s assists on the night were for Beckett, who finished with 25 points. Emma Millerbernd also was on the receiving end of a few Greenway dimes to finish with 14 points.

“We play so well together,” Maddyn said. “For me, I got it going early, but we’re unbeatable when us three get going. When it’s just me, we haven’t played the best. And I know that.”

For the eighth time this season, the scintillating 5-foot-8 senior guard eclipsed the 40-point mark, including a second 50-point performance. She had 57 points in a Feb. 6 win vs. Hill-Murray and also added 10 assists.

“We have a chemistry that nobody else has,” Beckett said. “We just know where one another [will be at on the floor]. Even when you don’t really know, you just hope they’re there.”

The last time the Lions suffered defeat, though, Greenway had 45 points in an 81-75 loss Feb. 11 against Maple Grove. She only had five assists in that game.

Since then, Greenway has been looking for her own shot, of course, but also getting her teammates more involved. Since losing to Maple Grove, she’s averaging 12.9 assists during an eight-game winning streak, which included 18 assists in a victory vs. United Christian Academy.

“We’re all experienced, but I just try to get the younger ones into the game,” Greenway said. “Because if you just make one layup, your confidence just skyrockets. I think our team really goes on runs and fuels on confidence.”

— Marcus Fuller

2A: Minnehaha Academy grows lead

Minnehaha Academy is on a 9-3 run to extend its lead with 6:35 left in the first half. New London-Spicer cannot buy a bucket right now. The Wildcats have hit just one of their last seven shots. The Redhawks lead 18-12. Briana Foster leads all scorers with eight points for the Redhawks.

— Joe Gunther

2A: Perham hitting from long range

Sophomore guard Regan Hemberger has helped the Yellowjackets build an early lead. She’s hit four three-pointers in the first eight minutes. Perham is up 14-11.

— Jim Paulsen

2A: Minnehaha Academy’s young starters grab early lead

Minnehaha Academy has jumped on No. 3 New London-Spicer for a 9-6 lead. The Redhawks’ youth looks unfazed by the big start. They started two eighth-graders, a freshman, a sophomore and a junior. The future looks bright for the Redhawks.

— Joe Gunther

2A: Duluth Marshall pushed through nerves to come out victorious

The overhead lights were bright at Maturi Pavilion as Duluth Marshall met Sauk Centre at center court for a 2A quarterfinal game. The Hilltoppers brought excitement — served with a side of nerves — to their first state tournament appearance in five years. That excitement paid off with a 65-38 victory.

“It’s a big moment for these girls,” coach Chibuzo Osuchukwu said. “It’s their first time being on the stage, and sometimes it gets bright and sometimes people get nerves.”

Sophomore guard and All-Minnesota player Chloe Johnson was key in getting the team under these bright lights. She helped Duluth Marshall win 22 regular-season games and punch its ticket to the state tournament while also reaching the 3,000 career points and 1,000 career rebounds milestones. She sits in fourth place in the state with 944 points this season.

For most of the quarterfinal game, Johnson was outscoring the entire Sauk Centre team by herself. She finished with 35 points.

“We had a lot of confidence,” Johnson said. “We’ve done a lot in practice to prepare for this moment. I think lots of people didn’t even have us getting into the state tournament, so we kind of just played with a chip on our shoulder. So I think it’s a really cool experience. It’s fun to play in front of a lot of people.”

Johnson claimed she didn’t feel any nerves, just excitement.

“I’ve played on big stages before, so I’m kind of used to it,” Johnson said. “But it was definitely super exciting.”

Perhaps it was her confidence that pulled the team to a 65-38 win after the team’s initial nerves settled down.

“I felt like the first half we played with nerves, and then the second half we just relaxed,” Osuchukwu said. “And finally: OK, we belong here.”

— Olivia Hicks

2A, Pregame: No. 4 Rochester Lourdes vs. No. 5 Perham

With a 71-63 victory over No. 1 seeded Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton in the Section 8AA championship game. Perham (24-4) is making its third state tournament appearance in the last four years and fourth overall. The Yellowjackets’ leading scorer is also their only senior, 5-10 guard Kaia Anderson, who averages 16.5 points per game. Sophomore 6-foot post Lauren Gjerde gives the young Perham team an inside presence.

Conversely, Rochester Lourdes (24-6) is making its 22nd trip to the state tournament, with eight previous stare championships to its credit. The most recent came when the team won the Class 2A title in 2005. The Eagles soar on the wings of a threesome of double-digit scores: senior forward Lauren Hust (19.1 ppg), 5-8 eighth-grade sparkplug guard Amelia Truty (19.5 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game) and 5-5 junior guard Aaliyah Williams, who can score (13.5 ppg) and makes the offense go with her ability to distribute (6.3 assists per game).

— Jim Paulsen

2A, Final: Providence Academy defeats Norwood Young America

With three minutes left in Wednesday’s Class 2A quarterfinal, Maddyn Greenway checked out of the game to resounding applause after she put up 53 points and 13 assists to lead No. 2 Providence Academy to a 103-68 win over No. 7 Norwood Young America at Williams Arena.

Beckett Greenway and Emma Millerbernd added 25 points and 14 points for the Lions, respectively.

— Marcus Fuller

2A: Lions show their dominance

Providence Academy’s lead being cut to 11 points was all it took to wake up the sleeping giant. Or the sleeping Lions in this case.

Norwood Young America made it 52-41 on Vanessa Schmidt’s layup to open the second half. That was a sign for Maddyn Greenway to put on her cape. The 5-8 senior All-American scored and assisted on every play during a 9-0 run to make it a 20-point lead in the blink of an eye.

Midway through the second half, Greenway picked up her 40th point and a minute later got her 10th assist as well. Just another day at the office for Minnesota’s girls player of the year. Her passing skills can go underappreciated at times (she’s also the state’s all-time leader in assists).

The Lions are up 84-53 with seven minutes left in the game.

— Marcus Fuller

2A, Final: Duluth Marshall punches its ticket to the semifinals

Duluth Marshall defeated Sauk Centre 65-38 to advance to the semifinals.

Sophomore Chloe Johnson scored 35 points in the win.

The Hilltoppers’ next game will be at 8 p.m. on Friday, March 13, at Williams Arena.

— Olivia Hicks

2A: Chloe Johnson singlehandedly outscoring Sauk Centre

Duluth Marshall guard Chloe Johnson, with 31 points, is now singlehandedly outscoring Sauk Centre (30 points).

The sophomore, entering the game, ranked fourth in the state in points (926) and 12th in rebounds (329).

— Olivia Hicks

2A: Sauk Centre’s three-pointers chip away at deficit

Senior Elizabeth Herickhoff leads Sauk Centre with eight points. Jenna Riley’s two three-pointers, as well as a three-pointer from Nya Thieschafer, have given the team a boost offensively.

Duluth Marshall continues to lead 53-30, however.

— Olivia Hicks

2A: Duluth Marshall steamrolls ahead

Duluth Marshall opened the second half with a three-pointer by junior guard Morgan Lucero, her first made one in five attempts, and a layup by sophomore Chloe Johnson, giving the guard 17 points and nine rebounds.

Sauk Centre, on the other hand, has failed to find its form with a collection of missed opportunities.

Duluth Marshall leads 38-16.

— Olivia Hicks

2A: Heavy underdogs Norwood Young America giving Providence Academy a fight

All the talk entering Wednesday’s quarterfinal for Providence Academy was about whether it could end with a state-record fifth straight Class 2A state title this week.

Nobody really mentioned much about the Lions’ first opponent Norwood Young America giving them much of game to open the state tourney at Williams Arena.

That provided motivation for the Raiders, who trailed 52-39 at halftime after ending the first half with an 8-0 run. Josie Kamps and Avery Smith, who both had 11 points in the first half, contributed during the rally from a 21-point deficit.

Not surprisingly, Providence Academy’s Maddyn Greenway was the star of the first half with 27 points and five assists. The Lions also had 23 points combined from Beckett Greenway and Emma Millerbernd.

— Marcus Fuller

4A: Spartans’ trust in one another pays off in quarterfinals

Rochester Mayo has one of the most talented squads in the state. The team rode that talent to a 28-1 record, including victories in its last 26 games, for its first bid to the Class 4A state tournament since 2015.

The Spartans’ quarterfinal matchup was Monticello, which was making its second consecutive trip to the state tournament. The Magic (25-4) may have moved up a class, but they proved more than capable of making a run against the much larger schools in the state.

The more experienced sixth-seeded Magic squad, led by a trio of seniors, had the upper hand for most of the game. They led for 24:07 of the 36 minutes of game time.

In the end, it was Rochester Mayo’s sophomore star, Amelia Mills, who gave the Spartans the lead for good with 57 seconds left in their 73-71 victory at Williams Arena.

The Magic led by as many nine with 11:58 left. What impressed Monticello coach Craig Geyen most was the composure the Spartans showed as they pecked away at the deficit. They didn’t let the moment get the best of them.

The Spartans didn’t trail by eight points in the second half much this season, if at all, but they knew to trust each when they needed to mount a comeback.

“When [we are down], we just know we have to trust in each other, make sure we take good shots and good possessions, because at that point every possession matters,” Spartans senior Mia Banks said. “That’s one thing [coach Andy Bromeling] was stressing all game. We had to take good shots and take care of the ball.”

Those good offensive possessions led to the Spartans outscoring the Magic 17-6 over a 6:45 span to take a two-point lead with 5:13 left in the game. That was their first lead since the 6:02 mark of the first half.

They battled back-and-forth from there before the Spartans scored the only points of the final minute to preserve the victory.

— Joe Gunther

2A: Greenway vs. Norwood Young America

Providence Academy vs. Norwood Young America was more competitive than probably quite a few people expected in the first half of Wednesday’s Class 2A quarterfinal.

But the closer scoring duel was Maddyn Greenway vs. Young America’s entire team. Midway through the first half, the Raiders trailed by 17 points, but they held a slight advantage against Maddyn Greenway 24-22. That didn’t last long, though.

Greenway nailed a three-pointer from the corner in front of the opposing student section to pick up her 25th point. A minute later, Young America’s Avery Smith had two free throws, but Greenway answered. The Raiders would later get a three-pointer from Josie Kamps to put them ahead of Maddyn 31-27 (but still 19 points down in the game). This is the back-and-forth battle we all came to see.

— Marcus Fuller

2A: Chloe Johnson carries Duluth Marshall in first half

Sophomore guard Chloe Johnson has already been a star for Duluth Marshall this season, reaching 3,000 career points and 1,000 career rebounds. It’s no surprise she has kept rolling in the state quarterfinals. She led the Hilltoppers with 15 points in the first half and already has 11 field-goal attempts, making seven of them.

Duluth Marshall goes into halftime up 28-15.

— Olivia Hicks

2A: Sauk Centre gains momentum

Sauk Centre trails Duluth Marshall 24-7 halfway through the first half, but the Mainstreeters are finding their shots and taking them.

Sauk Centre senior center Elizabeth Herickhoff’s layup gave the team two points, and she continues to lead in rebounds, with four this game.

— Olivia Hicks

2A: Greenway opens state in style

The player introductions for Providence Academy ended with the Lions faithful cheering as senior Maddyn Greenway’s name was announced to begin her final state tournament.

That was the last time Greenway was standing still. As soon as the game started, the state’s all-time scoring leader put on a show from the opening tip.

The third basket of the game could end up the most spectacular, with Beckett Greenway giving the ball to her sister in transition, only to get it back to score a layup off Maddyn’s behind-the-back pass. It was a “SportsCenter”-worthy dish for sure. Eight forced turnovers in the first eight minutes meant quite a few fast-break finishes.

Providence Academy blew the game wide open with a 28-10 start, including a 17-3 run. Maddyn Greenway started the game with 14 of her team’s first 28 points, but she also had three assists.

— Marcus Fuller

2A: Duluth Marshall opens up scoring

Duluth Marshall leads 11-3 after senior guard Cairin Berger put points on the board a minute into the game with a layup followed by a free throw. Sauk Centre sophomore guard Paige Determan immediately responded.

Sophomore guard Chloe Johnson’s back-to-back layups brought the Hilltoppers to nine points before junior guard Candice Ndomb added two more.

— Olivia Hicks

3A: Marshall credits experience and star seniors for semifinal berth

Before No. 3 seed Marshall tipped off against No. 6 seed Totino-Grace for a Wednesday, March 11, state quarterfinal matchup that ended with a 70-44 win, seniors Reese Drake and Avery Fahl did what they had been doing all season: slapped each other’s hands and wriggled their fingers in a complex handshake, complete with jazz hands.

“It started this year, the first game,” said Drake, her team’s top scorer.

The two seniors began each game this season with the ritual and will now bring it into a 3A state semifinal game against Benilde-St. Margaret’s on Thursday.

When the guard and forward duo stepped onto Maturi Pavilion’s court Wednesday, they showed exactly why the Tigers were advancing: Fahl couldn’t stop making three-point shots — completing five of the nine she attempted — and Reese had seven rebounds and 16 points. Reese and Fahl helped provide the Tigers with the edge in experience compared with the Eagles’ young team.

“We stressed rebounding before the game and then just to make those second-effort plays, it just gave us a bit more momentum,” coach Dan Westby said. “One of the benefits of having an experienced group like we have is they’ve seen just about everything thrown at them at some point. They put us at ease as coaches because they’re pretty experienced.”

For the senior duo, reaching the state tournament is particularly special.

“I love these girls,” Drake said. “I played with them for a long time, especially [Fahl]. So it’s bittersweet.”

— Olivia Hicks

2A Pregame: Providence Academy vs. Norwood Young America

History has already been made for Providence Academy’s Maddyn Greenway with passing Crosby-Ironton’s Tori Oehrlein to become the Minnesota girls’ all-time leading scorer with 5,486 points.

Now it’s about Greenway adding to her legacy as a winner. Can she get a record fifth straight Class 2A title?

The top-seeded Lions (25-4) enter Wednesday’s quarterfinal on a seven-game winning streak, which included Greenway recording a 43-point triple-double (also 14 assists and 11 rebounds) in the section final vs. Maranatha Christian.

The Raiders (22-8) escaped Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton 52-46 in their section semifinals March 2. Senior Vanessa Schmidt, the team’s scoring leader this season, had 19 points in a 58-33 section final victory vs. Glencoe-Silver Lake to help Norwood Young America reach its first state tournament since 2018.

— Marcus Fuller

2A Pregame: Sauk Centre vs. Duluth Marshall

We’re here at Maturi Pavilion, where No. 7 seed Sauk Centre (23-6) is warming up to take on No. 2 seed Duluth Marshall (22-7) for a shot at the semifinals.

The Hilltoppers haven’t been on the state tournament stage since 2021, while Sauk Centre visited last year. The Mainstreeters will lean on that experience, along with top scorer Kahlen Suelflow, who leads the team with 17.2 points. But Duluth Marshall has standout sophomore guard and All-Minnesota player Chloe Johnson and her 31.3 points per game, 3,000 career points and 1,000 career rebounds.

Stick around for more updates after tipoff.

— Olivia Hicks

4A, Final: Rochester Mayo wins in final seconds

Amelia Mills made a layup with 57 seconds left to help Rochester Mayo sneak past Monticello 73-71. Mills led all scorers with 26 points. Samantha Voll’s difficult driving layup attempt at the buzzer bounced off the backboard and rim to seal the victory for the Spartans.

Voll finished with 25 points, nine assists and seven rebounds.

— Joe Gunther

3A, Final: Marshall advances to state semifinals

The Marshall Tigers punched their ticket to the state semifinals with a 69-44 Class 3A quarterfinal win over Totino-Grace. Junior Avery Schneekloth led the Tigers with 18 points, while senior Maria Radabaugh led the Eagles with 17 points.

The Tigers will take on Benilde-St. Margaret’s on Thursday, March 12, at 2 p.m. for a shot at the finals.

— Olivia Hicks

4A: Rochester Mayo, Monticello tied down the stretch

The score is tied at 63 with 3:57 left. Rochester Mayo went on a 15-2 run to take a five-point lead, but Monticello stormed back.

The Spartans are getting hot with five made three-point shots during the run.

— Joe Gunther

3A: Top scorers trade shots

Both teams’ senior top scorers — Reese Drake (13 points) and Maria Radabaugh (15 points) — traded shots. Drake’s steal led to a layup on the other end, but the Eagles’ Sophia Person and Radabaugh both made three-pointers.

Ella Emslander’s three-pointer with just under nine minutes left in the half brought the score to 57-40, and Avery Fahl continues to lead in three-pointer shots, currently with a 4-for-8 rate.

— Olivia Hicks

4A: Monticello makes run to extend lead in second half

Monticello went on a 12-5 run the was sparked by its defense. For a span of about five minutes, the Spartans were 2-for-10 shooting. That kept the Spartans from being able to get into a full-court press. The Magic were able to extend their lead to nine but currently have a 54-46 advantage with 9:15 left.

— Joe Gunther

3A: Totino-Grace controls start of second half

The second half began with two minutes of scoreless game play.

Totino-Grace finally opened up scoring with junior Ella Emslander’s layup, followed shortly by Sophia Person’s three-pointer. Avery Fahl and Reese Drake have been busy for Marshall, with Drake’s layup and Fahl’s three-pointer bringing Marshall’s lead to 45-29.

— Olivia Hicks

4A: Monticello takes one-point lead into locker room

Rochester Mayo scored the final four points of the first half to cut the deficit, but Monticello still leads 32-31. Both teams are shooting better than 40% from the field. The difference is the three-point shooting. The Spartans missed all nine of their three-point shots, while the Magic were 4-for-9 from beyond the arc.

The Magic also have an advantage on the glass, with eight second-chance points compared with four for the Spartans.

— Joe Gunther

3A: Marshall stretches lead in first half

Marshall ended the first half of the Class 3A quarterfinal game on top 40-24 against Totino-Grace.

Junior Avery Schneekloth led the Tigers with 11 points, while seniors Avery Fahl and Reese Drake have seven and three points, respectively. The Eagles put up a fight with senior Maria Radabaugh finding a rhythm as the half neared its end. The guard made five of her nine attempted field goals, but it was Ava Litecky’s three three-pointers that were the difference-maker in the first half.

With a 16-point gap to fill, the Eagles will be eager to start the second half on a hot streak.

— Olivia Hicks

4A: Monticello and Rochester Mayo are back and forth

There has been one tie and nine lead changes so far. The Magic are doing it with rebounds and second-chance points. The Spartans are getting steals and converting them into easy baskets. The Magic lead 27-24 with 3:33 left in the first half. Maggie Dyer leads all scorers with 10 points for the Spartans. Samantha Voll and Abby Ruda lead the Magic with six points each.

— Joe Gunther

3A: Ava Litecky’s is 3-for-3 from beyond the arc

Totino-Grace is slowly attempting to chip away at Marshall’s lead thanks to junior guard Ava Litecky’s eye for three-pointers. She has made all three shots that she has attempted in the first half. Her three-pointer with just under seven minutes left narrowed the gap and brought the score to 26-19.

— Olivia Hicks

4A: Monticello in control

Monticello went on a 15-6 run to take a 20-16 lead over No. 3 seed Rochester Mayo. The Magic did it with a committee approach. Seniors Abby Ruda and Samantha Voll led the way early with four points each.

— Joe Gunther

Gopher commit shows out at the Barn

Ahead of No. 2 Rosemount’s 71-56 state quarterfinal victory over No. 7 Chanhassen, Irish junior guard Amisha Ramlall jogged up the steep stairs that lead from the locker rooms tunnels of Williams Arena to the raised court. Making that climb, Ramlall knew it was one she would be making again and again, and not just for tomorrow’s semifinals and what her team hopes is a championship game Saturday.

Ramlall will one day climb those steps as a Gopher, after what Rosemount certainly hopes is another year of playing in the Barn with the Irish.

Ramlall committed to Minnesota ahead of her sophomore season but last played in the state tournament as a freshman, so this was her first time playing at Williams Arena since she announced her college destination.

“This year, playing on my future home court and then having my coaches here watching me, it was a moment you can’t really describe. I just felt really happy, just to be there to represent Minnesota,” Ramlall said. “So I couldn’t ask for anything more than that. I mean, what better to play on than my future home court?”

Ramlall scored a game-high 22 points on 9-for-15 shooting (2-for-6 from three). Her game-high five assists tied the total of the entire Chanhassen team, as the Irish’s collective team defense forced the Storm largely into isolation.

“We can’t just always rely on our scoring to outscore people,” Rosemount coach Chris Orr said. “They’ve really bought in, especially of late. … We’ve started just being simple and disciplined on defense and doing our job.”

Orr pointed out postgame that Ramlall had needed exactly 22 points to become the Rosemount basketball program’s all-time leading scorer, girls or boys. She scored exactly that, now at 1,794 career points.

— Cassidy Hettesheimer

3A: Totino-Grace opens up scoring

Totino-Grace put the first points on the board thanks to junior guard Sophia Person’s three-pointer. The Tigers were quick to respond with senior guard and top scorer Reese Drake’s three-pointer followed by the All-Minnesota player putting up two more points for a 10-3 score.

Things are moving quickly here on court with six turnovers in the two minutes.

— Olivia Hicks

3A: Routines keep Red Knights comfortable at state

Every team has routines and superstitious behavior that carries on throughout the season, but Benilde-St. Margaret’s players get particular about sticking to them.

What’s one of the quirkiest things? Junior Sydney Friedly, who had 15 points in Wednesday’s 88-53 Class 3A quarterfinal win against Rock Ridge, said she and a teammate have a go-to sandwich.

“We eat a peanut butter and jelly before every state and section game,” Friedly said. “Since I was in eighth grade, I’ve been doing it. So, it’s worked so far.”

Junior Alivia Bell said BSM’s players have been listening to one hype song before each game to get them ready to play. It’s called “Love” by Keyshia Cole.

“Just making that energy before we even get on the court helps us a lot,” Bell said.

Senior Mirabel Wismer claimed she’s the “least superstitious” person on the team while others “go a little crazy with them,” she said. Red Knights coach Tim Ellefson knew that wasn’t true about Wismer, though. “Mira has a tradition of being the last one ready to go [onto the floor],” Ellefson joked.

— Marcus Fuller

3A Pregame: Totino-Grace vs. Marshall

The stands are filling with navy and orange as tipoff is about to begin here at Maturi Pavilion in a 3A quarterfinal game between the No. 6-seeded Totino-Grace Eagles (17-12) and the No. 3-seeded Marshall Tigers (25-4).

Both teams have a recent state tournament history, with Marshall competing last year and Totino-Grace visiting state the previous year, but neither has faced the other on this stage recently, or in the regular season.

The Tigers will look to senior guard and Southwest Minnesota State volleyball commit Reese Drake, who boasts an average 18.2 points per game, to carry them to the semifinals. The Eagles have their own star power in senior guard Maria Radabaugh (21.9 points per game and 4.7 assists per game) and junior Amelia Saylor (six rebounds per game).

Marshall is making its sixth appearance in last 10 years ... 2016, 2019, 2021, 2023, 2025 and 2026. The Tigers were runners-up in 2021. Totino-Grace is making its third trip in the past five seasons ... 2022 champion, 2024 and also won a title in 2008.

Stay tuned for updates as the action gets going.

— Olivia Hicks

3A: BSM gets a step closer to defending its championship

Freshman Kiera Willis scored a team-high 19 points and junior Sydney Friedly had all of her 15 points in the first half to lead Benilde-St. Margaret’s to an 88-53 victory against Rock Ridge in the Class 3A quarterfinals Wednesday at Maturi Pavilion.

The Red Knights (24-6), who held their opponent to 26% shooting from the field and forced 24 turnovers, had four girls score in double figures, including Mirabel Wismer and Pressley Watkins with 13 and 12 points. BSM plays the winner of Marshall-Totino Grace in Thursday’s semifinals.

The Wolverines (20-10) fall to the consolation round at Concordia-St. Paul on Thursday. They were led by twins Lexi and Maija Lamppa, who combined for 29 points.

— Marcus Fuller

3A: Balanced scoring helps Red Knights pull away

Benilde-St. Margaret’s Pressley Watkins is the No. 2-ranked junior in the state, but she doesn’t mind sharing the scoring load with her teammates.

The Red Knights had six players with at least eight points midway through the second half to pull away from Rock Ridge. Sydney Friedly hadn’t scored since the first half, but she still had a team-high 15 points. Mirabel Wismer, Kiera Willis and Watkins combined for 35 points by the eight-minute mark.

The Wolverines started with a 6-2 run after halftime to make it a 17-point game. They also got within 58-40, but BSM responded with a 15-4 run to make it 73-44.

— Marcus Fuller

4A, Final: Rosemount 71, Chanhassen 56

No. 2 Rosemount, the 2021 state runner-up chasing its first title, moves into the 4A semifinals with a win over No. 7 Chanhassen.

The Storm cut it as close as six in the second half, but Rosemount never trailed from wire to wire, led by 22 points and five assists from junior guard Amisha Ramlall and 16 points from sophomore and sister Ashna Ramlall. As Amisha and Ashna picked up three personal fouls each early in the second half, junior Gianna Carpentier and junior Isla Silk helped carry the scoring load, especially down the stretch, finishing with 14 and 11 points, respectively.

Junior Lyla Hentges led Chanhassen with 17 points, while Kate Arnold had 13 points and fouled out with just over two minutes to play. Rosemount will face the winner of No. 3 Rochester Mayo and No. 6 Monticello in tomorrow’s semifinal.

— Cassidy Hettesheimer

4A, Second half: Chanhassen keeping it close

Suddenly, the Storm have it at a six-point deficit, 57-51, with five minutes to go, and Chanhassen’s student section is on its feet. Both Kate Arnold and Lucy Hilgert are up to four personal fouls each but also at 13 and 17 points, respectively.

— Cassidy Hettesheimer

4A, Second half: Down the final stretch

With 10 minutes to play, Chanhassen cut the lead to eight, but again, Rosemount pushed their cushion back to 12 at 56-44. Having seen Rosemount play a few times, guard Riley Ang’s minutes are always impressive. The senior wears a full leg sleeve, having torn both her right and left ACLs in back-to-back years, but is back for a final run at a state title. This afternoon, she has four points, two rebounds and an assist in 11 minutes, and she just set up the last Irish basket.

— Cassidy Hettesheimer

4A, Second half: Smooth as Silk

Much like the quarterfinal between Maple Grove and East Ridge before this, the top seed has been able to get an early edge and has the depth and composure not to let that slip away. Rosemount is up 50-36 with just over 12 minutes to play. Junior guard Isla Silk hit a pull-up three, her third three-pointer of the game, and is now 4-for-4 from the field for 11 points. Amisha Ramlall, with a game-high 20 points, just picked up her third personal foul, so she was substituted out of the game.

— Cassidy Hettesheimer

3A, Second half: Friedly fires up Red Knights on first-half surge

Sydney Friedly became Benilde-St. Margaret’s all-time leader in three-pointers this season, but she wasn’t just sparking her team from deep in Wednesday’s state quarterfinal against Rock Ridge.

The 5-10 junior guard scored 15 points in the first half for the Red Knights, who led 50-29 at halftime against Rock Ridge at Maturi Pavilion. Friedly shot 6-for-12 from the field, but four of her field goals were fast-break finishes, including a pretty Euro-step move in transition.

Rock Ridge cut it to two points midway through the first half, but BSM finished on a 28-9 run. The Wolverines shot just 28% in the first half with 11 turnovers.

— Marcus Fuller

4A, Second half: Carpentier coming up clutch

Junior Gianna Carpentier, who played last year at Farmington, has been a strong addition to this Rosemount team. Her lefthanded layup put Rosemount up 42-29, forcing Chanhassen into a timeout after the Irish took a strong start to the second half. Carpentier also has a team-high five rebounds and launched a nice pass to Amisha Ramlall, streaking into the paint, on a heads-up transition play.

— Cassidy Hettesheimer

4A, Halftime: Rosemount able to keep Chanhassen at bay

Chanhassen, currently down 36-28 at halftime, seemed to shake off what could have been early jitters in its state debut, with the Storm able to claw back every time Rosemount looked primed to push the lead beyond its largest lead of the first half, 13. Junior St. Thomas commit Lyla Hentges, up to eight points, hit the Storm’s only two three-pointers of the half at key moments, including just before halftime, to spark some Storm momentum.

Gophers commit and junior Amisha Ramlall is up to a game-high 15 points, three steals and three assists for the Irish. She’s looking right at home at the Barn. This game’s moving quick in transition, sometimes forcing both teams to cough up the ball. Chanhassen has turned the ball over 11 times, and Rosemount 10.

— Cassidy Hettesheimer

3A: BSM responds strong after cold shooting stretch

What happens when your shot isn’t falling? Benilde-St. Margert’s had to figure that out quickly to stay in control during Wednesday’s quarterfinal against Rock Ridge.

The Red Knights went scoreless for nearly three minutes, watching their lead shrink to 22-20 with 8:46 to play in the first half. That was just the wake-up call they needed.

Pressley Watkins and Sydney Friedly hit back-to-back three-pointers to cap a 10-0 BSM run and help stretch the lead to 42-26. Friedly has a team-high 10 points for the Red Knights.

— Marcus Fuller

3A: How Cretin-Derham Hall found its confidence inside Maturi Pavilion

Before No. 4 seed Cretin-Derham Hall defeated Hill-Murray 84-62 in a 3A quarterfinal game Wednesday, March 11, coach Tara Gunderson told her players to “play with confidence.”

“I can’t tell you how excited I am with how well we played [today],” Gunderson said. “We talked a lot about trying to contain them as a team and playing with confidence.”

That confidence was on clear display as the Raiders controlled the game from the tipoff, making the Pioneers work hard to put points on the board.

“I think we’re a pretty disciplined team,” Gunderson said. “It’s your job to catch and shoot with confidence. We run things a lot, so we put a lot of time in.”

For freshman guard Madeleine Hamiel, who led the team with 34 points, the experience of returning to state was key in the team’s self-assuredness.

“Every girl that played [today] played last year as well,” Hamiel said. “So, I think that experience really helps.”

On Wednesday, Hamiel, who also had 12 rebounds, trusted her shot. It paid off.

“Just focusing on driving a lot and just going when the shot was open, just taking that one shot — it’s OK if I miss a few — because I think confidence is a big thing,” Hamiel said. “Sometimes I struggle with my confidence, and that’s when I miss. But I was thinking ‘Next shot, next shot.’”

Added Gunderson: “They’ve worked hard, and it’s paying off here at the state tournament.”

The team will take that confidence into the semifinals against Stewartville on Thursday, March 12, at Williams Arena for a shot at the Class 3A state title game.

— Olivia Hicks

4A: Rosemount up early vs. Chanhassen

We’re halfway through the first half, and Rosemount is up 19-12. The Irish got the jump on Chanhassen, led by six points from Gophers commit Amisha Ramlall. But Chanhassen, once trailing by 11, has chipped into the deficit some, led by six points from South Dakota-bound junior Kate Arnold.

— Cassidy Hettesheimer

3A: Rock Ridge shows no signs of being intimidated

Rock Ridge hasn’t looked intimidated in this quarterfinal game against three-time defending champion Benilde-St. Margaret’s.

The Wolverines have played opponents with major star power this season, against teams such as Providence Academy, Duluth Marshall and Crosby-Ironton that are led by high-level recruits in Maddyn Greenway, Chloe Johnson and Tori Oerhlein.

The Red Knights held Rock Ridge to 3-for-9 shooting to start, but they led just 15-11 early in the first half before stretching that to a nine-point advantage. Four players had at least four points for BSM. Lexi and Maija Lamppa had nine points combined for Rock Ridge.

— Marcus Fuller

4A: Maple Grove’s state experience runs deep

After finishing runner-up in Class 4A for the first time last year, Maple Grove faced the graduation of four of its starters, including Ms. Basketball Jordan Ode to Michigan State. But the Crimson, seeded No. 4 in this year’s tournament, weren’t sweating it.

“We had no hesitation with the group that we had. A lot of people were like, ‘Oh, you lost 50 points per game from last year.’ Well, we had girls that were on our bench that would be starting for other teams, and they just accepted their role, and now they’re taking full, full advantage of the roles that they’re put in,” Crimson co-head coach Jon Leyse said.

Leyse is co-head coach with Stacie Olson while Maple Grove head coach Mark Cook is on leave from the team.

One of those “girls that were on our bench” was Sophia Anderson, now a 6-foot senior guard committed to Augustana. Anderson averaged just over six points per game last season, providing length and depth to the Maple Grove squad. This year, Anderson is the team’s leading scorer, averaging 19 points per game, including a game-high 26 point performance in the team’s 65-53 Class 4A quarterfinal win over No. 5 East Ridge.

Anderson shot 3-for-5 from three as the Crimson finished 10-for-15 from beyond the arc, and Anderson made herself available in the paint for her teammates to feed.

“I was just getting open, and my teammates were hitting me on my threes and when I was coming to the rim,” Anderson said.

But perhaps the crown jewel of Anderson’s performance Wednesday was her defensive work against East Ridge guard Vienna Murray, a standout senior committed to Oklahoma. Murray scored 11 points, half of her season average. When asked afterward about what it took for the team to handle Murray, Leyse and the Maple Grove players immediately turned to Anderson, giving her the floor.

“We were just going to play our normal team defense, I was just going to match up … do the best job I can guarding her,” Anderson said. “If I got beat, I always know I have my teammates [and] help-side defense.”

— Cassidy Hettesheimer

4A, pregame: No. 2 Rosemount vs. No. 7 Chanhassen

It’s almost time for our third Class 4A quarterfinal of the day. Chanhassen (21-7), like East Ridge, is making its first trip to the state tournament. They’ve got a fitting message across the backs of their white warmup T-shirts: “Making history.”

The Storm take on an Irish team (26-3) that finished runner-up in 2021 and made the trip to Williams Arena as recently as 2024. This will be far from the only time that Rosemount’s All-Minnesota junior guard, Amisha Ramlall, plays at the Barn. She is committed to the Gophers and averages a team-high 20.5 points per game. Her twin, junior guard Arshia, averages 4.3 points per game, and their sophomore sister, Ashna, puts up 14.7. Read more about the Ramlall sisters here.

This Rosemount team is deep and shoots the ball well. Seven players average five or more points per game, and six players have hit at least 25 three-pointers this season.

Chanhassen gets reliable buckets from the trio of All-State junior guard Kate Arnold (South Dakota), junior forward Lyla Hentges (St. Thomas) and freshman Lucy Hilgert, who combine for an average of 52.5 points per game. Center Skyler Mancini, another St. Thomas commit, averages a team-high 6.6 rebounds, plus 7.0 points.

— Cassidy Hettesheimer

3A, pregame: No. 2 Benilde-St. Margaret’s vs. No. 7 Rock Ridge

Benilde-St. Margaret’s, the No. 2 seed, starts its quest for a fourth straight Class 3A championship in a quarterfinal matchup against No. 7 seed Rock Ridge. The Red Knights (23-6) entered the state tournament on a five-game winning streak after defeating No. 1-ranked Orono in the Section 6, 3A final last week. They avenged two regular-season losses to the Spartans.

The Wolverines (20-9), a co-op program from Virginia, Minn., are making their third straight trip to state after earning the program’s first berth in 2024. They’re led by the Lamppa twins, Lexi and Maija, who are averaging a combined 37 points per game.

— Marcus Fuller

3A, final: Freshman stars as Cretin-DH KOs Hill-Murray

Cretin-Derham Hall secured its spot in the semifinals by defeating Hill-Murray 84-62 in the 3A quarterfinal game. Freshman guard Madeleine Hamiel led the Raiders with 34 points. Junior guard Mya Wilson led Hill-Murray in points, but the Pioneers couldn’t turn the junior guard’s 27-point game into a ticket to the semifinals.

The Raiders will take on Stewartville on Thursday at Williams Arena for a shot at the 3A state title game.

— Olivia Hicks

4A, final: Maple Grove headed to semis to face Hopkins

We have a 4A final now: Maple Grove 65, East Ridge 53. The No. 4-seeded Crimson led for all but an early 17 seconds of this Class 4A quarterfinal matchup, swinging the ball well and shooting 10-for-15 from three-point range to knock off the No. 5 Raptors.

Maple Grove senior Sophia Anderson led all scorers with 26 points, while senior Kate Holmquist had 18 points for the Crimson and a team-high seven rebounds. The Crimson defense was able to hold East Ridge senior guard Vienna Murray, who averaged over 22 points per game this season, to 11 points, and just three in the second half, though she finished with a team-high seven boards.

Sophomore Amelia Ecker led the Raptors with 14 points.

The Crimson now get a rematch with Lake Conference foe Hopkins in tomorrow’s semifinals. Hopkins beat Maple Grove in the Crimson’s first state championship game last year.

— Cassidy Hettesheimer

3A: Hill-Murray closes gap

The CDH Raiders may be up 66-49, but the Pioneers continue to chip away at their advantage. Junior guard and All-Minnesota player Mya Wilson’s three-pointer solidified her as the team’s top scorer this game with 24 of Hill-Murray’s 49 points.

— Olivia Hicks

4A: Maple Grove holding lead

With just under 10 minutes to play, the Crimson keep their breathing room: Maple Grove 52, East Ridge 42. Amelia Ecker is up to a team-high 12 points for the Raptors, while Sophia Anderson has 19 on 7-for-13 shooting for the Crimson.

— Cassidy Hettesheimer

3A: Raiders on fire at start of second

The second half start is a near-mirror image of the first as Cretin-Derham Hall’s senior Sage Gilbert and freshman Madeleine Hamiel prove exactly why they’re in the starting lineup. The purple-and-yellow-clad Raiders lead 55-35 with Hamiel’s play in the starting minutes and Gilbert’s 75% three-point percentage making all the difference.

— Olivia Hicks

4A: Standouts pacing Maple Grove

Four minutes into the second half, and Maple Grove hasn’t let the East Ridge Raptors chip into the Crimson’s nine-point halftime lead. It’s Maple Grove 48, East Ridge 34 right now. All-State senior guard Kate Holmquist has been a steady hand, finding Sophia Anderson in the paint and hitting yet another three to put her own total up to 14 points (3-for-4 from deep) and the team an impressive 9-for-12 from three. That, truly, has made a difference for the Crimson so far, especially considering the Raptors are shooting at a fairly standard 3-for-10 rate from deep. The Crimson are just that silky smooth beyond the arc today.

— Cassidy Hettesheimer

3A: The Raiders find success in freshman

The story of the first half can be distilled to No. 10. Madeleine Hamiel, Cretin-Derham Hall’s freshman guard, put up 17 points as CDH built a 45-30 halftime lead. She played the entire 18 minutes. Hamiel’s best form came when making five of six free-throw attempts. But it was senior guard Sage Gilbert who led the team in three-pointers, making two of her three attempts.

As the Raiders stretched a 15-point lead, the Pioneers relied on the Wilson sisters for success. Chants of “Take No. 3 out” from the Cretin-Derham Hall student section only seemed to fuel eighth-grader Ashlee Wilson. As the clock ticked down, the guard’s layup and three-pointer narrowed the gap on the scoreboard with help from junior guard Mya Wilson’s 13 first-half points.

— Olivia Hicks

3A: Stewartville seniors enjoying last state trip

Four straight trips to the state tournament for Stewartville’s three seniors meant a lot of memories at Williams Arena and Maturi Pavilion during their career.

The Tigers, who won Wednesday’s quarterfinal 73-54 against Willmar, finished as Class 3A runners-up in the program’s first-ever state tourney appearance in 2023.

Seniors Audrey Shindelar, Jayci Rath and Addison Ruffridge, who combined for 47 points Wednesday, are trying to appreciate the journey during their last time at state this year, which will continue in Thursday’s semifinals.

“It’s a pretty fun place to play,” said Shindelar, who scored a game-high 26 points at Maturi Pavilion in the opening game. “It’s a really cool facility, and it was just really packed on both sides.”

Rath, who had 15 points, has confidence that this Stewartville squad has what it takes to make a state championship run like the first time around. The key will be on the defensive side, which led to forcing 23 turnovers and recording 18 steals Wednesday.

“We have five people on the court at all times who can score,” Rath said. “If I’m not hitting my shots, I really try to take pride on my defense.”

— Marcus Fuller

4A, halftime: Maple Grove 36, East Ridge 27

Maple Grove has put its state tournament experience to good use — no nerves here for the reigning runners-up, it seems, getting an early jump on state debutante East Ridge. The Crimson are 7-for-10 from three-point range, nearly doubling their overall field-goal percentage (40.0%). Kate Holmquist, Sophia Anderson and Lydia Gilbert are all 2-for-3 from beyond the arc. Holmquist and Anderson both have 11 points.

The Raptors haven’t let the Crimson pull away to a lead larger than the current 10-point difference, with eight points each from senior Vienna Murray and sophomore Amelia Ecker.

— Cassidy Hettesheimer

3A: Pioneers’ Wilson duo find their form

The Cretin-Derham Hall Raiders are on fire, leading Hill-Murray 26-19, with 13 of those points coming from freshman Madeleine Hamiel alone. But Hill-Murray’s Wilson sisters have seemed to find their form — even if the team leads in fouls 10-4. Junior guard Mya Wilson put up eight of the team’s 19 points, and Ashlee Wilson had a stellar shot that brought her game total to four.

— Olivia Hicks

3A: Poepard offers Pioneers their best shot

Cretin-Derham Hall may be leading 19-15, but sophomore Sarah Poepard is controlling the game. She’s made one of her two three-point attempts and both of her free-throw attempts. Eighth-grader Ashlee Wilson is putting in the minutes and attempts for Hill-Murray, but nothing seems to stick. The guard has made one of her nine field-goal attempts and sits at an 11.1 shot percentage. Her sister, junior guard Mya Wilson, has made three of her six field-goal attempts.

— Olivia Hicks

4A: Maple Grove has slight lead on East Ridge

Halfway through the first half, and No. 4 seed Maple Grove has the early edge on No. 5 East Ridge. The Crimson’s All-Minnesota guards, Kate Holmquist and Sophia Anderson, are playing like it, with eight and five points scored, respectively, so far, while East Ridge’s All-Minnesota senior guard Vienna Murray and sophomore forward Amelia Ecker each have four points for the Raptors. Both teams already have five players with points.

— Cassidy Hettesheimer

4A: Eighth-grader excels; Diggs sits

As top-seeded Hopkins dominated in the paint against Blaine, one name repeatedly announced over the Williams Arena public address system was familiar: Erma Walker, the Royals’ junior forward, who scored 28 points in Hopkins’ 2025 title game win. Junior guard Inarah Nesbitt praised Walker afterward, saying: “No one can really guard Erma.”

But one name was new: eighth-grade forward Marianna Davis. Davis put up a season-high and game-high 22 points while grabbing a game-high six rebounds and three steals.

Davis said she was “nervous, at first” to make her debut at state, but her teammates “hyped me up.” Slotting into a starting role for the team that holds the Minnesota girls basketball all-time state title record, as an eighth-grader, is a big spot to fill, but at 6-feet-1, Davis does just that, adding length to the Hopkins defense while she adds physicality to her own game.

“It’s honestly been great,” Davis said of her adjustment. “I know I have to continue to play the role that I was supposed to, especially as an eighth-grader. I have to try to get on board with everybody else and do what I’m supposed to do.”

Outstanding junior point guard Jaliyah Diggs, present on the team bench, did not check into the game. When asked whether the point guard could be expected to play in tomorrow’s semifinal, Hopkins coach Tara Starks did not show her cards: “It depends on how I feel in the morning.”

— Cassidy Hettesheimer

3A: Hamiel blazes across court

School spirit is in no short supply. A Raiders fan is sporting a Hawaiian shirt with a player’s face ironed on to it, and both student sections are shaking pom-poms from the stands. But all eyes were fixed on the court as the Raiders’ Madeleine Hamiel opened up with back-to-back scores for Cretin-Derham Hall. Hill-Murray has yet to put a point on the board.

Hamiel has scored six of the Raiders’ first nine points for a 9-0 lead, and the crowd is loving it: “She’s our freshman!”

— Olivia Hicks

4A: Blaine players relish being on big stage

After heading into halftime trailing by 36 points against the defending Class 4A champ, Hopkins, the No. 8-seeded Bengals came out looser to start the second half, having shaken off some early-game nerves after returning to state for the first time since 2009, matched up against a perennial title contender.

The Bengals, under first-year head coach Alex Walz, held Hopkins to a closer edge in the second half, 22-18.

“We were just so insanely proud to bring something as exciting as this to Blaine,” said senior guard Marlie Janssen, who led the Bengals with 11 points. “It’s been a long time since we’ve had an opportunity to do something like this.”

A 10-2 run out of halftime, strung together by scores from Janssen and Alyssa Schlomann, helped set a different tone, and the Bengals were able to hold Hopkins 0-for-5 from deep.

“We were waiting for the pin to drop almost, and coming into the locker room, we’re like, are we having fun?” senior forward Narry Barry said. “No, so let’s go out and have fun. I mean, what do we have to lose? So I think just telling each other that there’s no weight on your shoulders … just go out, play our game, shoot the shots.”

— Cassidy Hettesheimer

3A, pregame: Hill-Murray vs. Cretin-Derham Hall

It’s No. 4 seed Cretin-Derham Hall (21-8) against No. 5 seed Hill-Murray (26-3) in a quarterfinal matchup at Maturi Pavilion. The Pioneers made state for the first time since 2023 and are determined to make it as far as they can, led by junior guard and All-Minnesota player Mya Wilson’s 25.1 points per game.

The Raiders have recent experience with last year’s state tourney visit. Freshman phenom Madeleine Hamiel will aim to make all the difference. When Cretin-Derham Hall played Hill-Murray in November, the freshman guard enjoyed a 27-point game.

It’s the first time the two schools have faced each other since the Raiders beat the Pioneers 74-69 in the first game of the regular season.

Stick around for updates as both teams warm up.

— Olivia Hicks

Next up: No. 4 Maple Grove (24-5) vs. No. 5 East Ridge (23-5) in 4A quarterfinals

Maple Grove reached its first state championship game last season but graduated four starters from that runner-up roster, including 2025 Ms. Basketball Jordan Ode to Michigan State. Other players have stepped up for the Crimson this season, including senior guards Kate Holmquist (Montana), Sophia Anderson (Augustana), and Sienna Mayer, plus junior forward Mariah Sexton, a transfer from St. Michael-Albertville.

The Crimson have played this postseason without head coach Mark Cook, who is on leave from the program for an undisclosed reason not related to the team.

East Ridge is making its state tournament debut after battling for years to make it out of Section 4. Oklahoma-bound senior guard Vienna Murray averages 22.7 points and 6.7 rebounds per game for the Raptors, while five teammates average seven or more points per game. These teams haven’t met yet this season.

— Cassidy Hettesheimer

3A, final: Stewartville extends win streak to 27 straight behind Shindelar sisters

Audrey and Danika Shindelar combined for 37 points and 11 steals to lead No. 1 Stewartville its 27th straight win with a 73-54 victory over No. 8 seed Willmar in first Class 3A quarterfinal at Maturi Pavilion.

Audrey, a senior guard and South Dakota State recruit, scored 13 of her 26 points in the first half to lead the Tigers to a 35-26 halftime advantage. She also shot 10-for-18 from the field, including 4-for-8 from three-point range and recorded five steals (all in the first half).

A 6-foot sophomore guard, Danika nearly finished with a triple-double with 11 points, eight assists and eight rebounds.

The Tigers had four players in double figures, including St. Thomas recruit Jayci Rath with 15 points and Leah Hebl with 10 points. They pulled away with an 11-0 run to start the second half.

The Cardinals (18-12) had won 11 of their last 13 games entering the state tournament, but they fell to the consolation bracket after Wednesday’s loss. Madison Molacek and Telilie Lange both led with 17 points each.

— Marcus Fuller

4A, final: Hopkins 65, Blaine 28

The Royals are queens of the paint in this one, with junior forward Erma Walker, eighth-grade forward Marianna Davis and sophomore forward Ava Smith combining for 51 points while helping the Royals outrebound Blaine 29-18.

Hopkins built a comfortable lead without making a three-pointer until the final buzzer, by Avery Weber.

The defending 4A champs forced the Bengals into 24 turnovers while turning the ball over eight times. Senior guard Marlie Janssen led Blaine with 11 points in the program’s first trip to state since 2009.

— Cassidy Hettesheimer

4A: Hopkins finds success in the paint

The Royals, up 62-23, haven’t found themselves having to shoot much from three-point range today, going 0-for-5 from beyond the arc, while Blaine is 5-for-12. Erma Walker and Marianna Davis have combined for 40 points, most coming in the post, as Davis hits a new season high with 22 points. Hopkins is outrebounding Blaine 28-15.

— Cassidy Hettesheimer

3A: Tigers make a statement

Fans at Maturi Pavilion could sense that Stewartville had another gear. Willmar tried to keep it competitive for as long as it could as the lower seed. The rout was on in the second half, though.

The Tigers opened with an 11-0 run after St. Thomas recruit and senior Jayci Rath’s layup made it 46-26. The Cardinals didn’t score their first basket of the second half until more than five minutes into the second half. Sophomore Leah Hebl and Rath joined leading scorer Audrey Shindelar in double figures.

Stewartville opened the second half shooting 9-for-16 from the field.

— Marcus Fuller

4A: Blaine gets burst to start second half

In just three minutes to start the second half, Blaine matched its entire first-half scoring total, starting the half on a 10-2 run to make it 50-20. Blaine’s Alyssa Scholmann and Marlie Janssen open the half for Blaine with back-to-back-to-back buckets, then Janssen sunk a three to get the Bengals student section buzzing.

— Cassidy Hettesheimer

4A, halftime: Hopkins 46, Blaine 10

Junior forward Erma Walker is all over the Hopkins paint on defense, grabbing four tough defensive rebounds and forcing the Bengals to opt for looks from deep instead. Three Royals finish the half scoring in double figures: Walker (16), eighth-grade forward Marianna Davis (12) and sophomore forward Ava Smith (11) as, offensively, the Royals have been quick in transition. Hopkins has forced Blaine into 15 turnovers, led by three steals from Davis. The Bengals have baskets from four different players.

How’s this for a fact: Hopkins is the defending state champ, and none of its players who took the court in this dominant half are seniors.

— Cassidy Hettesheimer

3A: Turnovers were the story in first half

Stewartville and Willmar combined for 19 turnovers and scored 22 total points off those turnovers in the first half of Wednesday’s opening Class 3A quarterfinal at Maturi Pavilion.

The big difference? The Tigers took better care of the ball to end the first half to lead 35-26 at halftime. South Dakota State recruit Audrey Shindelar had a team-high 13 points and five steals in the first half, but she also committed five of her team’s nine turnovers.

The Cardinals were in danger of facing an insurmountable deficit in the first half trailing 32-18, but they ended the half on a 8-3 run. Maddison Molacek led Willmar with 13 points in the first half.

— Marcus Fuller

4A: Diggs has yet to check in

With Hopkins ahead 31-5 and just under six minutes to play in the first half, the Bengals were still looking for that breakthrough in the Royals paint. Hopkins was creating turnovers down low, forcing up to 13, so Blaine sophomore Alyssa Schlomann sank a three. Erma Walker leads the Royals with 11 points.

To note: We haven’t seen junior guard Jaliyah Diggs, one of the Royals’ top playmakers, check in yet. She’s first on the bench, cheering on her teammates. However, she did get more of a run in the second half of the Royals’ section championship game against Wayzata, and the Royals have built a comfortable lead without her, so we’ll see whether she gets some floor time late.

— Cassidy Hettesheimer

3A: Stewartville takes control behind star senior

Senior Audrey Shindelar during one stretch scored 13 of her team’s 25 points when Stewartville pulled away from Willmar in the first half of Wednesday’s quarterfinal.

The Tigers had three straight baskets from Shindelar to take an 11-point lead. The Cardinals rallied to pull within 20-14, but Shindelar sparked another 12-4 run. The South Dakota State recruit had five steals in the first half. Stewartville scored 10 points off 10 turnovers.

— Marcus Fuller

More private schools qualify for tournament

This year’s tournament will include teams from 12 private schools (four in Class 1A, four in Class 2A and four in Class 3A).

That is the highest number of private schools in a tournament in the 30 years since the tournament went to four classes (the first season of four classes was the 1996-97 season).

The previous high was eight — in 2021, 2024 and 2025.

The average number of private teams over the 30 years is 5.5 per year.

Here are this year’s teams:

Class 1A: Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s, Central Minnesota Christian of Prinsburg, Mayer Lutheran, Hillcrest Lutheran Academy of Fergus Falls.

Class 2A: Rochester Lourdes, Minnehaha Academy, Providence Academy, Marshall School of Duluth.

Class 3A: Cretin-Derham Hall, Hill-Murray, Totino-Grace, Benilde-St. Margaret’s.

— Joel Rippel

4A: Hopkins off to fast start

Six minutes in and this Hopkins defense is tough to beat, quick to swarm in the paint and lock down on the perimeter, giving the Royals a 17-2 lead over Blaine. The Royals, on average, conceded just over 53 points per game through a tough regular-season schedule, and today, they’ve already forced Blaine into a shot-clock violation and a total of seven turnovers just a third of the way through the first half. Eighth-grade forward Marianna Davis leads the Royals with seven points, earning chants of “She’s a baby!” (a compliment, from her own student section) after drawing an and-one.

— Cassidy Hettesheimer

3A: Willmar keeps it close early vs. No. 1

It would be an understatement to say Willmar was an underdog entering Wednesday’s quarterfinal against No. 1 seed Stewartville, which hadn’t lost a game since late November.

The Cardinals were used to being doubted, though. They played with a chip on their shoulder opening with a 9-7 lead. The Tigers finally responded with a 7-0 run to take control, but they went 3-for-13 shooting from the field to start.

— Marcus Fuller

4A: Welcome back, Royals!

We’ve tipped off here for the start of our class 4A tournament. On media row, I’m camped out in front of the Hopkins student section, and while the neon-clad Royals fans gave a hearty cheer to each of their classmates, junior forward Erma Walker got a particularly raucous reception. She had 28 points in last year’s state championship game win, and it seems like Hopkins is excited to see her make an impact in the post again this year. She gets the first bucket in this game, too.

— Cassidy Hettesheimer

3A, pregame: Stewartville vs. Willmar

No. 1 Stewartville (27-1) enters this year’s state basketball tournament as one of the most experienced teams on this stage in all classes. It has four straight trips to the state tournament, including finishing Class 3A runner-up to Benilde-St. Margaret’s in 2023

The top-seeded Tigers enter Wednesday’s quarterfinal against No. 8 seed Willmar (18-11) with a 26-game winning streak. Their only loss this season was 73-65 against Lakeville South on Nov. 22.

The Cardinals are making their first trip to the state tournament since back-to-back appearances in 2017 and 2018. They dropped seven of nine games in December and January, including a five-game losing streak. Willmar managed to turn around its season at the right time to win 11 of 13 to qualify for state.

— Marcus Fuller

4A, pregame: Hopkins vs. Blaine

Good morning from Williams Arena, where in the Class 4A girls basketball tournament, we pick up right where we left off last year: with Hopkins looking for a state title. Last year’s tournament ended with the No. 3-seeded Royals taking down top-seeded Maple Grove in the championship. This season, it’s No. 1 Hopkins (25-2) squaring off against No. 8 Blaine (21-8) in the first of four 4A quarterfinals.

Hopkins may have a record nine state titles, including four since 2015, but the Royals haven’t gone back-to-back since 2011-2013 (though the COVID-19 pandemic cut short their chance to defend the 2019 title in 2020, Paige Bueckers’ senior season).

The Royals have All-Minnesota junior guard Jaliyah Diggs and junior forward Erma Walker among the players returning from last year’s title game, as well as sharpshooting junior guard Ava Cupito.

Blaine, meanwhile, returns to state for the first time since 2009. The Bengals were runners-up once, in 2002. The Bengals were the No. 3 seed in Section 8, taking down Centennial and Forest Lake en route to their state return in their first season under head coach Alex Walz.

Sophomore guard Amelia Ritchie and senior guard Marlie Janssen lead the well-rounded Bengals in scoring, each averaging over 11 points per game.

— Cassidy Hettesheimer