Eight teams across four classifications play today for the state championship.

The Class 2A and 1A semifinals took place Friday. The Class 4A and 3A semifinals were Thursday.

Go here for today’s scores and schedule. The MSHSL moved up the start times for the Class 2A and 4A games by 90 minutes with a snowstorm expected to begin tonight. 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.

Below are live reports from state championship games, Class 1A-4A.

. . .

Pregame: A hungry Rosemount team vs. a very experienced Hopkins squad

Class 4A state championship, 6:30 p.m.

When asked what the key to beating the top-seeded Hopkins Royals would be, coach of the No. 2-seeded Rosemount Irish, Chris Orr, kept it simple: “Handle the pressure.”

Hopkins (27-2), on its 12th consecutive trip to state, knows the pressure of the state championship stage. The nine-time champions have raised their most recent trophies in 2022 and 2025, sandwiching two more runner-up finishes in between.

Meanwhile, Rosemount (28-3) is vying for its first state title. After finishing runner-up in 2021, trips to state in 2022 and 2024 came up short of the championship game.

Hopkins could provide unique post challenges for the guard-dominant Irish, via players like All-Minnesota junior forward Erma Walker, fed in the paint by All-Minnesota junior point guard Jaliyah Diggs. Rosemount’s led by over 20 points per game from Gophers-bound guard Amisha Ramlall, yet another junior All-Minnesota honoree. Her younger sister, sophomore guard Ashna, is another one of the Irish’s many scoring threats from deep.

Read more about the matchup here ahead of tipoff.

— Cassidy Hettesheimer

2A: Greenway has near triple-double in Providence five-peat

Maddyn Greenway didn’t need 50 points, 40 points or 30 points to pull away in Saturday’s 2A title game with Providence Academy’s 95-60 win against Duluth Marshall.

Greenway finished with 33 points, 13 assists and nine rebounds to help the Lions make history with their fifth straight state championship.

Emma Millerbernd and Lexie Nicolai also contributed with 21 and 19 points for Providence Academy. The runner-up Hilltoppers were led by Chloe Johnson’s 22 points.

— Marcus Fuller

2A: Record, reset

Benilde-St. Margaret’s, the afternoon’s winner in Class 3A, can say that it held a tie for the state record of four consecutive state titles for approximately 90 minutes. Providence Academy set a new record, with a fifth consecutive championship.

— Cassidy Hettesheimer

2A: Celebration time

The chants of “start the buses” came early from Providence Academy’s student section.

With five minutes remaining, Duluth Marshall was down by more than 30 points, and only two of their players had scored in double digits compared to Providence’s four.

Those four players — Maddyn and Beckett Greenway, Emma Millerbernd, and Lexie Nicolai — have tallied 81 of the team’s 91 points.

Chloe Johnson came back in the latter half of the second, turning a scoreless first 10 minutes into a quick 12 points, bringing her total to 22.

— Grace Praxmarer

2A: Nicolai’s big night

Providence Academy junior forward Lexie Nicolai’s points and boards in her first three state tournament getting major minutes as a starter: four points, nine rebounds; six points, 14 rebounds; and now 17 points, 13 rebounds to help the Lions lead by 32 with just under five minutes to play. Have yourself a game, Lexie.

— Cassidy Hettesheimer

2A: Remembering that 67-point performance by a former Hilltopper

The Hilltoppers saw Gianna Kneepkens score a state-record 67 points against Providence Academy in the 2021 Class 2A girls quarterfinals.

In that game, Lions star Maddyn Greenway was seventh grader and she recalled recently that “we couldn’t defend a cone if we tried.”

Well, Duluth Marshall didn’t have Kneepkens walking through that door to play this time around. She’ll be trying to lead UCLA to a national championship.

Chloe Johnson, one of the top sophomores in the nation, scored 36 points in the Class 2A semifinals this year, but she only had 14 points on 6-for-16 shooting with just under seven minutes left. Providence Academy had a 75-49 lead. Doesn’t look like Duluth Marshall’s entire team will be getting close to 67 in this meeting.

— Marcus Fuller

2A: Lions have contained high-scoring Johnson

There’s an unusual sight here in the second half of the state final — and that’s Chloe Johnson going scoreless up until the seventh minute.

Johnson recorded 10 points in the first half, a team high entering halftime. Now, Marshall’s Cairin Berger has the lead at 14 points — a far stride from Maddyn Greenway’s game-leading 25 points. Johnson now has 12.

Berger averages 14 points per game, hitting that mark with six minutes still remaining in the second. That may seem like a lot of time, but it’s not for Johnson who is still nearly 20 points away from her game average.

— Grace Praxmarer

2A: What’s made the difference?

The most glaring differences on the stat sheet tonight is turnovers generated: 19-7 in Providence Academy’s favor, steals 14-5 in Providence Academy’s favor, fast break points 18-5 in Providence Academy’s favor, points in the paint 36-12 in Providence Academy’s favor. Beckett and Maddyn Greenway each have four steals, and Lexie Nicolai and Emma Millerbernd, three each. It’s tough for the Hilltoppers to catch up when just getting shots off has been a challenge against a team that can turn a steal into a quick bolt down the court.

— Cassidy Hettesheimer

2A: More foul trouble

Bad news for the Hilltoppers. Providence Academy freshman Beckett Greenway, who was held to just two points in the first half, is heating up and just sunk another three to help put the Lions up 61-39, while Duluth Marshall guard Chloe Johnson, who hasn’t scored this half, picked up her fourth personal foul. She went to the bench with just under 12 minutes to play. But a bright spot for the Hilltoppers, keeping them in this one — they are shooting 7-for-16 from deep, led by senior Cairin Berger shooting 4-for-5 from beyond the arc. Still, that hasn’t been enough to keep up when turning the ball over 18 times, while Providence has only turned it over four.

— Cassidy Hettesheimer

2A: Lions again navigate cold shooting

Five minutes into the second half, Providence leads 58-36 over Duluth Marshall. Lions guards Beckett and Maddyn Greenway, both typically strong three-pointer shooters, are a combined 1-for-13 from deep, but Emma Millerbernd and Stella Serie have sunk a combined five, and between drives to the basket by the Greenways and now a double-double for Lexie Nicolai (10 points, 10 rebounds) the Lions are outscoring the Hilltoppers 30-10 in the paint.

— Cassidy Hettesheimer

2A: Marshall’s bench needs more points than minutes played

Marshall is definitely relying on its depth, with seven of their girls tallying more than 10 minutes in the first half, but only four of them have recorded baskets.

Four of Providence’s players are already at 18 minutes, and the only other player tallying that court time is Marshall’s Chloe Johnson.

Marshall coach C.J. Osuchukwu’s decision to test his team’s depth may be attributed to the number of turnovers his team has committed. Marshall had 13 turnovers in the first half, 10 of which were steals, and Providence was able to capitalize.

Fourteen of Providence’s 40 points were from fastbreaks or turnovers.

-Grace Praxmarer

Maddyn Greenway named Minnesota Gatorade Player of the Year

On March 13, Providence Academy senior point guard Maddyn Greenway was named the 2025-26 Gatorade Minnesota Girls Basketball Player of the Year for the second year in a row.

Greenway, a Kentucky commit and four-time state champion (currently at halftime of what could be her fifth championship) is the state’s all-time leading scorer, surpassing 5,505 points in the Lions’ section final. She also holds state records in career assists and tournament points. She was named the Star Tribune All-Minnesota Player of the Year in 2025 and 2026.

— Cassidy Hettesheimer

2A, halftime: Providence 40, Duluth Marshall 27

After falling behind early in the first half, the Lions gained the lead with a 21-4 run, fueled by forcing 13 Duluth Marshall turnovers. Those have turned into some key Lions breakaways; they’re outscoring the Hilltoppers 26-10 in the paint, with 14 fast break points.

We mentioned earlier that Lions forward Lexie Nicolai is up to three fouls. For Duluth Marshall, junior guard Candice Ndomb picked up her fourth before the end of the half after Lions freshman Caroline Dierberger drew a charge and had the Providence bench on its feet, hollering.

Maddyn Greenway leads the Lions with 14 points, five assists and four rebounds, while Chloe Johnson got a quick 10 points and five rebounds for the Hilltoppers but was held quiet down the back stretch of the first half.

— Cassidy Hettesheimer

2A: Early foul trouble

Duluth Marshall senior Cairin Berger is automatic from three-point range so far (3-for-3) to help cut the Hilltoppers’ deficit to 36-27 in the final two minutes of the first half.

Providence Academy junior forward Lexie Nicolai had a strong start to the game, just like in the Lions’ semifinal game, with eight points and six rebounds by the final minutes of the half. However, she is up to three personal fouls. She also faced foul trouble in the Lions’ semifinal and had to sit for large stretches of the second half of that game.

— Cassidy Hettesheimer

2A: Lions make a run

With just over four minutes to play in the first half, Providence has a double digit lead on Duluth Marshall at 31-15. Since Providence took the lead eight minutes into the game, the Lions have burst ahead on a 21-4 run, led by eight points from Maddyn Greenway and five from Stella Serie. Marshall shot 2-for-9 during that stretch, with six turnovers, getting scrambled by scrappy defense from players like Beckett Greenway.

— Cassidy Hettesheimer

2A: The Greenway Effect

The Greenway sisters are proving to be a defensive force, though their offensive abilities — which deem them as the team’s star players — are lacking. Especially when you consider that Maddyn has shot nearly 73% in the paint this season, her current 40% is underwhelming. Combined, Maddyn and Beckett are shooting 5-of-15 in the paint and 0-for-7 from beyond the arc. Still, they’ve contributed a combined seven steals.

Typically, in high pressure matchups such as the state title game, teams are going to continue looking to what works. In this case, that’s Lexie Nicolai, who has gone 4-of-4 in field goal attempts so far.

— Grace Praxmarer

2A: Breakaway breakthrough

Providence Academy, leading 25-15 with six minutes to play in the first half, has already forced 12 Hilltoppers turnovers, 10 of them steals to spring the Lions’ signature fast break. Freshman guard Beckett Greenway has four steals, and Maddyn Greenway has three.

— Cassidy Hettesheimer

2A: Cold from beyond the arc

Both teams are cold from three-point range to start: 0-for-8 for Providence, 0-for-2 for Marshall. But point guards Maddyn Greenway and Chloe Johnson have found chances driving into the paint for layups and jumpers. Johnson’s got 10, Greenway six. Providence leads 16-13 with eight minutes to play in the first half.

— Cassidy Hettesheimer

2A: Points in the paint

With ten minutes left in the first half, Providence Academy takes a 14-11 edge. Junior post Lexi Nicolai finished through contact for a Lions and-one; she’s up to six points. Nicolai had a big rebounding night in the semifinal against Perham and will look to take advantage of some size mismatches over this Hilltoppers squad. At 6-feet, only Marshall’s Chloe Johnson, a point guard, matches Nicolai’s height.

— Cassidy Hettesheimer

2A: Fast tempo to start

This one’s moving quickly to start. Duluth Marshall sophomore guard Chloe Johnson has a quick eight after driving into the paint for each and going to the FT line once to give the Hilltoppers an early 8-4 lead, just over four minutes in.

— Cassidy Hettesheimer

Pregame: One team is going for its fifth vs. the team going for its first title

Class 2A championship, 4:45 p.m.

Class 2A, where top-seeded Providence Academy (27-4) looks to become the first program to win five consecutive titles after Benilde-St. Margaret’s just tied the Lions’ record of four. No. 2 Duluth Marshall (24-7) is vying for its program’s first state title.

What hasn’t been said about Providence senior Maddyn Greenway and Duluth Marshall sophomore Chloe Johnson? We wrote about that matchup here, showcasing the two point guards that, per ESPN, are Minnesota’s highest nationally-ranked recruits, of its active players. (Kentucky-bound Greenway is 13th in her class, Johnson third.)

But, of course, there are more than two players on the court at a time. The Lions have two more All-State guards in junior Emma Millerbernd and freshman Beckett Greenway, who will test the Hilltoppers’ tough perimeter defense. Junior forward Lexi Nicolai has been big on the boards to weather shooting slumps.

“They’ve got three big-time Division I basketball players,” Hilltoppers head coach C.J. Osuchukwu said. “The thing is, though, our kids, we don’t fear that. They play AAU, too. They play against high level guards too… (and) our schedule this year has just been crazy.”

Duluth Marshall junior guard Morgan Lucero got the Hilltoppers off to a strong start in their semifinal, shooting 4-for-6 from three in the first half. Senior Cairin Berger has been quick to grab a steal, and junior guard Candice Ndomb quick to grab clutch rebound.

Both of these small-school teams are battle-tested, though they haven’t faced one another since December 2023. Duluth Marshall faced 4A foes Hopkins, Maple Grove and Lakeville North; top-10 3A teams like Orono, Marshall and Rock Ridge; and a tough Class 2A, Section 7 tournament. Providence, as per the norm the last few seasons, has gone toe-to-toe with nine 4A schools, including both of this year’s finalists, Hopkins and Rosemount.

— Cassidy Hettesheimer

3A: Benilde-St. Margaret’s gets its four-peat

Benidle-St. Margaret’s players tried not to focus on the chance to make history with a fourth straight Class 3A championship leading into today’s game vs. Stewartville.

The Red Knights lost the same matchup earlier this season, but a 19-5 second-half surge snapped the top-seeded Tigers’ 28-game winning streak with a 75-63 victory at Williams Arena.

Sydney Friedly led four BSM players in double figures with 24 points on 7-for-14 shooting, including 5-for-11 from three-point range. Zaida Jenkins had 16 points on 3-for-5 shooting from beyond the arc. Alivia Bell and Mira Wismer also contributed with 12 and 11 points, respectively.

The Tigers, who also lost to BSM in the 2023 championship game, were led by Audrey Shindelar’s 29 points. Danika Shindelar also added 18 points.

— Marcus Fuller

3A: Defending champs take control in second half

Benidle-St. Margaret’s had some players returning from last year’s state title team, but this was still a younger squad with new roles for everyone.

That meant that BSM was much different than when it lost to Stewartville earlier this season. That showed during a second-half surge in today’s championship game.

In the earlier meeting, the Red Knights struggled defensively and didn’t know how to slow down Audrey Shindelar and Jayci Rath. But this time Rath was held to five points with five minutes left.

BSM’s Sydney Friedly also found her rhythm. Friedly scored her 22nd point on her fifth three-pointer of the game to make it 65-50. Sophomore Zaida Jenkins, who had 16 points, also helped the Red Knights take control with a 19-5 run in the second half.

— Marcus Fuller

3A: Stewartville’s Shindelar heats up

The Tigers were in danger of facing sizeable deficit for the first time in the state tournament, trailing by 11 points to open the second half against Benilde-St. Margaret’s.

Stewartville needed star senior Audrey Shindelar to find her shooting stroke. The South Dakota State recruit scored nine of her 15 points during a 14-5 run, including her first three-pointer of the game to make it 41-39 at the 12:43 mark.

But BSM’s Sydney Friedly answered with five straight points to keep the Tigers from tying the game. Stewartville trailed by nine points, but Danika Shindelar’s three-point play and Audrey Shindelar’s second three-pointer cut it to 48-44 with 10 minutes to play.

— Marcus Fuller

3A: BSM doesn’t stay down long, leads at halftime

In last week’s section championship, Benilde-St. Margaret’s upset the No. 1 seed Orono on the road after trailing in the first half.

The Red Knights responded today after losing their lead midway through the first half of the Class 3A championship. No. 1 Stewartville led 20-17 after two free throws from Danika Shindelar with just under five minutes left, but BSM answered with a 16-5 run going into halftime.

Four different players scored during a 9-0 run, including a layup from Mira Wismer to give the Red Knights a 26-20 lead. Shindelar’s three-pointer pulled the Tigers within three points with under two minutes remaining. But Zaida Jenkins and Kiera Willis scored the last five points for BSM to lead 33-25 at the break.

BSM scored eight points off eight Stewartville turnovers in the first half.

— Marcus Fuller

3A: Stewartville rallies to take its first lead

Stewartville had not been used to close games this season. The Tigers only twice won under double figures during a 28-game winning streak, including a 65-51 state semifinal victory against Cretin-Derham Hall on Thursday.

Benilde-St. Margaret’s led 11-4 early in the first half today, but the Tigers used a 14-3 run to take the lead. Jayci Rath’s three-pointer and Audrey Shindelar’s layup made it 18-16 with just under eight minutes left.

BSM had allowed only one three-pointer in the first half of its semifinal win against Marshall. Stewartville hit two three-pointers in the first 10 minutes today.

— Marcus Fuller

3A: Benilde-St. Margaret’s gets off to fast start

The Red Knights are used to playing on the big stage before with three straight Class 3A state titles to their credit.

No. 2 Benilde-St. Margaret’s doesn’t seem to be nervous at all in today’s final at Williams Arena. In the blink of an eye, No. 1 Stewartville trailed 7-0 with three different players scoring for the opposition.

After starting 0-for-5 from the field, the Tigers finally responded with back-to-back scoring possessions, but the Red Knights remained in control with Alivia Bell scoring six points for an 11-4 early lead.

— Marcus Fuller

Pregame: Will Stewartville’s winning formula equal a state title?

Class 3A championship, 2:15 p.m.

Stewartville girls basketball coach Tanner Tiege came up with some analytics that translated to a “formula for success” for his team this season, he said.

Tiege said Stewartville is unbeatable when it takes care of two of these three categories: winning the rebounding battle, recording at least 15 assists, and committing fewer than 15 turnovers in a game.

The Tigers took care of business in that regard during a 28-game winning streak this season, leading into the Class 3A state championship vs. Benilde-St. Margaret’s.

Stewartville’s only loss this season was 73-65 against Lakeville South on Nov. 22. The Tigers had 18 turnovers and only 11 assists in that contest.

The last time these two teams met was when Stewartville won 85-76 on Jan. 17. The Tigers had 19 turnovers, but they won the rebounding battle 40-27 and had 25 assists.

Can the Tigers (29-1) keep those numbers in their favor against the three-time defending champion Red Knights (25-6) at Williams Arena?

— Marcus Fuller

1A: Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s wins first state title

Green pom-poms flew into the air as No. 2 seed Sleepy Eye Saint Mary’s secured the Class 1A girls basketball state title for the first time in school history, beating No. 1 seed Mountain Iron-Buhl 80-63. One of Minnesota’s top scorers, Morgan Mathiowetz, led the Knights to state tourney victory with 27 points. The junior guard was pulled to the bench with a minute left in the game and a 20-point lead for the Knights. Olivia Schieffert added 25 points for the Knights.

— Olivia Hicks

1A: Getting tight as the clock winds down

In a game where three-pointers are rare, it’s sweet when two come back-to-back. Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s Natalie Fischer hit one, then Mountain Iron-Buhl’s Aniyah Thomas responded with her own three-pointer.

It’s getting tight here with just over four minutes left in the second half. Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s leads 66-53.

— Olivia Hicks

1A: Mountain Iron-Buhl closing the gap

Sophomore guard Olivia Schieffert, with 16 points, is keeping the pace for the Knights in the second half, but the Rangers are catching up. Mountain Iron-Buhl’s Anna Neyens’ three-pointer helped pull the Rangers to 56-45 with seven minutes left on the clock.

— Olivia Hicks

1A: Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s capitalizes on Mountain Iron-Buhl mistakes

When the Rangers’ Anna Neyens stuttered in her dribbling, sophomore guard Olivia Schieffert was right there on her heels to steal the ball. Her layup brought the Knights up 52-30 before freshman guard Farrah Thomas closed the gap to 20 points yet again.

Score: 52-32 with about 10 minutes left.

— Olivia Hicks

1A: Mountain Iron-Buhl starts to hit shots

The Knights open up scoring yet again with junior forward Sidney Tauer’s layup 35 seconds into the second half. But Mountain Iron-Buhl is refusing to let Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s set the tone. Juniors Anna Neyens and Paige Norman responded with two layups in just under a minute for the Rangers as their student section chanted: “Defense! Defense! Defense!”

Neyens scored the team’s first three-pointer of the game and brought the score to 48-25.

— Olivia Hicks

1A: Mathiowetz’s 18 first-half points spark Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s

The first half of the Class 1A title game was not one full of three-pointers. No. 1 seed Mountain Iron-Buhl attempted 13 three-pointers, four of them by freshman guard Farrah Thomas, and missed all of them. Junior guard Morgan Mathiowetz led Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s eight three-pointer attempts, making three of five. Mathiowetz contributed 18 of the Knights’ 42 points while Thomas put six points on the board for the Rangers.

No. 2 seed Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s will look to keep its form going into the second half whereas the Rangers will hope to find the rhythm from earlier rounds that got them here.

Stick around as the second half tips off.

— Olivia Hicks

Ms. Basketball winners honored at halftime

Some of the highest scorers in state history won’t just be taking the court as competitors today. Also at Williams Arena: Rebekah Dahlman and Carlie Wagner, who were first and second in Minnesota girls basketball career scoring totals by the time Dahlman graduated from Braham in 2013 and Wagner from New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva in 2014. The pair were among the 12 former Ms. Basketball recipients recognized at halftime of the 1A championship game in honor of the tournament’s 50th anniversary. Wagner, a former Gopher, is now an assistant coach at Stewartville, which is competing for its first Class 3A title after this 1A championship wraps up. WNBA player and former Gopher Rachel Banham was also recognized; the Lakeville North alum is helping broadcast today’s games on 45tv.

— Cassidy Hettesheimer

1A: Mountain Iron-Buhl down 26 points at halftime

The Rangers aren’t having much luck finding the basket. The team’s best chances have come from the five fouls against Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s and senior guard Ava Luukkonen’s free throws, but three-point shots have been off the mark.

Mountain Iron-Buhl has 10 fouls against them and trails 42-16.

— Olivia Hicks

1A: Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s builds big lead

Freshman guard Farrah Thomas’ layups are proving to be Mountain Iron-Buhl’s only shot at inching closer to Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s. Thomas is having trouble finding the three-pointers the team desperately needs. The Rangers’ eight fouls to the Knights’ four are also giving Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s plenty of free throw opportunities.

With just over five minutes left in the half, the Knights are up 27-8.

— Olivia Hicks

1A: Mountain Iron-Buhl puts first points on the board

Junior forward Sami Warwas’ layup, assisted by Anna Neyens and coming off the back of Lindsay Olin’s rebound, offered the sliver of momentum for the Rangers against Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s top scorer Morgan Mathiowetz.

But the Knights were quick to respond and slash any chances at Mountain Iron-Buhl closing the gap with junior guard Kylie Pelzel’s three-pointer.

The Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s lead sits at 17-4 with 10 minutes left in the first half.

— Olivia Hicks

1A: Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s proving defense is best offense

The Knights are keeping Mountain Iron-Buhl at bay by blocking top scorer and junior guard Anna Neyens’ three-point attempts. Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s defense opened up scoring opportunities for junior forward Sidney Tauer to bring the score to 10-0 with a layup. Junior guards Brynne Ibberson and Morgan Mathiowetz followed it up with baskets of their own to take a 14-0 lead.

— Olivia Hicks

1A: Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s surges to early lead

Sleepy Eye Saint Mary’s is on fire in the first minute. Morgan Mathiowetz opens up scoring in this Class 1A title game. The junior guard and Knights top scorer grabbed the ball out of the Rangers’ reach after Mountain Iron-Buhl won the tip-off and started off with a three-pointer, sparking an 8-0 run.

— Olivia Hicks

Pregame: No. 1 Mountain Iron-Buhl vs. No. 2 Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s

Class 1A championship, 12 p.m.

Good morning from Williams Arena, where the Class 1A girls basketball state title game is about to begin.

No. 1 seed Mountain Iron-Buhl is attempting to match its 2023 championship win. The Rangers are led by senior guard Aniyah Thomas and junior guard Anna Neyens, who carried the team to a near-perfect season — losing only to Class 3A Rock Ridge. Neyens has stood out in Mountain Iron-Buhl’s first trip to state since 2024 with 30 points in the semifinal game against Hillcrest Lutheran Academy.

Both players have been key in calming the team down and creating space when the lights get too bright: “It’s one of those things that it’s just not given to get here,” said head coach Jeff Buffetta. “They’ve earned the right to get here. When you have moments like this — we haven’t had a lot of moments like this — you have to be able to handle it mentally and physically.”

But No. 2 seed Sleepy Eye Saint Mary’s is more motivated than ever. The Knights have never won a state title and it’s their first time competing on the big stage at a state tourney final. Junior guard Morgan Mathiowetz knows how to take a shot and make it count. The All-Minnesota player averages 34 points per game and was one to watch with an eye-watering 41-point quarterfinal game against Mayer Lutheran and a 31-point game in the semifinal against Central Minnesota Christian. Her sharp eye for three-pointers is something head coach Bruce Woitas has come to expect: “We’re just happy she’s on our side,” Woitas said after the quarterfinal win.

Both teams have a show-up and show-out style of play, but only one can bring home the trophy. As the clock ticks down to tip-off, stick around and stay tuned to find out who will be crowned the first state champ of the day.

— Olivia Hicks