Three angles: Breaking down the Class 3A girls basketball championship game
It's Benilde-St. Margaret's, likely lacking key guard Kendall McGee, vs. tournament first-timer Stewartville.
March 17, 2023 at 6:38PM
6 p.m. Saturday, Williams Arena
Stewartville (No. 4 seed, 28-2) vs. Benilde-St. Margaret's (No. 2, 25-6)
Why Stewartville will win: Nothing has fazed the state tournament newcomers so far. The Tigers successfully switched to a zone defense in the second half to trigger a comeback in the semifinals against Becker. "We felt like we were ready for this game," junior Savannah Hedin said. "This was our game; this was our time." Becker senior guard Danielle Nuest said, "They are very skilled. They have a couple of tall girls who are tough to guard. They are all good shooters, and they play well as a team."
Why Benilde-St. Margaret's will win: "We can score inside," Red Knights coach Tim Ellefson said. "We have an advantage there. But we have to get the ball down the court first. We're going to look to rebound and keep them to one shot. And then limit our turnovers." Alexandria wilted under the Red Knights' physical play. "When we're moving our feet and they are running into a defender that's in good position, there is physicality in that," Ellefson said.
One thing to know: Benilde-St. Margaret's likely won't have sophomore point guard Kendall McGee on the floor. She suffered an apparent knee injury in the semifinals. "I'm expecting to not have her," Ellefson said. "She is a big part of our team, not only the way that she plays but as far as the life of our team. But we have kids that can handle the ball."
Six players plus head coach Garrett Raboin and assistant coach Ben Gordon are from Minnesota. The tournament’s games will be televised starting Monday.
