Girls basketball state tournament: Rivals to battle for Class 4A, 3A championships
The finals are solidified in the top two classes while the top four seeds in Class 1A advanced to the semifinals. Tap here for coverage on all of Thursday’s games.
The Minnesota Star Tribune
March 15, 2024 at 4:18AM
THURSDAY
Tap on the game for a postgame summary or live scoring if the game is in progress
At Maturi Pavilion
Semifinals
Thursday at Williams Arena
9:53 p.m.
Minnetonka cruises to victory over STMA
With Minnetonka perched atop the state Class 4A rankings pretty much all season, the last thing St. Michael-Albertville wanted was to let the Skippers become comfortable and hold an advantage over the Knights in their state semifinal matchup.
Minnetonka had other ideas, racing out to a 13-0 lead and cruising to a 67-49 victory in Thursday’s final big-class semifinal at Williams Arena. Aaliyah Crump scored the game’s first eight points for Minnetonka, had 15 by halftime and finished with a game-high 27.
“I thought we played really well against a really, really good team,” Minnetonka coach Brian Cosgriff said. “And I knew it was gonna take that kind of effort, because [St. Michael-Albertville coach Kent Hamre] is a great coach and runs a great program. I thought in order to advance, we were gonna have to play really well.”
Representative of a team coached by Cosgriff, who’s well-known for his frequent worries about what could possibly go wrong, Minnetonka came out in the second half showing no signs of letting up. The Skippers outscored the 2023 Class 4A state champion Knights 16-8 in the first six minutes of the second half, putting the game on ice.
It was the Skippers’ third victory over St. Michael-Albertville (23-8) this season.
Lanelle Wright had 15 points and Tori McKinney added 13 for Minnetonka (28-2), which faces Hopkins for the Class 4A championship on Saturday. The Skippers defeated the Royals 64-61 in the regular-season finale for both teams.
Asked if Minnetonka is playing its best basketball in the state tournament, Wright, a sophomore guard, said: “Definitely. Our team chemistry on the court has gotten a lot better. Now we’re actually playing for the state championship and we’re being more competitive and aggressive.”
Reaching a the Class 4A final was a goal for the Skippers this season. Winning a title is next on their list.
“From the start of the season, this was our main goal,” Crump said. “So I think we’re all just proud of ourselves. But we still have a lot to do. We still have the game to play. So we’re going to prepare for it and go in strong.”
JIM PAULSEN
7:49 p.m.
‘Baby girl’ grows up, helps Hopkins hold off Maple Grove
Erma Walker’s strength inside the paint was just too much for Maple Grove. Hopkins’ 5-11 freshman forward scored 30 points, shooting 14-for–16 from the floor — many from in close to the basket — to help the Royals ward off a determined second-half charge by Maple Grove and emerge with an 84-78 in the Class 4A semifinals.
“Our baby girl grew up tonight,” Hopkins coach Tara Starks said of Walker’s career-best offensive performance. “She really stepped up big for her team.”
Walker didn’t go in expecting to have a big game. In her eyes, she was just doing her job.
“All the coaches were just telling me to play my game, be a beast on the boards, and that’s really what I did,” Walker said. “I wasn’t really looking to score. It just kind of happened.”
Maple Grove showed its resilience in the latter stages of the first half.
After withstanding an early run by Hopkins, the Crimson outscored the Royals 13-2, turning a 23-17 deficit into a 30-25 lead on a three-pointer by Claire Stern.
“We talk about little six-minute games,” Maple Grove coach Mark Cook said. “We lost that first six-minute game, but we won the second.”
Maple Grove got a boost just before halftime when Ava Cossette nailed a 30-footer at the buzzer that tied the game 36-36 at the break. “We felt really good about where we were at going into the second half,” Cook said.
A defensive adjustment by Hopkins sparked a 10-2 run to open the second half. But Maple Grove, shooting 65.3% from the floor in the second half, refused to wilt. The Crimson cut the lead to as little as three with the ball in their possession in the game’s final minutes.
“I’ve done this for 20 years and I’ve never had a team that will fight like this team,” Cook said. “They refuse to give up, to stop working.”
Starks said the Royals were aware the Crimson would be determined.
“We knew they were going to keep coming back, keep throwing punches, [and] they were going to knock down shots,” Starks said. “So we needed to get a little bit of cushion.”
But the night belonged to Walker, who played with a physicality Maple Grove could not match.
“Erma’s a beast,” teammate Tatum Woodson said.
JIM PAULSEN
6:17 p.m.
Kottke twins power Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart past Fosston
Rachel and Kristi Kottke are twins. Their games are similar, too.
The senior guards were determined to get Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart off to a fast start. They did just that.
The sisters had 10 points in a little more than two minutes, igniting the fast-starting Mustangs in an easy 72-35 victory over Fosston in Thursday’s final Class 1A girls basketball quarterfinal at the Maturi Pavilion.
The No. 4-ranked Mustangs (28-3) scored 18 of the game’s first 22 points and were in control from the outset. They led 40-13 at halftime, with Rachel heading the attack by scoring 11 of her game-high 21 points.
Five more players had between four and seven points in the game, including four who finished in double figures: sophomore Lily Hubin (16), senior Ellaina Bergstrom (10) and Kristi Kottke (12, to go with 11 assists).
Lexi Mahlen was the other. The sophomore had a double-double (13 points and 11 rebounds) for the Greyhounds (29-3).
RON HAGGSTROM
4:23 p.m.
Mountain Iron-Buhl’s defense suffocates Walker-Hackensack-Akeley
Mountain Iron-Buhl looks ready to defend its state championship.
The Rangers turned up their defensive intensity to overwhelm first-time entrant Walker-Hackensack-Akeley 71-36 in the Class 1A girls basketball quarterfinals Thursday at the Maturi Pavilion. Mountain Iron-Buhl is making its 13th state tournament appearance in the past 14 years.
“We aren’t big, so we have to be intense all over the court to make up for our lack of size,” Rangers coach Jeff Buffetta said.
The Rangers (28-3) were just that, using a suffocating defense to build a 37-15 halftime lead. The Wolves only made seven shots with two shot clock violations and turned the ball over on 14 of their 27 possessions.
“We have definitely picked it up on defense,” said Jordan Zubich, the Rangers’ leading-scorer. “You win games with defense. That’s what won us our championship last year.”
Offensively, Mountain Iron-Buhl overcame a sluggish start by Zubich, a North Carolina recruit, with a balanced attack. The senior guard, who averages 27.6 points per game, only connected on two of her first 11 shots yet finished with a game-high 20 points and seven assists.
Freshman Anna Neyens and senior Hali Savela added 18 and 10 points for the Rangers (28-3), who are ranked No. 3 in Minnesota Basketball News’ final regular-season rankings.
“We can’t take anything for granted,” Savela said.
Ava Welk had 13 points for the Wolves (24-7).
RON HAGGSTROM
3:40 p.m
DeLaSalle’s victory sets up showdown with rival in 3A championship
DeLaSalle’s 82-69 victory over Alexandria in its Class 3A girls basketball tournament semifinal Thursday at Williams Arena means the Islanders advance to play in the championship game against No. 1 seed Benilde-St. Margaret’s at 6 p.m. on Saturday at Williams Arena.
“We’re huge rivals,” DeLaSalle coach James Fassett said. “It’s been on our mind all year, of coming back and getting to this point.”
The Islanders (27-3) defeated the Red Knights 78-65 in their regular-season matchup on Dec. 22.
No. 2 seed DeLaSalle led No. 3 seed Alexandria 47-37 at halftime but pulled away in the second half to ensure a rematch with Benilde-St. Margaret’s.
Guard Aneisha Scott scored 29 points and added 11 assists in the victory over the Cardinals (25-4).
DAVID LA VAQUE
2:23 p.m.
Underwood’s three-point plan sinks Southwest Minnesota Christian
Underwood is undersized. It’s going to live on three-pointers.
Kallyn Grove and Trinity Baker drained three-pointers 47 seconds apart in the final three minutes, putting the finishing touches on a 64-52 victory over Southwest Minnesota Christian in the second Class 1A girls basketball tournament quarterfinal Thursday at the Maturi Pavilion.
The Rockets (28-3), No. 7 in Minnesota Basketball News’ final regular-season rankings, connected on 11 of 23 shots beyond the arc in the win, outscoring Southwest Minnesota Christian 33-9 on three pointers.
“We shot the ball well from three,” Underwood coach Brian Hovland said. “We really don’t have a post presence. We were able to get the ball to our cutters and they kicked it out.”
Senior guard Elizabeth Lukken paced four teammates in double figures with 18 points, followed by Grove (16 points), Baker (13) and Mily Albjerg (11). All four made three-pointers.
“When you have players that can shoot the ball like that, it’s hard to defend,” Eagles coach Luke Drooger said.
Jocelyn Barron, a 5-11 senior forward, had a game-high 22 points and 14 rebounds for the No. 10-ranked Eagles (28-3).
“We play different styles. We like to pound it inside,” Drooger said. “At the end of the day, they made more shots.”
RON HAGGSTROM
1:40 p.m.
Benilde-St. Margaret’s rolls Stewartville in state tournament rematch
Benilde-St. Margaret’s and Stewartville, Class 3A girls basketball title game combatants last season, met in Thursday’s semifinal at Williams Arena.
The rematch was all Red Knights.
Top-seeded Benilde-St. Margaret’s rolled to a 73-42 victory over fifth-seed Stewartville. Senior guard Olivia Olson, who signed with Michigan, scored a game-high 32 points for the Red Knights (26-5).
Benilde-St. Margaret’s, a private school located in St. Louis Park, will play in the Class 3A championship game at 6 p.m. on Saturday at Williams Arena.
The Red Knights led 42-23 at halftime en route to their second victory over the Tigers (22-9) this season. They also defeated Stewartville 74-48 on Jan. 13 at the Kasson-Mantorville Showdown.
DAVID LA VAQUE
12:32 p.m.
Goodhue thrives at tournament time
Coach Josh Wieme’s two stars, senior Elisabeth Gadient and junior Kendyl Lodermeier, took control from the outset while the supporting cast put the finishing touches on youthful Mayer Lutheran in Goodhue’s 65-38 victory in the first Class 1A girls basketball quarterfinal Thursday at the Maturi Pavilion.
“They have been the story of our team this season,” Wieme said. “They have a lot of experience and are our leaders.”
The tandem combined for 18 points and 16 rebounds in the first half, helping the Wildcats — No. 1 in Minnesota Basketball News’ final regular-season rankings — build a 34-20 lead. Each finished with a double-double — Gadient 19 points and 15 rebounds and Lodermeier 11 points and 11 rebounds. The duo added five assists and five steals.
Goodhue (26-5) scored 14 unanswered points late in the opening half to build a 33-14 lead. Gadient had six points in the run while sophomore Natalie Thomforde added five of her 19 points. The Crusaders trailed by double digits the rest of the way.
“Natalie was the one who out of anybody stepped up today,” Wieme said. “I’m thrilled with the way the game went. We were solid out there.”
Senior Danica Martin and sophomore Izabelle Keaveny each had 10 points for Mayer Lutheran (19-11).
RON HAGGSTROM
. . .
Semifinals
Friday at Williams Arena
Championship games
Saturday at Williams Arena
Tournament brackets
. . .
Tickets, TV
Ch. 45 is televising and streaming the semifinals and championship games starting Thursday. Quarterfinal games in Class 1A and consolation games in other classes are available for a fee on NSPN. Tickets to the event range from $11 to $22 and are available at mshsl.org/tickets.
. . .
More coverage
The Star Tribune will be publishing stories and other content related to these state championship games and more this week. Keep up by checking startribune.com/preps each day. Thank you for reading and subscribing.
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Tournament information
These Minnesotans are poised to play prominent roles in state and national politics in the coming years.
