Girls' basketball: Day 1 results

Nia Coffey and Hopkins couldn't find the basket Wednesday morning.

The Royals' first 16 points of a 77-58 victory over St. Michael-Albertville in the Class 4A girls' basketball state quarterfinal were a struggle to net. The opening nine minutes featured more missed layups than converted baskets

After Coffey won the opening jump ball and scored seconds later, the Knights turned over their first possession. Then Coffey struggled to find a rhythm. The unseeded Knights frustrated the top-seeded Royals, who were inconsistent from the free-throw line.

"First game was kind of rough," Coffey said. "Survive and advance is what [coach Brian Cosgriff] told us and that's just what happened."

The bits of scoring were enough to give Hopkins an early double-digit lead. With nothing else was working, Coffey started to shoot long balls and found her shot beyond the arc. Coffey's three first-half three-pointers, Taylor Anderson's regular put backs, and TT Starks' double-double helped Hopkins comfortably pull away.

Coffey had a game-high 22 points and nine rebounds. Anderson added 12 and nine. And Starks had 11 and 10. The Knights trailed by about 20 points for most of the second half and never got closer than 16. Jordan Hansen led the Knights with 15 points and Sydney Tracy had 10.

"The missed layups, no one expected that of us," Hopkins guard Nia Hollie said. "We have to slow down and be patient."

JASON GONZALEZ

Eastview 54, Rochester Mayo 40

Eastview's girls' basketball team overcame a late Rochester Mayo comeback attempt to win Wednesday's Class 4A state tournament quarterfinal at Target Center. The No. 3 seed Lightning dispatched the Spartans by a 54-40 margin thanks in large part to forcing 27 turnovers. "We wanted to play aggressively on defense," Eastview coach Melissa Guebert said. "I think we set the tone with our defense." The teams were tied 13-13 before the Lightning closed the first half on a 19-1 surge. Rochester Mayo went more than 10 minutes without a basket. A 32-14 halftime lead did not comfort Guebert. "I don't know if it was a cushion at all," Guebert said. "I thought we lacked some focus and intensity in the second half." Eastview (28-2) led by 24 points in the second half. But the Spartans chipped the deficit to 10 with 1 minute and 11 seconds remaining. "We were still confident we could pull through," said Eastview sophomore forward Hana Metoxen, who scored 14 points. Sophomore Madison Guebert, a Star Tribune All Metro First Team selection, made four free throws down the stretch to secure the victory. She led all scorers with 27 points. Rachael Doll led Rochester Mayo (21-8) with 15 points. The victory sets up a decisive third meeting with South Suburban Conference rival and No. 2 seed Bloomington Kennedy in Thursday's semifinals. The teams split the regular season series. DAVID La VAQUE Osseo 63, St. Paul Central 56

Osseo overcame a 12-point deficit in the first half to defeat St. Paul Central 63-56 Wednesday afternoon at Target Center. St. Paul Central led 17-5 early on in the Class 4A quarterfinal, but Osseo finished the half on a 24-10 run to pull in front 29-27. "We called a timeout and talked about how we needed to play and settle down and get going at the pace we knew we could compete," Osseo coach John Rieser said. Phillis Webb and Ayo Porte each scored 10 points in the first half, which was tied at 27 as the Minutemen, trying to slow the Orioles' surge, kept possession most of the final minute. When they forced the ball inside, however, their size advantage didn't work. Osseo's Belinda Barfknecht knocked the ball out of Rayna Sherow's reach to set up Webb for a breakaway layup in the final seconds, giving the Orioles their first lead since the opening minutes. Poor free-throw shooting (seven-for-19) ruined the Minutemen's chances late in the game, while the Orioles' upperclassmen leadership held strong. Webb and Porte went on to collect a pair double-doubles. Webb had 19 points, 10 rebounds, and Porte had 11 points, 10 rebounds. Sade Chatman had 14 points and seven rebounds for St. Paul Central, and Sherow 10 rebounds, nine points. "I don't know what happened. I think we got a little too relaxed. Then it was tied. Then they had the lead at halftime," Sherow said. "We're usually better [at free throws]. They just didn't fall all the way through." JASON GONZALEZBloomington Kennedy 66, Anoka 48

Bloomington Kennedy didn't need to rely on its core. The Eagles got plenty of support elsewhere in a 66-48 Class 4A quarterfinal victory over Anoka on Wednesday afternoon at Target Center. Eighth-grader Jasmyn Martin was perfect (5-for-5 shooting) in the first half, and freshman Kiara Russell was sharp from three-point land (four total) in both halves. "The [seniors and juniors] let me know that I can help the team," Martin said. "I think our role was really important. We needed to get up and we sparked things." The Eagles, who held a 32-21 lead at halftime, called their play to that point uncharacteristic but that the first six minutes of the second half they were worse. The unseeded Tornadoes managed to stick with the No. 2 seed for 24 minutes and trailed by only two with 12 minutes to play. Then Russell hit a three-pointer, triggering a 32-16 Kennedy run that made it hard to tell the game had once been close. Kennedy's core found more rhythm, as Jade Martin (14 points) and Kenisha Bell (13 points) closed the door on the Tornadoes. The younger Martin finished with 13 points and Russell had 10. "They stepped up 'cause we weren't really on," Bell said. "If someone steps up, it makes us step up." Anoka, which closed to within one point during the game, was led by Claire Lundberg's game-high 16 points. JASON GONZALEZ

Class 3A

Richfield 54, Hill-Murray 35

Richfield shrugged off a sputtering start, perhaps to be expected considering the 10 a.m. start time, found its transition game late in the first half and pulled away to defeat Hill-Murray 54-35. The Spartans (27-3) turned to their superstar, guard Jessica January, early and she responded, scoring eight-straight points to give Richfield a 10-2 lead. More importantly, it gave Richfield enough of a cushion to figure out how to handle the taller Pioneers. Richfield's trademark defense — pressuring the ball on the perimeter and over-playing the passing lanes — started to have its effect midway through the second half. The Spartans cranked up the transition game, outscoring the Pioneers 16-5 to turn a two-point advantage into a 30-17 halftime lead. "We started to get uncomfortable at about the 12-minute mark of the first half. That's what happens with 16-, 17-year-old kids," Richfield coach Scott Stadem said. "But then we started defending like we were capable, pushed them out of their comfort zone and took them out of their game." It was more of the same after halftime. Richfield went on a 10-3 run to take a 40-20 lead and maintained a lead of at least 16 points for the rest of the game. January led Richfield with 19 points and five steals. Kaitlin Langer score 12 points to pace Hill-Murray (19-11).JIM PAULSEN

Red Wing 63, New Prague 45

Red Wing coach Dave Muelken reeled off reasons for the Wingers' 63-45 quarterfinal victory over New Prague and all were valid: strong defense, senior leadership, positive attitude, familiarity with Williams Arena and confidence gained from playing an opponent they had defeated twice during the regular season.

But the biggest reason stood six-feet tall with a thick headband, a gymful of game and unlimited confidence.

Tesha Buck, Red Wing's do-everything guard, used Wednesday's game as a personal showcase, scoring 32 points, grabbing 11 rebounds and dishing out four assists (it seemed like many more). Most importantly, she led the Wingers into Thursday's semifinals after two previous quarterfinals losses.

"She was great, as usual," said Muelken. "It's nice to have a player who can get you a basket whenever you need it."

The game didn't start out well for Buck. The Wisconsin-Green Bay recruit committed two fouls early as New Prague got out to a 9-5 lead. But she found her game shortly after, scoring nine consecutive points in an array of styles: pull-up jumper, long three-pointer, baseline drive and a fast-break layup.

Red Wing led 25-15 at halftime with Buck accounting for 19 points She continued her high-scoring ways well into the second half and would have had more had she not fouled out with two minutes left.

"We've come down here the last two years and fell short," said Buck. "This is my senior year. I want to go out with a bang."

JIM PAULSEN

DeLaSalle 73, Chisago Lakes 49

DeLaSalle's 73-49 victory over Chisago Lakes 49 wasn't a thing of beauty. At this point in the season it doesn't matter. It's all about moving on. That's what the two-time defending state champion Islanders (26-4) accomplished in ousting the Wildcats (22-8) in a sluggish matchup. DeLaSalle senior standouts Tyseanna Johnson and Allina Starr combined for 21 points in the first half as the Islanders built an 11-point lead in spite of shooting 36 percent from the floor. They were even worse from the free-throw line, connecting on 33 percent of their attempts. "We did what we had to in order to get to the second round," said Johnson, who was one of four Islanders in double figures with 16 points. She also had 13 rebounds. "We didn't start out the way we wanted, but we eventually stepped it up." Sophomore forward Taylor Toney paced the Islanders with 17 points. Guard Patiance Griffin, another sophomore, had 14 points and Starr finished with 11. "Our younger players had some jitters as the beginning of the game," Johnson said. "They gained more confidence as the game went on." Chisago Lakes junior Bryanna Fernstrom, a Division I prospect, registered a double-double. The 6-foot-5 center had 17 points and 14 rebounds. RON HAGGSTROMMonticello 79, Fergus Falls 78 (2OT)

Monticello came charging back from 15 points down to upset No. 3 Fergus Falls 79-78 in double overtime in the girls' 3A quarterfinal Wednesday at Williams Arena. The Magic gave up 15 unanswered points in the first half, and trailed in the second half 50-35. But it came all the way back and Grace Sawatzke tied the score at 63-63 on a steal and layup with about 15 seconds remaining in regulation. The teams traded baskets in the first overtime and entered the second overtime tied at 69-69. Monticello (24-6) scored eight points on free throws in the second overtime to earn its first-ever state tournament win. Senior Bailey Bechtold hit the final two free throws to put the game just out of reach. Fergus Falls (29-1) had won 30 consecutive games entering Wednesday, including last year's third-place game in the state tournament. "It's a huge win. We always said 29-1 sounds a lot better than 30-0," Sawatzke said. Sawatzke scored 23 points and had eight assists for the Magic. Alyssa Lentner added 18 points and Gabby Laimer and Bechtold had 16 apiece. Bailey Strand of Fergus Falls led all scorers with 26. Monticello made its first trip to the state tournament last year, and drew on that experience to help maintain composure Wednesday in what turned into a tight game, head coach Craig Geyen said. The Magic will play DeLaSalle in the state semifinals Thursday with an opportunity for revenge. The two-time defending state 3A champions defeated Monticello in last year's state tournament. DEREK WETMORE Class 2A
Braham 79, BOLD 42

Braham topped BOLD, Olivia 79-42 during a historic individual performance by the Bombers' Rebekah Dahlman in Wednesday's Class 2A girls' basketball state tournament quarterfinals at Target Center in Minneapolis. Dahlman became the first girl and second player in Minnesota prep history to surpass 5,000 career points. Points 5,000 and 5,001 came on a driving lay-up with 5:30 to play in the second half. She entered Wednesday's game needing 37 points to reach the milestone and finished with 40. Dahlman, who signed with Vanderbilt, downplayed her accomplishment. But when asked about the game being stopped and fans of both teams standing to applaud, she admitted to "getting some chills." "Maybe I'll brag to my grandchildren, who knows," Dahlman said. "But we were a team tonight and that's how we're going to win a state title." Dahlman, who scored nine consecutive Braham points during one second half stretch, is focused on Friday's semifinal showdown with defending state champion Providence Academy in a game of contrasting styles. "They slow the game down so much and we play such a fast-paced game," Dahlman said. "It's going to be a battle and we're excited." DAVID La VAQUE
Providence Academy 33, Pine Island 22

Pine Island girls' basketball coach Rick Canton expected a patient Providence Academy team to shorten Wednesday's Class 2A state tournament quarterfinal game at Target Center. "We thought that was to our advantage," Canton said. But failing to make good on a limited number of scoring opportunities doomed the Panthers in a 33-22 loss. Defending champion Providence Academy of Plymouth built a 18-12 halftime edge a slowed the pace for much of the game. Senior point guard Leah Szabla hit four of the Lions' seven field goals and led all scorers with 19 points. Canton said his team chose to pack it in defensively and not challenge Providence Academy on the perimeter for fear of surrendering easy lay-ups. Even so, the Lions' patience surprised him. "It's been a long time since I've seen a team that really did not want to shoot the ball," Canton said. Mattie Shelton's three-pointer with one minute and 20 seconds remaining got Pine Island within six points at 29-22 but the Panthers did not score from there. DAVID LA VAQUE Minneapolis Washburn 64, Sauk Centre 58

Minneapolis Washburn didn't look like a team lacking state tournament experience. The Millers were poised to get the ball in the hands of their junior standout Chase Coley in cruch time. Coley made four consecutive free throws 28 seconds apart with the game tied in the final two minutes, and the Millers went on to beat Sauk Centre 64-58 in the Class 2A quarterfinals on Wednesday night at Williams Arena. Minneapolis Washburn (23-7) was making its first state tournament appearance since 1984. Coley finished with a game-high 28 points. Sauk Centre (27-3) was the state runner-up to Providence Academy last year. RON HAGGSTROM New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva 62, Pelican Rapids 49

It wasn't the eye-popping Carlie Wagner of a year ago at the state tournament. It was one still good enough to get the Panthers into the semifinals. The junior sensation scored 31 points on an off-shooting night as the Panthers (30-1) pulled away from the Vikings (21-8) in the waning minutes. She had 13 points in the first half as the two teams headed to the locker room deadlocked at 25. "It was frustrating," said Wagner, who finished 12-for-28 from the floor and was 0-for-4 from three-point range. "It seemed like we were a step slow. We weren't making shots and we were making bad decisions, including myself." Wagner turned the ball over seven times. A small Vikings squad stayed with the Panthers until nine minutes remained on the clock. Pelican Rapids trailed 38-37 at the time when the Panthers rattled off five quick points to gain control of the quarterfinal matchup. They closed the game on a 24-12 run. "We finally picked it up in the second half and got our fast break going," Wagner said. "Our defense was able to create some turnovers, and we were able to get out in the open court." Mackenzie Korf was the only Pelican Rapids player in double figures, scoring 17 points. RON HAGGSTROMFor more on the state tournament, go to our girls' basketball hub.