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Members of newly crowned Class 1A champion Minneota kept one date in mind throughout the season. Etched on a blue and gold bracelet belonging to Vikings’ coach Chad Johnston was the date “3-15-13.”

First-round exits in the last two state tournaments led the Vikings to make a memento to help break this trend. Minneota not only survived through the first round to reach “3-15-13” but won on that date and again Saturday.

“We felt like we could compete here and finally break out of that first round,” said Johnston, who also has won a state football title. “We just had to get past that first round and get that out of our system.”

 

4A friends off court

The night before the state tournament seedings were released, Star Tribune All-Metro first-team players Nia Coffey of Hopkins and Jade Martin of Bloomington Kennedy enjoyed a usual weekend sleepover.

“Me and Nia hate playing against each other,” Martin said. “Off the court, we are best friends.”

They met at a young age at Fairview Park in Minneapolis and have remained friends since. They talked basketball but it didn’t dominate the conversation. Especially since both knew chances were good they would meet in Saturday’s title game.

 

Borton takes peek

Gophers women’s basketball coach Pam Borton attended Saturday’s Class 2A championship featuring recent Gopher commit Carlie Wagner. New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva’s junior guard scored 50 points, broke five tournament records and tied another in the championship game.

 

Third-place results

4A: Eastview rallied from a halftime deficit to defeat Osseo 58-43. Guard Madison Guebert scored 22 points for the Lightning, who pulled away by converting 12 of 14 free throw attempts in the final 2:06 of the game.

3A: Kyla Adams’ 23 points and 13 rebounds paced Richfield to a 64-39 victory over Monticello. Jessica January added 18 points, nine rebounds and nine assists for the Spartans.

2A: Providence Academy sent retiring head coach Ray Finley out with a victory, defeating Minneapolis Washburn 51-33. Nathalie Ratliff led the Lions with 17 points.

1A: Two-sport star Jessie Mathews had 19 points, nine rebounds and seven assists to lead Bethlehem Academy to a 50-42 victory over Win-E-Mac. Mathews was also an all-tournament selection for the Cardinals’ Class 1A volleyball champions.