Having run past most of its opponents this season, Sauk Centre wasn't accustomed to being muscled. But state tournament basketball is often more about fight than flash and the Mainstreeters showed they could win playing just about any style, outlasting Minnehaha Academy 54-49 to advance to the Class 2A championship game

Minnehaha Academy wasn't about to race up and down the court with the athletic Mainstreeters, but the Redhawks could push them around. At least, that was the assumption. With guards Sarah Kaminski and Gracia Gilreath attacking the lane, Minnehaha's best chance for victory would be to wear down their smaller opponent.

"Their two guards are the most physical we've played against," Sauk Centre coach Scott Bergman said.

It worked early. Sauk Centre, seeded No. 1, struggled to establish an inside presence and made just eight of 28 shots in the first half. Physical play comes with a downside, however, and Sauk Centre made up ground from the free throw line, hitting 10 of 12 while taking a 31-29 halftime lead.

Minnehaha Academy (26-5) started the second half with five straight points from Kaminski, but Sauk Centre answered immediately with five of its own. The second half remained close, with neither team generating a lead larger than five points.

And in the end, it was Minnehaha's physical play that doomed the Redhawks. Sauk Centre (31-1) closed out the game at the line, making six of seven free throws. Guard Madison Moritz made four of them, finishing a perfect 8-for-8 from the line despite going 1-for-11 from the field.

"That was the most physical game I've ever been in," Moritz said. "I couldn't hit a shot. Luckily, we made our free throws."

Sauk Centre was led in scoring by Mauren and Maesyn Thiesen, sisters who moved to Sauk Centre from Becker over the summer. The addition helped turn the Mainstreeters from very good team into a potential state champion. Mauren, a senior, scored a team-high 14 points and Maesyn, a freshman, added 12.

"It took a while for us to get used to playing with each other," said Moritz, a senior. "But I'm glad they're here now, and I'm glad they're on our team."

Dover-Eyota 94, Roseau 61: Sometimes, things just go your way.

So it was for Dover-Eyota in a victory over Roseau in the Class 2A semifinals. The game looked like a mismatch on paper — Dover-Eyota, with its size and experience, was the No. 2 seed in the 2A bracket while unseeded Roseau, despite the presence of a pair of budding stars in the Borowicz sisters (sophomore Kiley and eighth-grader Kacie), weren't even seeded No. 1 in their section.

And a mismatch it was. Dover-Eyota junior Madison Nelson, determined to rid herself of the bad memories of a foul-plagued quarterfinal game, dominated inside. She had a double-double at halftime – 16 points, 12 rebounds — as the Eagles ran out to a 46-35 lead.

"I was a little too excited for our first game," said Nelson, who finished with 30 points and 16 rebounds. "I knew we had a height advantage and my teammates were able to find me inside. This has to be one of our best, if not the best, offensive game of the season."

The statistics back that up. It was Dover-Eyota's second-highest point total of the season. The Eagles shot 56.7 percent from the field and outrebounded Roseau 52-35.

"We knew we could do just about anything we wanted on offense," coach Brian Harris said. "That's the way we've been playing all season."