Class 1A: Schilling, Ellsworth repeat

Ellsworth's final hurdle on the way to the Class 1A title Saturday was Minnesota Transitions -- a team that scored 100 or more points 11 times this season -- but the Panthers' defense shut down the potent Wolves 81-63 for their second consecutive championship.

The Panthers held the Wolves to 28 percent shooting, and 18 percent (5-for-28) on three-pointers.

"Defense was the key," Ellsworth coach Markus Okeson said. "We didn't want the game in the 80s both ways. We got a lead, built the lead and played with confidence."

Ellsworth started strong and was in control the entire way. After jumping out to a 5-0 lead, the margin swelled to 12 with 2 minutes, 16 seconds to play in the first half when Tom Nolte hit a three-pointer on an assist from Cody Schilling.

The Panthers (31-2) went into the break with a 29-19 lead, thanks largely to holding the Wolves (28-5) to 0-for-9 on three-pointers.

Virgil Baker scored 12 of Transitions' 19 first-half points, while the Ellsworth scoring was balanced. Six different players had a point for Ellsworth, with Schilling having five. The second half, though, was his show.

Schilling finished the game with a team-high 31, including 13 of 16 from the free-throw line.

"We're not the first team that's had trouble stopping him," Wolves coach John Sherman said of Schilling, who finishes his career as the state's career leading scorer in boys' basketball with 3,428 points. "He's basically performed surgery out there. He's a great, great player."

Putting Ellsworth on the line was Sherman's strategy, even after being down by as many as 20. Over the final 3:55, the Panthers went to the line 21 times.

"It was a total team effort," Schilling said. "We played great defense with an offense that was finally clicking. It feels great."

Baker finished with a game-high 34 points, but Sherman felt the senior had to do too much in consistently driving through the lane. In the end, the lack of production from outside sealed Transitions' fate.

"It was off today," Sherman said. "This is the first time in a long time we've not hit at least 12 three-pointers in a game. We rely on it. It just wasn't there today."