Early foul trouble Thursday didn't stop Gophers recruit Daniel Oturu of Cretin-Derham Hall.
The 6-10 junior forward controlled the paint late in the Class 4A, Section 4 championship game as the No. 4-seeded Raiders defeated No. 3 Tartan 76-72 at Hastings High School.
Oturu, who had 16 points, sat most of the first half before taking over in the second.
"I just had to play with my mind and do what I do best," said Oturu, who verbally committed to Minnesota earlier this winter.
He did his best after Tartan (25-4), employing an effective press, made consecutive three-pointers just five seconds apart to whittle the Raiders lead to 67-63 with 5:15 left.
"We kind of dug ourselves into a hole [before]," Titans guard Jordan Horn said.
Tartan trailed by eight to 10 points most of the second half. The gap got as big as 16 points, when Raiders sophomore guard Jaeden King hit a three-pointer to give Cretin-Derham Hall a 59-43 lead.
"He gets a lot of threes [and] we like to get him open," Oturu said.
Horn led Tartan's rally and posted a game-high 29 points. Senior forward Joevon Walker had 16 points, breaking loose for baskets with Oturu on the bench.
The Titans briefly held a four-point lead at 30-26 in the first half. Then the Raiders (21-8) went on a 16-4 run to end the half, sparked by another King three-pointer.
Oturu finished big with a dunk, a basket and put-back while dominating the glass on defensive.
The victory secured the Raiders' first state tournament trip since they upset Tyus Jones and Apple Valley in 2014.
MATTHEW DAVIS
