Follow the Minnesota 4A girls' basketball semifinals here

April 8, 2021 at 4:31AM
Rosemount's Alexa Ratzlaff (21) looks for room under the basket against Centennial
(Jeff Lawler, Sports Engine/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

The Irish don't score a lot of points but the team plays pretty ferocious defense. Rosemount's calling card all season lifted the Irish to a 40-33 victory over Centennial in the Class 4A semifinals.

Nicole O'Neil scored 10 points for the Irish, all in the first half, the only player in the game to reach double figures, to give Rosemount (20-3) a 27-25 at halftime.

In the second half, the Irish cranked up the defensive pressure. They forced Centennial to take poor shots and held the Cougars to just one field goal and eight points.

"There was a point in the game where I joked with the girls that the first team to score 40 wins and look, it worked out," coach Chris Orr said with a laugh. "We know we're not going to be the prettiest team, but we are going to play our hearts out, play great defense and score just enough to finish the job."

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