State Girls Basketball Champions Crowned In Minneapolis

Eastview beats Bloomington Kennedy for 4A title

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Madison Guebert scored 29 points and Eastview rallied from 12 points down in the second half to beat Bloomington Kennedy 64-61 and win the Class 4A state girls basketball championship Saturday night.

Kari Opatz added 13 points for top-seeded Eastview (31-1) and Hana Metoxen had 11. It is the first title in school history.

Guebert scored on a drive with 49.9 seconds left to give the Lightning its first lead at 62-61. Opatz added two free throws with 18.2 seconds left before Tonoia Wade's last-second 3-pointer missed the mark for the Eagles (25-7).

Kenisha Bell led Bloomington Kennedy with 24 points, but just six came in the second half. Isieoma Odor and Lashayla Wright-Ponder each scored 11.

Down 57-45 with 7 minutes to play, Guebert and Emee Udo each had six points in a 15-4 run to get the Lightning within one with 1 minute to play.

Park Center wins Class 3A girls crown in 3OT

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Ann Simonet scored 26 points as Park Center beat Marshall 73-71 in triple overtime to win the Class 3A state girls basketball championship Saturday night.

It is the first title for the Pirates (26-5), who also got 21 points from Cayla McMorris.

Kenzie Beekman led Marshall (30-2) with 20 points.

Inside baskets by Feyisayo Ayobamidele and Mikayla Hayes gave the Pirates a 71-69 lead midway through the third overtime, before Beekman scored on a putback with 43 seconds left.

Simonet made her free throw with 21 seconds left and, after a Marshall turnover, Danielle Schaub made another free throw.

Marshall led by nine points with 5 minutes to go in regulation, but a 15-8 run got the Pirates within 60-58 with 24.4 seconds left and Schaub scored at the buzzer.

New Richland-H-E-G beats Kenyon-Wanamingo in 2A

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Carlie Wagner scored 36 points as top-ranked New Richland-H-E-G best Kenyon-Wanamingo, 71-61, in the Class 2A girls' basketball championship.

Saturday's win marked back-to-back championships for the Panthers.

The Panthers led 56-32 with just over 11 minutes to go after Wagner scored 21 consecutive points to start the second half. The Knights surged back with a 17-5 run to cut the Panthers' lead to 61-49 with over five minutes to play.

The Knights (31-2) made a late push that drew them within eight points with under two minutes to go. The Panthers (31-0) struggled from the free-throw line, shooting 17-of-31, which helped keep the Knights within arm's reach until time ran out.

The Panthers set a state tournament record for points, with 258 points over three games.

Win-E-Mac beats Minneota, 61-53, in Class 1A

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Madison McKeever scored 27 points and Korbyn Ross added 17 to lead Win-E-Mac past defending-champion Minneota 61-53, in the Class 1A championship.

The Patriots (31-2) were up 47-32 with 12:21 left in the game when the Vikings (32-2) pulled within 52-50 with three minutes left.

A pair of layups extended the Patriots' lead to 56-50 as Minneota committed their 17th turnover with just over a minute remaining.

McKeever forced the Vikings' 18th turnover with under a minute left, got fouled, and made a pair of free throws to extend the Patriots' lead to nine with 55 seconds left.

A three-pointer from Ross gave Win-E-Mac their first lead at 18-17 with seven minutes before halftime, kicking off an 11-0 run to push the Patriots ahead by nine at the half.

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