Minnesota Girls Basketball Championship Saturday Set

Four State Champions will be crowned Saturday at the Minnesota Girls High School State Basketball Tournament in The Barn on the University of Minnesota Minneapolis campus.  In Class A #3 ranked and #2 seed Goodhue faces #1 ranked, #1 seed Minneota. The Vikings average 71 points per game and allow 38.  They are led by their senior post 5'10 Lydia Sussner averaging 17 points, 9 rebounds a game.  Sussner has scored over 2,000 points and has over 1,000 rebounds.  She was nominated a Miss Basketball candidate.  Sussner is heading to Southwest Minnesota State University in Marshall to play volleyball.

Goodhue senior post 6'3 Lexi Lodermeier leads her team in scoring and rebounds 12.9, 8.2.  Senior Kate Opsahl averages 11.1 points, approximately 5 rebounds, 2.8 assists a game.  Freshman Joslyn Carlson 10.3 points, 5.5 rebounds.  Sophomore 5'4 Torrie Rehder has over 100 steals this season.  The Wildcats are 0-11 from three point range in the tournament after shooting 26 percent during the regular season from beyond the arc.  Opsahl leads the team with 38 three point baskets and shot around 36 percent from three point range.  The Wildcats are in search of their third state championship in the past four seasons.

Section 1AA Champion Caledonia is also in the title game Saturday after defeating top seed Roseau in the semifinal 65-55 Friday at Williams Arena.  The Warriors had to overcome a 33-25 halftime deficit.  Four Caledonia players finished with double digit points led by seniors Heidi Boldaun and Katie Tornstrom.  Boldaun tallied 24 points, Tornstrom had 13 points, 12 rebounds.  Caledonia won a state title in 2009 and was runner-up in 1998.  Caledonia is the #4 seed.

#3 seed Minnehaha Academy edged Albany 70-67 in the other semifinal and will play Caledonia at 2:00 p.m. for the Class 2A title.  The Redhawks provided no statistical information to the High School League.  They are 24-6 with 3 seniors on their team.  Minnehaha of Minneapolis fell to Zumbrota-Mazeppa by 20 early in the season.  In fact they lost 5 of their first 8 games.  They have beaten Class 3A defending champion and Tournament entrant this year Robbinsdale Cooper.

The Class 3A title game will feature top seed DeLasalle (23-5) and #3 seed Becker (27-4) playing at 6:00 p.m.  The Islanders were State Champions in 2011, 2012, 2013 and this was their 21st consecutive winning season.  DeLaSalle averages 63 points and gives up 48 points per game.  The Bulldogs average 73 points and allow 52.

The Islanders are led by senior 6'0 Mary Claire Francois.  Losses came against Lacrosse Aquinas, Alexandria Area, defending Class 3A Champion Robbinsdale Cooper, and Benilde-St. Margaret's.

Becker fell to Cambridge-Isanti, Alexandria Area twice, Hopkins during the regular season.

The Class 4A title game features top seed, unbeatan Hopkins and #3 seed Stillwater Area.  Junior guard 6'0 Paige Bueckers averages just under 25 points per game.  There are four seniors on the Hopkins team.

Stillwater Area (28-2)  gallops into the 4A State Championship hoping to avenge an early season loss to Hopkins (64-62).  Their only other loss was to Wayzata 78-76 in overtime.  The Ponies average 75 points and give up 52  while Hopkins averages 84 points and give up an average of 49.