Photo by Paul Trende
Thirteenth-ranked Warriors girls basketball kept a strong season going by pushing forward to the 1AA title game. Caledonia (3-seed, 23-3) had little trouble with Lake City (6-seed, 12-14) in the quarters. Scott Sorenson’s group jumped out 24-11. The Tigers went 4 of 15 from the field to start the game. At the half, team Cal led 38-22. Paige Klug and Alexis Schroeder each had three threes and 13 points in the stanza. Caledonia’s lead ballooned to 61-36 in the second half. It was academic with around 5:00 to go, as the Warriors led by 22 (68-46). The final was more respectable, but Cal won 72-61. Schroeder (19 pts, 3-6 threes), Klug (17 pts, 4-5 threes, 9 rebs), Jovial King (14 pts, 5-7 FGs, 6 rebs), and Josie Foster (13 pts, 5 rebs) gave Cal four in double figures. Jacey Majerus (19 pts, 6 rebs), Paige West (15 pts), and Mahil Benjamin (10 pts, 5 rebs) hit double figures for Lake City. Cal hit 8 of 15 threes (53%) to LC’s 7 of 25 (28%). The Warriors shot 25 of 51 overall (49%) to the Tigers’ 22 of 62 (35%) while also topping LC at the free throw line 14 of 18 (78%) to 10 of 26 (38%). Lake City had 16 offensive rebounds and converted 23 second-chance-points (17 in the second half).
Team Cal (24-3) then re-matched with #6-ranked Rochester-Lourdes (2-seed, 24-4). The Eagles handed the Warriors one of their three losses, a 64-55 in December. In a 1AA semifinal, Caledonia used its forwards to push to a huge first half lead. Jovial King, a 5’11” senior, and Josie Foster, a 5’11” sophomore, took turns exploiting Lourdes’ 6’3” center Ella Hopkins. The duo combined for 29 first half points (King 15, Foster 14). Caledonia exploited the Lourdes defense in the first half, shooting 70% from the field (16 of 23) and 80% at the line (12 of 15). They led 49-31 at halftime. Eagle starters, Hopkins, top-player Vivica Bretton, and Emily Bowron all had three fouls. There was no Eagle run after halftime. Cal either knocked down open threes versus the zone or exploited man-to-man match-ups. Defensively, the Warriors surrounded Bretton (18 pts) and Hopkins (10 pts, 9 rebs) to hold them in check. No other Eagle scored more than six. Each coach started clearing the benches with 3:44 left. The Warriors rolled and relished through Lourdes 77-53. Ava Privet (21 pts, 5-10 threes) led the way, putting up 13 after intermission. King (17 pts, 6-8 FGs, 8 rebs) and Foster (16 pts, 7-8 FGs) combine to shoot 81%. Frosh Aubrie Klug chipped in 9 points. Cal finished the game a paltry 55% (26 of 47) from the field including 9 of 23 (39%) from deep plus 73% from the line (16 of 22). Lourdes shot 31% (16 of 51), 29% (6 of 21), and 56% (15 of 27). After the game, the Cal girls met up with their student section to celebrate as schoolmate Tucker Ginther won a state wrestling title. In the 1AA title game, #13 Caledonia (3-seed, 25-3), winners of 12 in a row, will look to avenge another loss (57-54). They play #3 Goodhue (1-seed, 26-3).
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