The Sauk Centre Mainstreeters girls basketball team is state-bound for the first time in school history.
They'll take a 26-2 record into the Class AA state tournament this next week, Wednesday night, when they'll take on the winner of Section 3AA, Pipestone Area. Pipestone defeated Lac qui Parle Valley 61-27 tonight.
The Class AA state quarterfinal game for the Mainstreeters will take place on Wednesday, March 17, at 8:00pm at Williams Arena at the University of Minnesota campus, Minneapolis.
They won by a final score of 59-44 tonight after a hard-fought battle in the second half against Staples-Motley. The Cardinals end their season with a final record of 24-6.
Sauk Centre's first-half defense was outstanding, holding a high-octane Cardinals team to 2-of-17 shooting from the floor.
Notes from the second half:
One minute into the second half, the Cardinals drained the first field goal by either team, a three-pointer, that made it 30-14.
Sauk Centre followed that almost two minutes later with a layup by Savana Weller in a wide open lane, as it took three minutes before both teams had made a field goal in the second half.
After the Cardinals made it 32-16, Kali Peschel hit a layup shot at the 13:49 mark. With 11:50 remaining, Maren Greenwaldt hit a tough three-point shot with two defenders in her face to put the Mainstreeters back on top by 20 points, up 39-19.
With 9:56 left, after the Mainstreeters had taken a 41-21 lead, the Cardinals hit a three-point bomb to start a small rally. They eventually narrowed the deficit as low as 12 points, 50-38, with another three-pointer at the 3:25 mark.
The Mainstreeters hung on and managed to keep their double-digit lead intact with solid free throw shooting in the final minutes.
For the game, the Mainstreeters out-rebounded Staples-Motley by a huge 38-23 margin.
**Here are some other scores from tonight's section championship girls basketball games around central/southwestern Minnesota:
Section 2A championship:
Buffalo Lake-Hector 53, Granada-Huntley-East Chain 44
Section 5A championship:
Barnum 82, Sebeka 37
Section 6A championship:
Parkers Prairie 66, New York Mills 47
Section 5AA championship:
Watertown-Mayer 49, Eden Valley-Watkins 43
Saturday morning, more video/photos will be posted from this historic win for the Sauk Centre Mainstreeters. Stay tuned!
By Sunday, look for a host of information on the Pipestone Area Arrows girls basketball team as well.
The Mainstreeters accept their section title medals from Sauk Centre Activities Director Rick Fischer.
~RO
