Girls Basketball 2025: Big crowd, big win for MACCRAY against Mayer Lutheran
Posted: Thursday, March 13, 2025 - 4:28 PM
MACCRAY brought the biggest and loudest crowd of the week to Maturi Pavilion on the University of Minnesota campus. The Wolverines gave their fans plenty to cheer about in their first Girls Basketball State Tournament appearance since 2006.
Samantha Hultgren broke a 49-49 tie with a corner 3-pointer with 2:15 to play and No. 7 seed MACCRAY knocked off No. 2 Mayer Lutheran 55-51 in a Class A quarterfinal game Thursday.
The Wolverines (24-5) led for more than 31 minutes of the 36-minute game, including 29-26 at halftime. Back-to-back 3s from Samantha and Nora Hultgren made it 41-30 with 11:56 left, but the Crusaders (26-4) didn’t go away.
Marley Martin’s three-point play gave Mayer Lutheran a 48-47 advantage with 3:55 left, but the Wolverines remained composed with their fans behind them. Their 3-point shooting (9-of-25 to Mayer Lutheran’s 2-of-17) provided a significant advantage in their upset bid.
Samantha Hultgren made four of those 3s. Brielle Janssen hit three, part of her game-high 27 points to go with 14 rebounds.
Martin had 15 points for Mayer Lutheran.
Up next: MACCRAY plays in the semifinal round at 2 p.m. Friday at Williams Arena against the winner of Sacred Heart and Sleepy Eye Saint Mary’s. Mayer Lutheran will play in a consolation game Friday at noon at Gangelhoff Center on the Concordia University campus in St. Paul.
