Girls Basketball, Class A semifinals: BOLD 58, Hayfield 46
Posted: Friday, March 17, 2023 - 4:09 PM
A first-time champion will emerge in Class A to end that enrollment class in the Minnesota State High School League’s Girls Basketball State Tournament.
BOLD, the No. 3 seed in the Class A field, ensured that with a 58-46 victory over No. 2 Hayfield in the semifinals on Friday, March 17 at Williams Arena on the University of Minnesota campus. Junior forward Kenzie Visser scored 18 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and blocked four shots in powering the Warriors (26-5) to the championship game against top-seeded Mountain Iron-Buhl on Saturday at noon. Mountain-Iron Buhl needed to mount a second half rally to fend off No. 5 Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa in the earlier semifinal.
BOLD is making its first championship game appearance in three state tournament trips. Mountain Iron-Buhl (29-3) is in a state championship game for the third time. In 2012 and 2017, respectively, the Rangers finished as the Class A runner-up.
In setting the championship matchup, BOLD took control of the lead in the first minute of play and didn’t relinquish it on the way to ninth consecutive victory.
Hayfield (29-4), seeking its 13th consecutive victory, pulled to within 50-46 with 2:39 remaining in regulation on a three-pointer from the deep corner by junior guard Chelsea Christopherson. But the Vikings would go scoreless from there as the Warriors made free throws and Visser made a key open-court lay-in with 1:40 remaining in regulation time. Sophomore guard Lainey Braulick fueled the Warriors’ attack with 19 points, six assists and five steals.
Christopherson led the Vikings with 18 points and senior guard Josanne Tempel added 12.
