Girls Basketball State Tournament 2024: Class AA semifinals
Posted: Friday, March 15, 2024 - 10:01 PM
Providence Academy put itself in line for a possible three-peat of Class AA championships following a victory over Crosby-Ironton in the semifinals of the Minnesota State High School League’s Girls Basketball State Tournament on Friday, March 15 at Williams Arena on the University of Minnesota campus.
The Lions advanced to the Class AA championship game for the fourth consecutive season. In 2021, Providence Academy was the runner-up to Albany, but has captured the past two Class AA crowns. Providence Academy also won a Class AA title in 2012.
Opposite Providence Academy on Championship Saturday will be a team it knows well: Albany.
In the final game of the day, Albany defeated Minnehaha Academy 50-52 in the lower-bracket semifinal. It was the Huskies’ 22nd consecutive victory. Prior to that streak, Albany recorded a 72-70 victory over Providence Academy on Dec. 19.
With Albany securing a spot in the Class AA championship, it completed a sweep of Nos. 1 and 2 seeds meeting in the championship games of all four enrollment classes.
No. 1 Providence Academy 92, No. 5 Crosby-Ironton 54
While Crosby-Ironton’s Tori Oehrlein won the individual battle, Providence Academy’s Maddyn Greenway is moving on to the Class AA championship game. The sophomore guards, two of Minnesota’s most prolific scorers ever, met in a dandy duel to determine the championship game entrant from the upper part of the Class AA bracket.
Both scorers reached the 3,000-point milestone this season. Oehrlein accomplished the feat in a 94-75 loss to Providence Academy on Jan. 30.
Oehrlein carried the load early for the Rangers (25-7), but couldn’t keep pace when the Lions (27-4) used an overwhelming run in the first half to make a close, tense matchup an 18-point margin at the half, and then a runaway in the second half. Oehrlein finished with 35 points and 11 rebounds.
Greenway started slowly, but gained steam throughout and finished with 30 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds to power an attack that featured a strong support crew. Eighth-grade forward Arianna Flies-Peterson scored 20 points and senior guard Brooke Honenecker had 16 points, making 4 of 7 three-pointers. Perhaps her biggest was from the deep corner off an assist from Greenway just before the horn sounded to end the first half.
No. 2 Albany 60, No. 3 Minnehaha Academy 52:
Albany used a long surge in the second half when it outscored Minnehaha Academy 31-19 to turn a four-point deficit into a victory and a berth in the Class AA championship game. Senior forward Alyssa Sand was a force in the post and on the perimeter with 20 points and 14 rebounds in leading the Huskies (30-1) to their 22nd consecutive win. She was 7 of 11 from the field, including 2 of 2 from three-point range. She punctuated her performance with a long drive and spin move for a basket at the final horn.
Senior guard Tatum Findley was also a key perimeter force with 13 points on four made three-pointers. Senior forward Kylan Gerads had 12 points and 10 rebounds, all on the defensive end.
Albany trailed 33-29 with 14:54 left in regulation when they began its second half of dominance. Sand triggered it when she made three free throws after being fouled on an attempt. Albany's only loss this season is to Mountain Iron-Buhl, which is playing for the Class A championship.
Minnehaha Academy junior guard Addi Mack had 15 of her 25 points in the first half when the Redhawks (27-4) built a three-point lead at the break. Senior forward Angel Hill had 11 points and seven assists for the Redhawks.
