Fargo Shanley played sparkling defense for one half. That effort was enough to clinch a spot in the state Class A tournament for the Deacons on Sunday in the Alerus Center.
Shanley limited Grand Forks Red River to nine first-half points en route to a 44-37 victory in the East Region girls basketball tournament semifinals.
"We were happy with the first, but we all were a little down with how we finished," Shanley senior Dominique Schuler said. "We were playing not to lose."
Red River drew within four points in the final 90 seconds but couldn't overcome a deficit that grew to as much as 17 points midway through the second half.
"Defensively, we played a great game," Red River coach Justin Schommer said. "If we just would have had a decent start, I think we would have had a good chance to win the game at the end."
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Shanley plays Fargo South at 6 tonight for the region championship. Red River plays Wahpeton at 2 p.m. today in a Class A state-qualifying game.
"Any time you have a game left and a chance to make the state tournament, you have to be excited by that," Schommer said.
Shanley built a 33-17 lead with 11:15 remaining in the second half after a Lauren Carew putback. That was the Deacons' largest lead of the game.
Red River answered with a 21-8 run. Holly Asche hit a free throw with 1:26 to play to cut the Shanley lead to 41-37.
The Deacons hit three foul shots in the final 37 seconds for the final margin.
Shanley won the Eastern Dakota Conference in the regular season and now has a chance to win the region tournament title.
Schuler had a game-high 14 points.
Wahpeton 58, GF Central 56: Wahpeton had one of its best shooting games of the year. Grand Forks Central was without the services of two key players.
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The combination of the two added up to a narrow Wahpeton victory over Central in a loser-out game.
Central ended the season at 5-16.
"At times this year, we've had to live and die by the three," Wahpeton coach Rod Bueuer said. "This was just one of those days where the shots were dropping. We were 8-of-19 (on 3-pointers). I'll take that."
The Knights played without leading scorer Cami Cochran, who was sick, and top reserve Katelyn Renden, who was recovering from a concussion. Cochran scored 18 points in Central's last meeting with Wahpeton.
Still, the Knights almost were able to overcome Wahpeton's barrage of 3-pointers.
Haley Labahn's two free throws with 42 seconds left cut Wahpeton's lead to 58-56. Wahpeton misfired twice in the post on its next possession, giving Central a chance to win or tie.
With 12 seconds left, Central guard Emily Gowan attempted to drive the lane, but Jenny Anderson stole the ball to seal it.
Wahpeton forward Lexi Braun had a game-high 22 points. The Huskies received a solid mix of Braun's inside game and others hitting consistently from the outside. Wahpeton was 8-of-19 from the 3-point line, while Central was just 2-of-11.
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"Looking at the stats, we beat them at every category but threes. We shot better, had more rebounds and less turnovers," Central coach Jean Roise said. "I was proud that when we were down eight (58-50), we didn't quit."
Leading the Huskies from the outside was Michelle Rossow, who was 5-of-11 from 3-point land.
Central had three players score in double figures. Leigh Schreiner scored 11, followed by Labahn and Alexa Olson with 10 points apiece.
West Fargo 56, Fargo North 52: Sadie Doggett saw an opening and took the critical shot.
The result helped keep West Fargo alive in the regional.
Doggett sank the go-ahead 3-pointer with three minutes to play, helping the Packers to a victory against Fargo North in loser-out play.
"Everyone was battling after it and the ball just came to me," said Doggett, who scored a game-high 16 points. "I didn't see anyone around so I put it up and prayed it went in."
West Fargo plays Devils Lake at 2:30 p.m. today in a Class A state-qualifying game.
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"That's what our goal has been all year; to get to a spot where we can make it to the state tournament," West Fargo coach Lynette Mund said. "Anything can happen now."
North built a 43-36 lead with 11:05 to play in the second half after Sarah Jastram scored on a putback. The Spartans finished with 50 rebounds, including 14 off the offensive glass.
Fargo South 77, Devils Lake 69: Devils Lake dug itself a hole in the first half that proved to be too deep in the second half.
The Bruins opened the game with a 26-2 run and held off every Devils Lake run in the second half for a semifinal victory.
South (16-6) hopes to defend its East Region title at 6 tonight against Fargo Shanley.
"I'll take a run like that any day," South coach Craig Flaagan said. "That's the best first five minutes I've seen. We were clicking on all cylinders."
The Firebirds, who trailed 41-21 at halftime, cut the lead to nine in the second half. But South always had an answer, often from different sources.
The Bruins had four players score in double figures. Katie Thorson led the way with 14 points, followed by Kristen Anstadt with 13, Kirsten Pattison with 12 and Caitlyn Haring with 10.
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Ashley Privratsky scored a game-high 24 points to lead Devils Lake.
"We didn't shoot well," Devils Lake coach Heidi Stuberg said. "We didn't go to the basket in the first half. We did a little more in the second half but the hole was too deep."
South's big basket in the second half came on a 3-pointer from freshman guard Siri Burck. Her basket with 3:47 left gave the Bruins breathing room at 69-53.
"Privratsky almost single-handedly pulled them back," Flaagan said. "The Devils Lake crowd was really spurring them on."
But the Firebirds couldn't escape their first-half woes. South shot 64 percent in the first, while Devils Lake shot 23.3 percent. Devils Lake was 0-of-9 from the 3-point line in the first half.
