Marshall knocks New Ulm out of 2AAA playoffs
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MARSHALL -- Marshall eliminated New Ulm from the Section 2AAA girls' basketball playoffs with a 75-62 victory over the Eagles on Saturday at Marshall High School.
The loss ends New Ulm's season at 13-14. The Tigers improved to 23-5 and will play in the Section 2AAA title game against either top-seeded Mankato East or No. 5 seed Worthington at 7 p.m. on Thursday at Minnesota State University, Mankato.
The Tigers went on a 9-0 run to end the first half and then hit 9 straight points at the line late in the game.
New Ulm's Kirsten Dennis led all scorers with 24 points and she had two steals. She scored 16 of those points in the second half and she hit six 3-pointers in the game.
Ramsey Hopp and Morgan Hulke each scored 9 points. Hulke had three rebounds and Hopp finished with four rebounds. Brooklyn Lewis scored 8 points and grabbed four rebounds and Brynn Nesvold finished with 5 points.
Brianna Simpson led the Tigers with 18 points. Ashleigh Steinbach scored 16 for the Tigers, 10 of those coming in the first half. Alexsa Bednarek hit four 3-pointers to finish with 12 points and Randi Wendorff was the fourth player in double figures for the Tigers with 10 points.
The Eagles got off to a slow start, falling behind 10-3 early on. But a couple of 3-pointers cut the deficit to 10-8 and New Ulm took a 13-10 lead on a 3 from Dennis for the 10-0 run.
The teams traded baskets until Steinbach's 3 put the Tigers up 20-17 with 5:50 left in the first half. Another basket from Wegner made it 22-17, but the Eagles fought back yet again. A free throw from Lewis put New Ulm ahead 24-23, but the Tigers closed the half on a 9-0 run, thanks to a pair of 3s from Bednarek and another 3 from Steinbach to make it 32-24 at the break.
New Ulm managed to cut the deficit to 2 again in the second half, trimming Marshall's lead to 34-32 on a 3 from Dennis. But the Tigers went on a 10-2 run and soon led 44-35.
The lead grew to 50-39 on a 3 from Bednarek and remained at around 10 points for most of the half.
Dennis' 3 with 3:10 left got New Ulm to within 61-54, but a three-point play by Wendorff put the Tigers back up 64-54.
New Ulm cut Marshall's lead to 68-60 on a late 3, but the Eagles were forced to foul and the Tigers hit some free throws to finish off the Eagles' season.