LAKE CRYSTAL — Another playoff game, another victory over a higher-seeded opponent.

Behind Ja’Sean Glover’s triple double and a 3-point barrage by freshman Hayden Jones, sixth-seeded Madelia defeated second-seeded Mankato Loyola 73-57 on Thursday in the Section 2A, South Subsection boys’ basketball semifinals game at Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial Secondary.

Glover finished the game with 28 points, 14 rebounds, 11 assists, four steals and three blocks, while Jones had 24 points, all on eight 3-pointers, and three assists. Blake Altenburg added 11 points for the Blackhawks (15-14), while Isaac Bergeman had four blocks and three steals.

After a steal for a layup by Glover gave Madelia a quick 2-0 start, Loyola (19-9) answered and took an 8-4 lead after back-to-back buckets by Simon Morgan, who finished the night with a team-best 31 points.

Lawson Godfrey added 13 points for the Crusaders.

The Blackhawks always had an answer after that, though, led by Jones’ 3-point shooting clinic. After a 3 by Altenburg tied the game at 10-all, Jones hit his second 3 of the half to put Madelia in front 13-10.

Glover continued finding Jones for 3s and Jones finished the half with 18 points on six 3s. Jones’ hot hand from beyond the arc led to him scoring the final 9 points of the half for Madelia and the Blackhawks led 36-29 at halftime.

“[Hayden] is in the gym all the time, he knocks shots down, plays so level,” Madelia head coach Jeff VanHee said. “He’s confident but not cocky, and Ja’ trusted him. They’re in the gym every morning shooting. Every morning. Ja’, Hayden, Josiah [DeMaris], they’re always in the gym shooting, and Ja’ trusts him.”

Glover scored the first 8 points of the second half for Madelia to get the Blackhawks running before Jones hit his seventh 3 of the night to put Madelia up 47-38. The Crusaders cut their deficit to 47-42 after that, but Madelia kept up its pressure on defense and continued putting points on the board to take a 58-43 lead after Jones’ eighth 3.

Loyola cut its deficit down to 63-56 with less than two minutes to play after a 3 by Morgan, but the Blackhawks got several late free throws by Glover to up their lead again after that. A layup by Altenburg gave the Blackhawks their largest lead of the game and ended all scoring.

Madelia, who previously beat third-seeded Springfield this past Tuesday, will have to continue knocking off higher seeds if it wants to continue its Cinderella story. The next challenge for Madelia will be at roughly 7:45 p.m. on Tuesday when the Blackhawks take on No. 4-seeded Mountain Lake Area/Comfrey in the Section 2A, South Subsection finals at St. Peter High School.

MLA/Comfrey pulled off an upset of its own earlier on Thursday night by defeating top-seeded Martin County West 46-37 to move on to the subsection finals.

The winner of that South Subsection finals game will then meet the North Subsection’s champion on March 18 for a state tournament berth.

VanHee said that his team will need to continue playing good defense and let Glover command the floor when needed.

“We need to get ready for the next mission,” VanHee said. “Other teams will do stuff and that’s fine, we just need to play solid defense and certainly just let Ja’ be Ja’ and let him control the game however he can. You saw it tonight — he’s more than just an offensive player.”