Girls basketball roundup: Willmar Cardinals win a thriller, move to section final
· Yahoo Sports
Mar. 1—FERGUS FALLS — The Willmar girls basketball team has advanced to the Section 8AAA championship.
Willmar did it by beating Fergus Falls 56-53 in overtime Saturday night.
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The third-seeded Cardinals (17-11) advance to the 8AAA final at 7 p.m. Thursday at Little Falls. The top-seeded Flyers (22-6) beat No. 4 Sartell 54-46. Fergus Falls was the second seed.
Willmar is in the section finals for the first time since 2022. The Cardinals lost 46-43 to Detroit Lakes. Willmar last made it to state in 2018.
Little Falls beat Willmar 46-35 on Jan. 17 in Little Falls. The Flyers last made state in 1991.
The Cardinals lost twice during the regular season to Fergus Falls. They fell 62-58 on Jan. 20 in Willmar and 65-56 on Feb. 5 in Fergus Falls in Central Lakes Conference play.
Saturday, Willmar out-scored the Otters 6-3 in overtime for the victory. It also held Fergus Falls to 32.8% shooting from the field (19 of 58), including 25% from three-point range (6 of 24).
Willmar shot 35.8% from the field, going 19 of 53. The Cards were 3-for-12 from three-point range, 39%.
Willmar made 15 of 27 free throws, 55.6%. Fergus Falls made 9 of 15 from the foul line, 60%.
The Cardinals also out-rebounded the Otters 33-29.
Telilie Lange led the way for Willmar. The senior guard had 18 points, five steals and two assists in 37 minutes of playing time.
Junior forward Maddison Molacek contributed 12 points, 12 rebounds, two steals and three blocked shots for the Cards.
Senior forward Lyza Gustafson chipped in with nine points and 11 rebounds. Ninth-grader Aliya Reiman had eight points.
Teagan Dingmann had 16 points and seven rebounds and Macey Roering added 16 points, and four steals in second-seeded Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa's victory over No. 3 Swanville at Foley.
BBE plays No. 1 Braham at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Foley in the 5A-East championship. The winner advances to the Section 5A final at 7:45 p.m. Friday at St. Cloud State University's Halenbeck Hall.
Braham beat No. 4 Upsala 67-39.
In the 5A-West side of the bracket, No. 2 Cass Lake-Bena knocked off No. 6 Sebeka 52-45 and No. 1 Pine River-Backus beat No. 5 Bertha-Hewitt.
Cass Lake-Bena plays Pine River-Backus at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Wadena-Deer Creek High School for the 5A-West title.