MINNEAPOLIS - After working so hard to overcome a messy start Thursday, Mountain Iron-Buhl was showing flashes of the high-octane talent that allowed it to enter the Minnesota high school girls basketball tournament with 28 wins.
A steal here, a 3-pointer there, and just like that the Rangers looked like themselves on Mariucci Arena’s temporary court, running and gunning their way back into a Class A quarterfinal against Lyle-Austin Pacelli.
The good vibes proved to be fleeting, though, as the Athletics backed up their namesake and found another gear while running away with a 66-47 victory.
When it rains, it pours, and the final few minutes of the first half registered as a downright monsoon for third-seeded MIB (28-3). Lyle-Austin Pacelli (26-3) was too long, too fast and too overpowering, and all of it was on display during a 13-0 run to close the first half that turned a 23-22 lead into a 14-point cushion at the break.
A 3-pointer from freshman Brooke Walter, who played like a senior and totaled 13 points, capped the spurt, which came to life after the Athletics went to a trapping 1-3-1 zone defense that flustered MIB.
“We weren’t patient enough,” Rangers coach Jeff Buffetta said. “We got within one and they switched it up and we didn’t react well enough. It got away from us a little bit.”
Buffetta said MIB was aware of its opponent’s athleticism. But knowing about it is one thing, seeing and feeling it another. Lyle-Austin Pacelli has nice size, though not overbearing. But the Athletics played as if they were persistently on a trampoline, bouncing and banging their way to a 24-9 rebounding advantage in the first half, including 14-5 on the offensive glass.
A one-minute stretch during their run acutely underscored the disparity. Madison Truckenmiller made a layup and was fouled, but missed her free throw. Teammate Sarah Holtz, who had 11 rebounds - as did Truckenmiller - corralled the loose ball and her putback made it a four-point possession. On their next trip down the floor, the Athletics took four or five shots before finally converting for a 31-22 lead.
They weren’t threatened the rest of the way, and now Lyle-Austin Pacelli is on to today’s semifinals, proof that the co-op program’s first state tournament appearance is no fluke.
“We were the underdog and nobody expected us to win,” Holtz said. “Nobody even knows where Lyle-Pacelli is.”
Her coach, Justin Morris, who spent the better part of Thursday’s game stomping up and down the court in front of his bench, said beating a perennial contender like MIB is a defining win for the upstarts.
“We talked about this being a statement game against a team we feel is one of the best in the state,” Morris said.
Truckenmiller scored 16 points for the Athletics, who didn’t miss their first field-goal attempt until 4:02 in while surging in front by as many as nine. Bethany Strouf and Holtz each added 15 points.
Thursday was a tough day for teams wearing 3 seeds. Not long after Baylor and Iowa State were shocked in the NCAA tournament, the Rangers suffered a similar fate - albeit not nearly as shocking - against an unseeded opponent that also made it an 0-for-5 showing for Northland teams over the past two weeks of Minnesota state basketball tournaments.
Sophomores Mya Buffetta and Chelsea Mason led MIB with 15 and 10 points, respectively. With a very young roster, the Rangers figure to make another postseason run a year from now. But Thursday, after bowing out in the quarterfinals for the third straight season, that was far from the discussion. They were still smarting from their season ending prematurely.
“We’ve been in this position three years in a row now and you just keep telling the kids we have to learn from it,” Jeff Buffetta said.
Lyle-Pacelli 36-30-66
Mtn. Iron-Buhl 22-25-47
Lyle-Austin Pacelli - Madison Truckenmiller 16, Bethany Strouf 15, Sarah Holtz 15, Brooke Walter 13, Courtney Walter 5, Lucy Nelson 2. Totals 25 14-17 66.
3-point goals - B. Walter 2.
Mountain Iron-Buhl - Mya Buffetta 15, Chelsea Mason 10, Allie Negen 6, Mary Burke 4, Lissy McCulloch 4, Cora Peterson 2, Kianna Martinson 4, Abby Schneider 2. Totals 17 5-6 47.
3-point goals - Buffetta 3, Negen 2, Mason 2, McCulloch.
