Mary Burke scored 23 points and teammate Chelsea Mason added 20, but top-ranked Mountain Iron-Buhl needed a late surge to defeat fifth-ranked Cromwell-Wright 66-61 in girls basketball on Thursday in the championship game of the Mountain Iron-Buhl Tournament.
The Cardinals took a 49-48 lead with less than seven minutes remaining before the Rangers (9-0) went on their decisive run.
Teana Hakamaki led Cromwell-Wright (6-1) with 18 points.
Mason, the News Tribune All-Area Player of the Year the past two seasons, made six 3-pointers.
Hibbing 56, Esko 49
Abbey McDonald poured in 22 points as the Bluejackets withstood eight 3-pointers to defeat the Eskomos in an Esko Coaches Classic semifinal.
Eighth-ranked Esko trailed 28-19 at halftime and was unable to close the gap in the second half.
Hibbing will play Hermantown, a 62-20 winner over Eveleth-Gilbert, in today’s title game.
Boys basketball
Esko 75, Mora 49
Isaak Blue led three players in double figures with 17 points as the sixth-ranked Eskomos won an Esko Coaches Classic semifinal.
Esko (7-1) faces Northwestern, an 87-73 winner over Hinckley-Finlayson, in today’s final.
Boys hockey
Grand rapids 4, Forest Lake 1
Goaltender Zach Stejskal made 17 saves as the third-ranked Thunderhawks downed the Rangers in Forest Lake.
Alexandria 5, Hibbing-Chisholm 4
Jack Powell’s goal 52 seconds into overtime gave the ninth-ranked Cardinals the win at Hibbing Memorial Arena.
Greenway 3, Rosemount 3
The Irish scored twice in a 36-second span of the third period and the teams skated to an overtime tie in Coleraine.
