Boys basketball notes
Big South will have at least one team at state
At least one Big South Conference school will reach next week’s state boys basketball tournament and there could be up to three.
A school from the BSC is guaranteed to represent Section 2AA as Waseca and Belle Plaine won semifinal games on Monday at Taylor Center at Minnesota State Mankato.
The top-seeded Bluejays rolled past fourth-seeded Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton 74-38 and the third-seeded Tigers topped second-seeded Glencoe-Silver Lake 81-57.
Waseca, ranked second in the state in Class 2A by Minnesota Basketball News, got 30 points from junior guard Deron Russell in stopping JWP’s 18-game winning streak. The Bulldogs finish 25-5.
Belle Plaine was led by Ethan Martin’s 19 points as the Tigers avenged a regular-season loss to the Panthers.
Waseca is 29-0 and is one of only two undefeated Class 2A teams. Albany (27-0) is the other heading into its Section 6AA semifinal vs. Holdingford (25-3) Wednesday. The Huskies beat the Huskers 81-59 on Feb. 21.
Belle Plaine heads into Thursday’s championship game at MSU 20-9. It’s a rematch of last year’s section championship game, won by Waseca 70-66.
Section 2AAA
Marshall will face the state’s top-ranked Class 3A team for the Section 2AAA title at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Gustavus when the Tigers take on Mankato East (26-1).
Marshall has reached the section finals with wins over conference rivals Worthington and St. Peter.
The Tigers won 69-67 in overtime over the Saints on their home floor Saturday to put their record at 20-8. Jack Meier led Marshall in scoring with 23 points.
Section 2A
Section 2A’s representative in the state tournament is going to be a cool story no matter who it is, either Madelia or BOLD.
The fourth-seeded Blackhawks upended top-seeded Springfield 69-63 in Monday’s semifinals at Gustavus. The Tigers had defeated Madelia, both on the Blackhawks’ home floor. Springfield won 84-58 on Feb. 10 and 70-68 in the Tomahawk-Valley Conference championship game on Feb. 25.
Freshman Kaydon Firchau led Madelia with 28 points. Hayden Jones scored 20.
In the other 2A semifinal, second-seeded BOLD dominated the overtime period in a 62-53 win over third-seeded Cedar Mountain.
Owen Baumgartner had 16 points for the Warriors, who will try to advance to state for the first time in school history. Bird Island-Lake Lillian won back-to-back state titles in 1980 and 1981. Olivia was a state qualifier in 1919.
Section scores, schedules
Here are scores and schedules for section boys basketball tournaments in southwest Minnesota:
Section 3AA
South Sub-Section
Friday, Feb. 28
Quarterfinals
Jackson County Central had bye
Fairmont 82, Windom 62
Luverne 91, St. James Area 72
Redwood Valley 65, Luverne 45
Thursday, March 6
Semifinals
At Windom
Jackson County Central 66, Fairmont 50
Luverne 90, Redwood Valley 79
Saturday, March 8
Championship
At SMSU
Jackson County Central (23-4) vs. Luverne (18-8), 8 p.m.
North Sub-Section
Friday, Feb. 28
Quarterfinals
Upper bracket
Montevideo 70, New London-Spicer 29
Minnewaska Area 61, Litchfield 27
Morris Area/Chokio-Alberta 83, Eden Valley-Watkins 55
Paynesville Area 81, Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg 73
Tuesday, March 4
Semifinals
At Willmar H.S.
Montevideo 87, Minnewaska Area 56
Morris Area/Chokio-Alberta 89, Paynesville Area 54
Saturday, March 8
Championship
At SMSU
Montevideo (23-4) vs, Morris Area/Chokio-Alberta (21-6), 6 p.m.
Section 3AA championship
Thursday, March 13
At SMSU
Jackson County Central (24-4) vs. Montevideo (24-4), 5 p.m.
Section 2AA
Tuesday, March 4
First round
Upper bracket
Waseca 101, Medford 27
Norwood Young America 79, Minnesota Valley Lutheran 74
LeSueur-Henderson 57, Waterville-Elysian-Morristown 42
Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton 67, Sibley East 38
Lower bracket
Glencoe-Silver Lake 83, Tri-City United 34
Blue Earth Area 74, Maple River 64
Lake Crystal Wellcome Memorial 81, St. Clair 57
Belle Plaine 92, New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva 49
Thursday, March 6
Quarterfinals
Upper bracket
Waseca 77, Norwood Young America 52
Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton 68, LeSueur-Henderson 53
Lower bracket
Glencoe-Silver Lake 77, Blue Earth Area 71
Belle Plaine 63, Lake Crystal Wellcome Memorial 49
Monday, March 10
Semifinals
At Minnesota State
Waseca 74, Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton 38
Belle Plaine 81, Glencoe-Silver Lake 57
Thursday, March 13
Championship
At Minnesota State
Waseca (29-0) vs. Belle Plaine (20-9), 7:45 p.m.
Section 2A
Friday, Feb. 28
First round
Gibbon-Fairfax-Winthrop 61, United South Central 48
Nicollet 81, Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart 35
Mountain Lake Area/Comfrey 76, Truman/Martin Luther/Granada-Huntley-East Chain 53
Martin County West 69, Alden-Conger/Glenville-Emmons 63
Tuesday, March 4
Second round
Upper bracket
Springfield 74, Gibbon-Fairfax-Winthrop 55
Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City 66, New Ulm Cathedral 47
Madelia 66, Nicollet 52
Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s 81, Mayer Lutheran 61
Lower bracket
Cedar Mountain 87, Mountain Lake Area/Comfrey 62
Lester Prairie 72, Cleveland 55
Sleepy Eye 61, Mankato Loyola 50
BOLD 65, Martin County West 46
Thursday, March 6.
Quarterfinals
At St. Peter High School
Springfield 74, Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City 53
Madelia 83, Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s 46
At Sibley East High School
BOLD 79, Sleepy Eye 51
Cedar Mountain 66, Lester Prairie 50
Monday, March 10
Semifinals
At Gustavus
Madelia 69, Springfield 63
BOLD 62, Cedar Mountain 53 (OT)
Thursday, March 13
Championship
At Minnesota State
BOLD (19-10) vs. Madelia (23-6), 6 p.m.
Section 3A
South Sub-Section
Thursday, Feb. 27
First round
Adrian/Ellsworth 60, Red Rock Central 46
Edgerton 63, Heron Lake-Okabena/Fulda 44
Saturday, March 1
Quarterfinals
At Worthington High School
Hills-Beaver Creek 73, Adrian/Ellsworth 47
Southwest Minnesota Christian 65, Westbrook-Walnut Grove 51
Edgerton 64, Red Rock Central 61
Murray County Central 48, Tracy-Milroy-Balaton 47
Thursday, March 6
Semifinals
At Worthington High School
Hills-Beaver Creek 86, Southwest Minnesota Christian 62
Murray County Central 63, Edgerton 53
Saturday, March 8
Championship
At SMSU
Hills-Beaver Creek 60, Murray County Central 44
North Sub-Section
Thursday, Feb. 27
First round
MACCRAY 73, Yellow Medicine East 68 (OT)
Lakeview 67, Canby 25
Saturday, March 1
Quarterfinals
At Montevideo
Dawson-Boyd 80, MACCRAY 36
Wabasso 76, Minneota 64
Central Minnesota Christian 68, Lakeview 41
Renville County West 85, Lac qui Parle Valley 61
Lower bracket
Central Minnesota Christian 68, Lakeview 41
Renville County West 75, Lac qui Parle Valley 61
Thursday, March 6
Semifinals
At Montevideo
Dawson-Boyd 100, Wabasso 53
Central Minnesota Christian 76, Renville County West 37
Saturday, March 8
Championship
At SMSU
Dawson-Boyd 81, Central Minnesota Christian 47
Section 3AA championship
Thursday, March 13
At SMSU
Hills-Beaver Creek (26-2) vs. Dawson-Boyd (26-3), 8 p.m.
Section 2AAA
Wednesday, March 5
Quarterfinals
Mankato East had bye
Mankato West 79, New Ulm 54
Marshall 77, Worthington 60
St. Peter 100, Hutchinson 70
Saturday, March 8
Semifinals
At Gustavus
Mankato East 77, Mankato West 54
Marshall 69, St. Peter 67 (OT)
Wednesday, March 12
Championship
At Gustavus
Mankato East (26-1) vs. Marshall (20-8), 7 p.m.