Goodhue did not wedge a practice or even a film session between state tournament games Thursday and Friday. The No. 1 seed Wildcats would attack Wheaton/Herman-Norcross with their press defense and hope it was good enough.

Was it ever.

Goodhue dominated the Warriors in the Class 1A state tournament semifinal Friday at Williams Arena, forcing 31 turnovers in a 74-35 victory.

“They had a really good press, probably the best we’ve seen this year,” Warriors’ senior guard Jordan Stafford said. “It was scary out there.”

The game was a Goodhue runaway by halftime. Maddy Miller and Sydney Lodermeier combined for 36 points as Goodhue built a 50-25 halftime lead. The Wildcats committed just two turnovers while their press defense forced 21 turnovers by No. 5 seed Wheaton/Herman-Norcross (29-3). Those miscues led to 32 Goodhue points in the first half.

Lodermeier, a forward, enjoyed watching the havoc caused by the team’s guards. Goodhue (29-4) only grabbed seven steals, but its press defense led to other Wheaton/Herman-Norcross breakdowns.

“A lot of credit to them because a lot of times they’ll cause a steal in the backcourt or get one for themselves,” Lodermeier said. “They’re really what gets our offense going.”

The Wheaton/Herman-Norcross size advantage was of little help as Goodhue outscored the Warriors 42-16 in the paint.

“We could’ve scored down low, we just couldn’t get it to them,” Warriors’ coach Tim Gail said. “I thought we had good hands – Goodhue’s got great hands.”

The Wildcats’ Miller finished with 24 points while Lodermeier had 18.

First report

Goodhue dominated Wheaton/Herman-Norcross in the Class 1A semifinal Friday at Williams Arena, winning 74-35.

The No. 1 seed Wildcats (29-4) advance to the championship game set for noon Saturday at Williams, where they will face the winner of Friday’s second semifinal game, No. 2 seed Mountain Iron-Buhl and No. 3 seed Maranatha Christian Academy of Brooklyn Park.

Goodhue ran away by halftime. Maddy Miller and Sydney Lodermeier combined for 36 points as Goodhue built a 50-25 halftime lead. The Wildcats committed just two turnovers while their press defense forced 21 turnovers by No. 5 seed Wheaton/Herman-Norcross (29-3). Those miscues led to 32 Goodhue points.

The Wheaton/Herman-Norcross size advantage was of little help as Goodhue outscored the Warriors 30-14 in the paint in the first half.

Goodhue, the 2010 Class 1A runner-up, is undefeated against Class 1A opponents this season.

Check back later for more on the game.