Richfield coach LeeAnn Wise had a surprise for her team before Thursday’s 45-28 victory over Hutchinson in the Class 3A semifinals.

The Spartans relied on a zone defense for much of the season and it paid off, earning them the No. 1-seed in the tournament. So they were taken aback when Wise announced plans to play a man-to-man defense against the tall, experienced Tigers.

“We didn’t know that we were going man. But it makes sense.’’ said guard Jessica January. “We have a tendency to get lost on the backside when we play zone defense.”

With Target Center’s larger court and notoriously tight rims, Wise knew defense and execution would play big roles in the game.

The move worked to perfection. The Spartans continuously stymied Hutchinson’s attempts to work the ball inside. Unaccustomed to Richfield’s quickness, the Tigers had nearly as many turnovers, 25, as they did points. The Tigers’ point total was 18 points less that they had scored in any game this season.

“They have a run-and-gun mentality,’’ Wise said of the Tigers. “But we wanted to make it tough for them to get the ball into their big players.”

While Richfield’s offense wasn’t operating at peak efficiency, either, the Spartans did the things that Wise expected of them.

“We emphasized three things before the game: layups, free throws and turnovers,” Wise said. “I thought we did those things well.”

January, the Spartans’ fleet guard, scored 23 points to lead all scorers, including six clutch points in a 10-4 run midway through the second half that ended all hopes of a Hutchinson comeback.

“It wasn’t easy, but we were ready to play,” January said. “It wasn’t the best looking game, but I’ll take the 'W’ no matter what.”

The Spartans will play the winner of Thursday's second Class 3A semifinal game between DeLaSalle and Fergus Falls. The championship game is scheduled for 6 p.m. Saturday at Target Center.

-- Jim Paulsen, Star Tribune

Jessica January, Richfield