“It was definitely really tough with all the [physical therapy] and getting my muscle strength back to where it used to be,” Stapleton said. “It definitely motivated me to take nothing for granted and just work my hardest every time i’m out on the court.”

Stapleton scored 11 points and blocked three shots in No. 2 seed Centennial’s 63-30 win over No. 4 seed Spring Lake Park. The last time the Cougars (25-4) joined the state tournament field was in 2015, Stapleton’s eighth grade season.

Centennial coach Jill Becken praised her starting center’s contribution on both sides of the ball, a clear contribution in a dominating win.

Other players stepped up for the Cougars with Stapleton out. One player who noticeably reached a new level, according to Becken, was Taylor McAulay.

“[McAulay] was our only returning starter coming into the season for the first 18,19 games or so,” Becken said. “She did a lot of good things. She’s always the focus of the other team in terms of shutting her down.”

“It definitely was a grind, but in the end it feels good knowing that doing what I can for the team paid off in the end and made everything worth it,” McAulay said.

McAulay finished with a game-high 14 points.

Although Spring Lake Park (16-13) fell to the Cougars, ranked No. 6 in Class 4A by Minnesota Basketball News on Feb. 27, the Panthers added a new chapter to their postseason history this year. It has been 30 years — dating back to 1989 — since Spring Lake Park competed in a section final. The Panthers haven’t won a playoff game since 2009.

Panthers coach Randy Eatherton hopes strides made this season will put the team on the right path going forward.

“We are going in the pattern that we want,” he said. “We told the girls we need to take the steps to become a better program. We knew we had a good group of girls. So, winning two games this year against Champlin Park and Park Center is awesome for the program.”

The Panthers’ 67-59 upset win against No. 8-4A Park Center on Saturday gave them the motivation to make a run at Centennial. But the Cougars didn’t let the contest remain close for long.

McAulay, who hit four three-pointers Thursday, said she wasn’t letting this chance at the state tournament slip away a second time.

“Last year we lost in the section semis, so definitely being my senior year and losing last year we were really motivated to actually get it done this year,” McAulay said.