But the Knights’ shooting soon fell cold. The Elks quickly regained the lead in the first half, and never trailed again as stingy defense from forwards Johanna Langbehn and Ella Johnson kept the game in hand.

The Knights (9-9) didn’t go quietly, emblematic of a tough season for the perennially contending St. Michael-Albertville, a program that graduated multiple seniors last year and this year lost standout sophomore Tessa Johnson to a broken leg.

The Knights continually cut the deficit to one or two possessions in the second half. Miller’s third three-point shot brought the Knights to within 37-36, but that was the closest they would get to leading.

Coach Kent Hamre said he saw resolve in his third-seeded Knights, who upset No. 2 seed Maple Grove in the section semifinals.

“No one was going to tell them they weren’t getting to a section championship,” Hamre said. “Did we belong here? According to them, yes. We did belong here. I don’t think anybody else thought we belonged here.”

It was the Elks’ second section title in five years. The first, in 2017, came during an unbeaten season that ended with a state title.

Why can’t they make another run? That’s what Digiovanni is thinking after the Elk defense, allowing 44.5 points per game, smothered another opponent.

“Some nights you’re not going to shoot very well,” Digiovanni said. “But you can always control your effort on defense, and they really bought into that. We knew we had to defend well."