Paige Meyer is one of the best kept girls’ basketball secrets in the state.

Albany’s 5-6 senior guard methodically picked apart Glencoe-Silver Lake’s defense, igniting a 20-2 run late in the first half en route to a 72-49 victory in a Class 2A semifinal Tuesday at Target Center.

Albany (23-1) held a 26-24 lead nearing the six-minute mark of the first half when Meyer took over the game. The South Dakota State recruit had 11 points, two assists and two steals during the spurt, capping it with an old-fashioned three-point play with four seconds left in the half.

“Paige is a tremendous basketball player,” Albany coach Aaron Boyum said. “The number of things she can do on the offensive and defensive ends of the court is phenomenal.”

At halftime Meyer had 19 points, seven assists, six rebounds and two steals after a near flawless 18 minutes. She was 7-for-10 from the floor as the Huskies shot 60% from the field, including 55% from three-point range.

Paige Meyer is one of the best kept girls' basketball secrets in the state.

Albany’s 5-6 senior guard methodically picked apart Glencoe-Silver Lake’s defense, igniting a 20-2 run late in the first half en route to a 72-49 victory in a Class 2A semifinal Tuesday at Target Center.

Albany (23-1) was clinging to a 26-24 lead nearing the six-minute mark of the first half when Meyer put it in overdrive. The South Dakota State recruit had 11 points, two assists and two steals during the deciding spurt. She capped the run with an old-fashioned three-point play with four seconds left in the half.

At halftime Meyer had 19 points, seven assists, six rebounds and two steals after a near flawless 18 minutes. She was 7-for-10 from the floor as the Huskies shot 60 percent from the field, including 55 percent from three-point range.

The Panthers (19-5) like to play up-tempo and Albany was more than willing to oblige with Meyer directing the show. Her deft passing was precise, whether it was to a cutting teammate running an offensive set, over the top of the Panthers’ zone or throwing a length-of-the-court pass after a rebound to a teammate in stride for a layup.

Meyer finished with 27 points and 10 assists to go with seven rebounds and three steals before leaving with 2:38 left in the game.

Eastern Illinois recruit Miah Monahan had 17 points to lead the Panthers, who never got closer than 13 points in the second half.

Check back later for more on the game.