As the teams gained comfort on the big stage, Mankato East took control with its tenacity.

The fifth-seeded Cougars scored a minor upset with their 62-51 defeat of fourth-seeded Benilde-St. Margaret’s.

“We focused on staying together, working together and playing for each other,” said Mankato East guard Mackenzie Schweim, one of only three seniors on both teams combined who logged minutes. She and Peyton Stevermer each scored 17 points as the Cougars extended their first state tournament appearance since 1998.

Mankato East (25-4) led 31-23 at halftime and stayed on top by breaking the Red Knights’ trapping defense and beating them on the glass.

“We were definitely aggressive, but boxing out was a huge thing for us,” Schweim said. “We have that length, but to find a body was really important to us.”

Benilde-St. Margaret’s sophomore guard Olivia Olson, ranked the No. 3 player in the country in the Class of 2024 by ESPN’s HoopGurlz, led all scorers with 21 points. It wasn’t enough to keep the Red Knights (23-7) on the winning side of their first tournament appearance since 2011.

“We didn’t have enough effort to go and get the ball,” Olson said. “They had more than us, and that’s why they won.”