“We were just so excited,” Lord said. “As a team, we got pumped up in the locker room, so when we came out it was really natural and we just all had fun.” 

Lord’s 15 first-half points matched Detroit Lakes’ first-half output, and Herzig added 14 points before the break to help the Eagles (21-8) to a 39-15 halftime lead over the Lakers (14-13).  

“It felt so good,” Lord said. “I felt so on. It was a great feeling.”

This marks Totino-Grace’s sixth trip to the state tournament and first since 2009. The Eagles won the Class 3A championship in 2008. 

Herzig scored a game-high 17 points. Lord finished with 16, and senior guard Leah Dengerud had 14. Junior forward Jaycee Hauser led the Lakers with 15 points. 

Totino-Grace will take on second-ranked St. Paul Como Park in the semifinals Thursday at Williams Arena. 

“They’ve kind of been in the back of my mind this entire time,” Herzig said. “But we just need to take it one game at a time, know our strengths and play as a team.”