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Prep Bowl energy for Mountain Iron-Buhl carries over to the basketball court

By Heather Rule, SportsEngine , 12/03/22, 11:30AM CST

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The Rangers built an early lead that proved insurmountable for the Vikings.

Mountain Iron-Buhl's Sage Ganyo (12) makes her way to the basket for the Rangers on Saturday. Photo by Brennan Schachtner, SportsEngine

Mountain Iron-Buhl's Sage Ganyo (12) makes her way to the basket for the Rangers on Saturday. Photo by Brennan Schachtner, SportsEngine

Front row,” said junior guard Hali Savela. “Our coach moved our game back (to 5 p.m.), so we could go to the football game and come here." 

Savela said the team left at 6 a.m. "We drank some BUBBL’Rs, drank some energy drinks and we got out there and went.”

The energy, the joy of celebrating a state championship for the school, whatever it was, the Rangers on the basketball court dominated Hayfield in a 79-33 victory.

“It was hard not to be inspired after watching our boys win a state championship this morning,” said Rangers’ coach Jeff Buffetta of his team’s fast start on the hardwood. “I think our girls, after enjoying the morning, I think they knew it was their time to shine.”

The Rangers (3-1), ranked No. 2 in Class 1A by Minnesota Basketball News, got off to a fast start to build an early lead it never surrendered. The squad used an 8-0 run to build a 12-5 lead and force an early timeout from Hayfield. That turned into a 21-3 Rangers run before taking a 48-17 lead into halftime. 

Savela sparked the good start with her hot-shooting hand. She was responsible for scoring 10 of the team’s first 12 points of the game, giving her 17 in the first half and 22 in the game along with her six rebounds.

“Hali went off,” said senior guard Sage Ganyo. “The dribbling goes through me and Jordan (Zubich). I set Jordan up, and I set Hali up also." 

The energy from the football game transferred over to the game, Ganyo added. "100%. We were in it to win. We wanted 3-0 today. JV, football game and our varsity game," she said. 

The JV team played at Bloomington Kennedy High School and defeated Hayfield by one point, Ganyo said, so the 3-0 record for the day was intact.

Ganyo and the Rangers were aggressive on defense, forced turnovers and capitalized on their chances with the basketball.

As a team, they drained 11 3-pointers from four different players. Savela sunk three of them early in the game and finished with four. Ganyo also hit four from beyond the arc, including on back-to-back possessions to make it a 20-point advantage at 31-11 in the first half.

From the tip, Zubich said she wasn’t nervous and “felt really on.”

“I know my mom and my aunt were kind of nervous after the nail-biter in the football game,” Zubich said. “We (didn’t) want this to be a nail-biter. So it was really nice to get out to a good start and we could just relax.”

Ganyo finished with a double-double with 19 points and 11 assists. She also added six steals and six rebounds. Zubich scored a game-high 24 points, including a pair of 3-pointers, to go with her eight rebounds and three assists. Junior forward Gabby Lira scored seven points, seven rebounds, three assists and three steals.

“Those four are the ones with the experience,” Buffetta said. “They played a lot last year. And we expect them to be leaders, and with that experience on the floor, they are. I think it’s helping in the game.”  

For Hayfield (2-1), ranked No. 3 in Class 1A, junior guard Kristen Watson scored 15 points, while junior forward Natalie Beaver scored 10 and added five rebounds. Five of their 17 first-half points came at the free-throw line.

Maybe the Rangers truly were running on energy, excitement and adrenaline from the school’s first football state title in 50 years. The Ranger girls hoops team has been to state 11 of the past 12 years, but have yet to win it all.

Watching the football team win was the most fun Ganyo has had in a long time, she said. And winning a state championship isn’t easy, Buffetta said.

“We hope they knocked the door down and gave the rest of us some opportunities going forward,” Buffetta said. “Our kids will stay motivated.”

They’re certainly connected to the new championship football team.

Zubich’s dad, Dan Zubich, is the football head coach, and senior quarterback Asher Zubich is her older brother. Buffetta’s brother, Brian Buffetta, is the defensive coordinator. Many of the basketball players have boyfriends on the football team, including Savela.

“We’ve known each other since we were young,” Savela said of the football team and girls’ basketball team. “It’s very tight-knit. We have a great relationship with everyone on there.”

Jordan Zubich breaks free from a defender on her way to a basket for Mountain Iron-Buhl. Photo by Brennan Schachtner, SportsEngine

Jordan Zubich breaks free from a defender on her way to a basket for Mountain Iron-Buhl. Photo by Brennan Schachtner, SportsEngine

First Report

On a day when the Mountain Iron-Buhl (MIB) football team won the 9-man state championship only miles away at U.S. Bank Stadium, the MIB girls’ basketball team was victorious in a battle of high-ranking teams in Class 1A.

The Rangers (3-1) defeated Hayfield (2-1) 79-33 Saturday as part of the Breakdown Tip Off Classic at Hopkins High School. MIB is ranked No. 2 in Class 1A by Minnesota Basketball News, while Hayfield is ranked No. 3.

The Rangers got off to a fast start, using an 8-0 run to build a 12-5 lead, with junior guard Halie Savela scoring 10 of those first 12 points for her team. That turned into a 21-3 Rangers run to put a stamp on an impressive start; eventually leading 48-17 at halftime.

Savela led the way in the first half with 17 points before the break, followed by junior guard Jordan Zubich with 13 first-half points. The Rangers forced turnovers, played aggressive defense and capitalized on chances. Five of the Vikings’ 17 first-half points came at the free-throw line.

The schools hadn’t met in girls’ basketball since January 2018, with the Rangers winning 64-54 at Hayfield. Last season, the Vikings took fourth place at the state tournament, while the top-seeded Rangers won the consolation title.

Natalie Beaver (25) of Hayfield, tries creating separation from a Mountain Iron-Buhl defender. Photo by Brennan Schachtner, SportsEngine

Natalie Beaver (25) of Hayfield, tries creating separation from a Mountain Iron-Buhl defender. Photo by Brennan Schachtner, SportsEngine

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