While the scoresheet gives credit to Olson, both she and Red Knights coach Tim Ellefson were quick to point out the team effort.

“The thing that made her so open was the way we spaced the floor,” Ellefson said. “They didn’t have an answer for her. We executed the game plan.”

While Benilde-St. Margaret’s was executing its gameplan, Holy Angels had trouble with theirs while trying to slow the Red Knights.

“We thought we’d stay back and try to make them shoot from the perimeter,” Stars coach Danny Woods said. “That didn’t happen. We had nervousness, for what reason? I don’t know.”

Eventually other players from both teams started to score, but it was Olson who continued to steal the show. The Michigan commit got her 22 first-half points with style. Besides her buzzer-beater, she drove the lane and made a layup following a behind-the-back dribble, something she said she practices often.

“You see why every college in the country wants her,” Ellefson said. “She’s a unique talent. She can be our best rebounder, best passer, get a steal, get a basket. She does a little bit of everything.”

Defensively, the Red Knights locked things down. It took nearly five minutes for the Stars to get on the board as they struggled throughout the evening against Benilde-St. Margaret’s pressure defense.

“We had them frazzled,” Ellefson said. “We contested every pass, every dribble. It kind of took the life out of them.”

The Red Knights maintained their wide margin despite Holy Angels finding some success on the offensive end. Senior forward Ella Pritchard and junior guard Jenna Buer led the way for the Stars with 14 points each.

The second-half effort from the Stars was encouraging, but not enough to continue their season. They fell to the Red Knights for the second consecutive season in the section final. But Woods has reason to be optimistic about next season. Thirty-one of Holy Angels’ points came from players set to return next season.

“We have our next group,” Woods said. “They got that experience tonight. We always have our next group ready.”

Meanwhile, Benilde-St. Margaret’s heads back to the state tournament for the second consecutive season looking to build off last year’s run, which stopped at the quarterfinals.

“Last year, they had a lot of uncertainty on how to play and get it all together,” Ellefson said. “We’re a different team. We’ll be ready for whatever they bring at us.”