Osseo outhustled and outran Roseville for most of the game, then hung on through a frenzied rally to beat the top-seeded Raiders 57-53 to win the Section 5, 4A championship and advance to the Class 4A state tournament for the second year in row.

Janay Morton scored 19 points for Osseo, which began the season 7-6 before winning 14 of their last 16 games.

“We learned from every game we lost,” said Morton. “Our motto has been ‘One Game, One Team, One Voice’.”

For most of the night, Osseo’s athleticism trumped Roseville’s precision. The Orioles were beating the Raiders to loose balls, defending the perimeter, playing as well as they could play. When Orioles’ forward Ayo Porte hit a reverse lay-up giving Osseo a 37-23 second half-lead, it appeared that the Orioles had the game locked up.

But basketball is a game of momentum. Roseville’s Jacqlyn Poss hit back-to- back three-pointers midway through the second half, cutting Osseo’s lead to five at 49-44 and initiating a comeback,

“We were getting a little out of control,” said Porte. “And they’re a very good team.”

The Raiders (24-3) closed within a point twice in the final minute, but Morton and Belinda Barfknecht answered with baskets of their own, keeping the Raiders at bay.

“We talked in the locker room about playing a full 36 minutes,” said Morton. “We just had to stick together.”