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Goodhue overpowers Maranatha Christian 89-64 to win first 1A title

By David La Vaque, Star Tribune, 03/19/16, 2:00PM CDT

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The No. 1 seed Wildcats, behind a stifling press and strong rebounding, finished their season undefeated against Class 1A opponents.


Goodhue players lifted the trophy as they celebrated their Class 1A championship after defeating Maranatha Christian on Saturday at Williams Arena. Photo: JIM GEHRZ • james.gehrz@startribune.com

Goodhue’s Sydney Lodermeier slapped her hand on the Williams Arena court after unsuccessfully diving for a teammate’s errant pass.

Never mind that her Wildcats were ahead by 21 points and less than three minutes remained in the Class 1A state championship game Saturday.

Her reaction provided a window into Goodhue’s dominance en route to its first state championship. Unyielding effort pushed the No. 1 seed Wildcats to three lopsided victories, culminating in a 89-64 rout of Maranatha Christian.

Goodhue (30-4) went undefeated against Class 1A opponents this season and won its three tournament games by an average of 31.6 points. The Wildcats’ competiveness remained steady, however.

“These games, even though the score says something, on the court you can definitely feel that it was not like that,” said Lodermeier, a sophomore forward who scored 24 points and grabbed 12 rebounds. “I’ve never been that uncomfortable with the double-digit leads we’ve had.”

The Wildcats’ vaunted press defense forced 24 turnovers by third-seed Maranatha Christian (26-7), miscues that led to 26 points. Chris Buerman, coach of Brooklyn Park-based Maranatha, said the turnover number was only three more than his team’s season average. A greater concern was that the Wildcats out-rebounded the Mustangs’ 57-42, leading to a 21-6 edge in second-chance points.

“Coming into the postseason we really preached, ‘Win the rebound battle and you’ll win the game,’ ” Lodermeier said.

Buerman said: “We gave them three, four, five shots on some of their possessions, which made it hard for us to get out and run.”

The Mustangs, who also finished second at state last season, got 18 points from both junior forward Elise Moore and senior guard Alaina Jarnot. Goodhue junior forward Maddy Miller led all scorers with 28 points and also grabbed 11 rebounds.

First report


An enthusiastic Goodhue coach Josh Wieme as his team established an early lead in the first half.. Photo: JIM GEHRZ • james.gehrz@startribune.com

Goodhue won its first girls’ basketball state championship with a 89-64 victory against Maranatha Christian Academy on Saturday in the Class 1A final at Williams Arena.

The No. 1 Wildcats (30-4) went undefeated against Class 1A opponents this season.

Maddy Miller scored 28 points and Sydney Lodermeier added 24 for Goodhue. Elise Moore and Alaina Jarnot each scored 18 points for the Mustangs.

The Wildcats’ vaunted press defense forced 24 turnovers but took second billing Saturday to rebounding and second-chance points. Maranatha Christian Academy (26-7) navigated the open floor well but struggled under the basket. 

Goodhue out-rebounded the Mustangs 57-42, and led 21-6 in second-chance points as well.

Maranatha Christian Academy, a Brooklyn Park-based private school, also finished second at state last season.

Check back later for more on the game.


Goodhue’s Taylor Larson scored in the first half against Maranatha Christian in the Class 1A championship game Saturday at Williams Arena. Photo: JIM GEHRZ • james.gehrz@startribune.com

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