Sports

UPDATE: Knights Knock off Elks in Section Final to Advance to State

After battling toe to toe with Buffalo the last couple of years, St. Michael-Albertville for the Section 8-4A dumped newcomer Elk River in the championship Friday in Collegeville.

UPDATE: St. Michael-Albertville is headed back to the Target Center for the second straight year after knocking off Elk River by nine points, 68-59, in the Section 8-4A final.

Erin Autio led the Knights back from a nine-point deficit in the first half, and the STMA backcourt paced the No. 1 seed in Section 8 in the second half, holding Elk River at bay most of the final stages. 

The Elks would cut the Knights' lead-which grew as big as nine-to five in the final two minutes. But free-throw shooting and execution was key, as the STMA held off any late Elk River charge. 

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• • • • 

For the fifth time in five years, the St. Michael-Albertville Knights girls' basketball team will lace it up for a chance to head to Target Center and the State 4A Girls' Basketball Tournament next weekend. 

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This time, however, a much different opponent stands in the way. 

After having some classic showdowns with the Buffalo Bison each of the last two seasons, and splitting those games, this year's showdown comes with the Elk River Elks. 

The two teams met back in December, with St. Michael-Albertville using a 16-point night from Mackenzie Bebo and a 30-18 run in the first half to breeze to a 57-49 victory. 

This one probably won't be so easy. 

The Elks are on a roll, winning each of their first two Section 8 tournament games by more than 20 points. They're beeing paced by Anna Rollag, who is averaging 17 points. Abi Scheid is the team's leading rebounder (she had 14 boards in that first meeting) and second on the team in scoring. 

But the top-seeded Knights are playing well, too. They're only two losses in their last 12 games are a nailbiter to Monticello (who is battling for a trip to state in Class 3A) and No. 1 Hopkins. They won their opening round game by more than 30, and dominated St. Cloud Tech in the second half last Friday to earn their spot in the final for the fifth straight season. 

Bebo will be a key inside, but it's a wave of guards that will pace the Knights on both sides of the floor. Natalie Van Wyhe, a third-year varsity starter, will run the backcourt and leads the Knights in assists. Newcomeer Sydney Tracy, just a freshman, had 15 big points in the win last week over Tech. Jordan Hansen has the Knights' best outside shot. Breanna Grube, meanwhile, is the Knights' best defender and can score, as she did in the teams' first meeting. 

Inside, Erin Autio, Bebo and Nicole Westrum will try to stop the Elks "bigs." 

Tonight's game tips at 6 p.m. from the campus of St. John's University in Collegeville. The game will be broadcast on KRWC AM radio and we will have updates from the St. Michael Patch Facebook and Twitter feeds as well. 


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