By ST. PAUL — New London-Spicer will play for fifth place in the Class AA state girls basketball tournament after winning in the consolation semifinals on Thursday.
The Wildcats reached the consolation finals after a 74-38 victory over Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial at the Gangelhoff Center at Concordia University-St. Paul.
NLS takes on Perham in the consolation championship at 2 p.m. Friday back at the Gangelhoff Center. The unseeded Yellowjackets beat unseeded Crosby-Ironton in the other consolation semifinal, 56-50.
NLS is in the consolation championship for the second time in four years. The Wildcats made it to the fifth-place game in 2020, but the game was not played due to the COVID-19 pandemic cancelling the final two days of the state tournament.
Leading 24-13 at halftime, NLS outscored the Knights 50-25 in the second half.
Avery Rich led the Wildcats with 23 points, five assists and five steals. Dakota Rich hit four 3-pointers in an 18-point outing. Jaden Coahran tacked on 13 points in the victory. Ellary Peterson ripped down 13 rebounds for NLS.
LCWM’s top scorer was Lauren Cooper with 16 points. Olivia Harazin followed up with eight points.
The fourth-seeded Wildcats dropped into the consolation bracket following a 50-28 loss to fifth-seeded Minnehaha Academy in the championship quarterfinals on Wednesday night.
The Class AA championship semifinals get underway Friday. Top-seeded Providence Academy faces Minnehaha Academy at 6 p.m., followed by second-seeded Goodhue against third-seeded Albany at 8 p.m.
LCWM (29-2) 13 25 — 38
NLS (28-2) 24 50 — 74
LCWM – Scoring: Olivia Harazin 8, Lauren Cooper 16, Avery Voges 3, Katelin Flack 11 … 3-point shots: Harazin 1, Cooper 3, Voges 1 … Rebound leader: n/a … Assist leader: n/a … Steal leader: n/a … Block leader: n/a
NLS – Scoring: Jaden Coahran 13, Avery Rich 23, Ava Carlson 5, Kaylee Thorson 2, Ellary Peterson 2, Dakota Rich 18, Jadyn Proehl 2, Delaney Hanson 9 … 3-point shots: Coahran 1, A. Rich 1, D. Rich 4, Hanson 1 … Rebound leader: Peterson 13, Hanson 7, Carlson 7 … Assist leader: A. Rich 5, Carlson 3 … Steal leader: A. Rich 5, D. Rich 2, Peterson 2, Carlson 2 … Block leader: Hanson 2
