Hayfield, which had just two seniors on its roster, ended its season 20-9.
Neither team shot the ball well, and the Panthers trailed 26-24 at the break.
It remained extremely close in the second half until NRHEG pulled away in the final four minutes.
The Panthers shot 28 percent from the floor. NRHEG was 2-23 behind the arc but nailed 22 of 31 free throws.
Carlie Wagner suffered through a 5-23 shooting night but still led the Panthers in scoring with 19 points. She also handed out five assists.
Jade Schultz helped out with 14 points and Paige Overgaard added eight.
Hayfield took 22 fewer shots during a 39-percent shooting night. The Vikings connected on 4-19 three-pointers and 16-27 free throws.
Jessie Foster scored a game-high 20 points for Hayfield.
NRHEG dominated the boards by a 43-21 margin, including 22-4 on the offensive boards.
Schultz yanked down 14 rebounds for the Panthers, Carlie Wagner speared nine boards and Overgaard grabbed eight caroms.
Hannah Lundberg’s four steals sparked the NRHEG defense.
Both teams had 20 turnovers.
“We shot horribly, but played O.K. on defense and really dominated the boards. That’s what won it for us,” said Schultz. “It was good to be able to come from behind to win. This should help us play with more poise in the future.”
St. Peter
MANKATO – A 16-0 run in the early stages of the game set the tone for NRHEG’s easy 96-61 victory over St. Peter in the section title game at Mankato Friday.
The Saints, who lost 59-54 to NRHEG in last year’s championship game, finished 22-6 this season.
St. Peter trailed just 14-12 five minutes into the game. Two minutes later it 30-12 and NRHEG was in complete control the rest of the game.
The Panthers held a commanding 54-31 advantage at the intermission.
“We played great team defense. I thought our trap broke the game loose and gave us a lot of fast break baskets,” said Schultz. “We played very aggressively the entire game.”
Jade Schultz was whistled for two quick fouls and spent most of the first half on the bench. But, the eighth-grade Wagner twins, Marnie and Maddie, more than made up the slack.
After their poor shooting night against Hayfield, the Panthers were sizzling against St. Peter. NRHEG dropped 63 percent of its shots from the floor, including 7-12 behind the arc. The Panthers converted 17-26 free throws.
St. Peter shot 49 percent from the floor. The Saints drilled 7-18 triples but could make only 8-21 free throws.
Carlie Wagner put on a spectacular show, pouring in 49 points. She nailed three triples and dropped 12-13 free throws. The Dagger completed a double-double by dishing out 10 assists.
“Carlie penetrated their defense and totally broke them down,” said Schultz.
Marnie Wagner fired in 14 points, Overgaard showed a nice touch along the baseline to net 12, Schultz finished with eight and Maddie Wagner added seven.
Schultz nailed a pair of treys and handed out five assists.
Kelsey Carpenter led four Saints into double digits with 14 points.
“I thought our defense shut down the passing lanes,” said Schultz. “We outmatched them up top at the guards defensively.”
NRHEG ended the game with a 30-17 rebound advantage. Schultz and Carlie Wagner grabbed seven boards apiece, and Marnie Wagner snared four rebounds.
The Wagner sisters combined for 14 steals, six by Carlie Wagner.
St. Peter was guilty of 25 turnovers, compared to 15 for the Panthers.
NRHEG now advances to the state tourney where it will try to improve on last year’s third-place finish. First up is Section 8AA champ Pelican Rapids at Williams Arena at 8 p.m. Wednesday.
PR defeated Crookston 61-56 in the section championship and will bring a 21-7 record into the game.
A NRHEG win would have the Panthers playing Friday at 8 p.m. at the Target Centre against the Sauk Centre/Minneapolis Washburn winner. Sauk Centre defeated the Panthers in last year’s semifinals.
The championship game is Saturday at 2 p.m. at Target Center.
NRHEG 58, Hayfield 48
Hayfield 24 24 48
NRHEG 26 32 58
NRHEG (58): C. Wagner 19, Schultz 14, Overgaard 8, Lundberg 6, Mad. Wagner 5, Cole 4, Mar. Wagner 2. FG: 17-59 (29%, 2-23 3-pters.), FT: 22-31 (71%), PF-19, TP-58.
Hayfield (48): Foster 20, Bungum 8, Wagner 6, Zahnle 4, Masching 3, Monahan 3, Pollack 2. FG: 14-37 (38%, 4-19 3-pters.), FT: 16-27 (59%), PF-23, TP-48.
NRHEG 96, St. Peter 61
NRHEG 54 42 96
St. Peter 31 30 61
NRHEG (96): C. Wagner 49, Mar. Wagner 14, Overgaard 12, Schultz 8, Mad. Wagner 7, Lundberg 4, Crabtree 2, Cole 0. FG: 36-57 (63%, 7-12 3-pters.), FT: 17-26 (65%), PF-21, TP-96.
St. Peter (61): Carpenter 14, Raymond 12, Retzlaff 10, Kennedy 10, Haas 8, Karlsrud 6, Zabinski 1. FG: 23-47 (49%, 7-18 3-pters), FT: 8-21 (38%), PF-22, TP-61.
NEXT: Wednesday – Class AA State Tourney, vs. Pelican Rapids at Williams Arena, 8 p.m.
