Minneapolis, MN (KROC AM News) - Plainview-Elgin-Millville will play for the state high school girls basketball championship Saturday.

There were times Friday night when it looked like PEM was going to run right past Roseau in the Class AA semifinals at Williams Arena. The Bulldogs led for most of the game, by double-digit margins in some cases. Their biggest lead was 13 points with just under 14 minutes left in regulation time.  But the Rams just weren’t interested in surrendering. Youthful Roseau pulled to within two points, 76-74 with 3:20 left in regulation following two free throws by Kiley Borowiz.  The top-seeded Bulldogs, though, had one last surge in them. Plainview-Elgin-Millville used an 11-4 spree over the final minutes to get the definitive separation in a semifinal victory.  Hayley Dessner scored 23 points and grabbed 12 rebounds for Plainview-Elgin-Millville (30-1) and Chloe Holtz added 20.

The victory sends the Bulldogs into the championship game on Saturday afternoon.  They will play New London-Spicer (25-6), which is making its state-record 16th appearance in the state tournament.  The game is scheduled to begin at 2 pm.

Plainview-Elgin-Millville, a co-op formed 10 years ago, is making its first state tournament appearance. Elgin-Millville made five consecutive state tournament appearances from 2002-06. They were the Class A runner-up in 2002 and the champion in ’05.

In Friday’s earlier game. top-seeded Goodhue looked the part of the Class A favorite in a 74-35 victory over No. 5 Wheaton/Herman-Norcross in the small-school semifinals Friday at Williams Arena.

Maddy Miller scored 24 points and Sydney Lodermeier added 18 to power the Wildcats (29-4) into the Class A championship game for the first time since 2010. That season, Goodhue was runner-up to Barnum.

Goodhue will face Maranatha Christian Academy for the title game Saturday.  The game is scheduled to begin at noon.

Jayzryn Thompson muscled in a putback after a missed free throw with 2.4 seconds left in overtime to lift No. 3 seed Maranatha Christian Academy to a nail-biting 75-74 victory over Mountain Iron-Buhl in the second Class A semifinal Friday afternoon at Williams Arena. Her clinching basket came seconds after Mountain Iron-Buhl took a 74-73 lead when Allie Negen calmly made three free throws with 9.6 seconds remaining in the extra session.

(summaries from the Minnesota State High School League)

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