Northwestern’s Monte Mayberry (2) beats St. Croix Central’s Carson Hinzman for a left-handed layup in the first half of the Tigers’ 80-57 loss to the Panthers in a Division 3 sectional final in Hammond Saturday night, Feb. 27. (Bob Burrows / RiverTown Multimedia)

February 27, 2021 at 8:21 PM

The Northwestern boys basketball team's postseason run came to an end Saturday night in Hammond, Wisconsin, losing 80-57 to St. Croix Central in a Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association Division 3 sectional championship.

The Panthers (23-2) led the entire game, but the Tigers kept within striking distance through much of the first half, including trailing just 24-22 at one point. But after leading 40-34 at the half, St. Croix Central outscored the Tigers 40-23 the rest of the way.

Sophomore Jase Nelson led Northwestern with 15 points, while Monte Mayberry, a junior, added 13. CJ Thompson and Harrison Nelson, a junior and senior respectively, each scored 9 points.

St. Croix Central will make its first state tournament next week. Northwestern finishes the season at 19-8.

Duluth East 86, St. Francis 66

The Greyhounds (10-3) spread the ball around, posting 25 assists on 30 made baskets. Noah Paulson had six of them, which left him just four short of a triple-double, when combined with his 22 points and 12 rebounds.

Minnehaha Academy 99, Hibbing 53

The Bluejackets kept top recruit Chet Holmgren in check with 16 points, but five other Redhawks scored in double figures in a lopsided win in Minneapolis.

Hibbing got a team-high 11 points from Tre Holmes and fell to 9-3 in its third unsuccessful attempt at a four-game win streak.

Cloquet 71, Virginia 49

Connor Barney and Adam Schneider contributed 22 points apiece as the Lumberjacks ran their record to 8-5.

Nick Peters' 14 points led the Blue Devils (2-9).

GIRLS BASKETBALL

St. Francis 60, Duluth East 50

A 24-point day from Ashlynne Guenther wasn't enough to get the Greyhounds their second win of the season, but it did get the sophomore her 1,000th career point.

BOYS HOCKEY

Grand Rapids 4, Warroad 3

The Thunderhawks scored four times in the third period, overcoming a 3-1 deficit with seven minutes to play and winning on Garrett Drotts' goal with :46 to play at the IRA Civic Center.

Grand Rapids (9-1), ranked No. 5 in Class AA, got three assists in the final frame from Joey DelGreco to edge the Warriors (7-4-2), ranked No. 8 in A.

Cloquet-Esko-Carlton 3, Duluth Marshall 1

The Lumberjacks (8-5) won their fourth straight game, scoring three unanswered goals at Northwoods Credit Union Arena.

Hermantown 12, Greenway 0

Zam Plante had a seven-point game (two goals, five assists) as the Hawks rolled at home to a 13th straight win.

St. Thomas Academy 7, Duluth East 1

Brady Gray's power-play tally in the third period was all the offense the Greyhounds (6-5-1) could muster on the road against the 10th ranked (AA) Cadets.

1/2: Northwestern’s Jase Nelson (21) gets off a shot over St. Croix Central’s Kelson Klin (25) and Carson Hinzman (45) in the first half of the Tigers’ 80-57 loss to the Panthers in a Division 3 sectional final in Hammond Saturday night, Feb. 27. (Bob Burrows / RiverTown Multimedia)

2/2: Northwestern’s Monte Mayberry (2) rips a rebound away from Spooner’s Kolton Frederickson (13) in the first half of a game earlier this season. The Tigers will face Saint Croix Central in Saturday's Division 3 sectional final. (File / Superior Telegram)