State Tournament Bests - Top Boys' State Basketball Finishes

State Tournament Bests - Top Boys' State Basketball Finishes

The celebration of 100 years of state basketball tournaments continues with the announcement of the top shots in the history of the girls' state tourney. As with past and upcoming announcements of the best of 100 years of state basketball tournaments, these lists have been compiled with the assistance of a committee of basketball historians and experts from around Minnesota.

In the coming weeks, similar listings of the best games and best finishes in state tournament history will be announced. These announcements and other activities related to 100 years of state tourneys will lead into this year's tournaments; the girls will play at Williams Arena and Target Center March 14-17 and the boys will do the same March 21-24.

Wabasso 117, Red Lake 113 (OT) -- 1997 Class A Semifinal

The Wabasso Rabbits led the Red Lake Warriors by 14 with 1:15 left in their Class A semifinal game. Then Red Lake guard Gerald Kingbird scored 13 points in 57 seconds, including a three at 0:17.7 to tie the score at 105. In OT Red Lake took their first lead since it was 10-8 (and last lead) at 111-109, but the Rabbits pulled away to a 117-113 win. Kingbird scored 37 points in the game.

Ellsworth 74, Cass Lake-Bena 73 -- 2007 Class A Final

Ellsworth led by as many as 10 points in the first half, but Cass Lake-Bena battled back to lead 37-35 at halftime. In the second half Ellsworth led by as many as seven, but Cass Lake-Bena came back again to lead 73-69 with 1:30 to play. Cody Schilling scored on a lay-up and then fed Aaron Van Der Stoep with just four seconds left to play. Van Der Stoep hit his 10th three-point basket of the day to win the Class A championship for Ellsworth.