2023 Class A State Girls Basketball Tournament Preview

 2023 MINNESOTA STATE HIGH SCHOOL CLASS A GIRLS BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT QUARTERFINAL SCHEDULE

                             (Games played Thursday, March 16 at Maturi Pavilion on the University of Minnesota campus)

11:00:  Minneota vs. Mountain Iron-Buhl

 1:00:   Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa (Seed 5) vs. Underwood (Seed 4)

 3:00:   Badger-Greenbush-Middle River vs. Hayfield (Seed 2)

 5:00:   United Christian Academy vs. BOLD (Seed 3)

                                  EXAMINING THE FIELD

Could this finally be the year head coach Jeff Buffetta finally brings home a championship trophy to the Iron Range?  The Mountain Iron-Buhl Rangers are the top seed and are in their 13th tournament but they have yet to win a state title.  They face the perennial power, the Minneota Vikings, in their 11th tournament and sixth straight.  The Vikings got back on track after losing four of their last five regular season games.  It should be an outstanding opening round game.  

Next up, the Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa Jaguars in their third state tournament battle the fourth seeded Underwood Rockets, also in their third tournament and first since 2005.  The Jaguars met Mountain Iron-Buhl in a holiday tournament in St. cloud and lost 84-62.  The Rockets have won 17 straight games, including a 64-50 win over defending state Class A champion Hancock in the Section 6 final.  Will the Jaguars face a rematch with the Rangers or will the Rockets win their 18th game in a row?  

The  Badger-Greenbush-Middle River Gators return to the state tournament for the first time since 2007 and faces the second seeded Hayfield Vikings, in their fourth tournament.  BGMR is on a 16 game winning streak.  Hayfield is 2-1 against state tournaments, their wins coming against Minneota and United Christian Academy and lost to Mountain Iron-Buhl.  Who will advance to Friday's semifinals?  

Closing the Class A session is the United Christian Academy Thunder, in their second straight tournament against the third seeded BOLD Warriors, returning to Minneapolis for the third time and first since 2019.  The Bloomington based Thunder beat top seeded Heritage Christian 66-62 in overtime to capture the Section 4 title.  As for the Warriors, they were the third seed in Section 2 and beat top seeds Mayer Lutheran and Sleepy Eye.  Could there be a celebration in Bird Island, Olivia, Lake Lillian and Danube?  

There's some outstanding girls basketball coming up this week.