For the first time since the year 2000, the Bishop Garrigan Golden Bear girls’ basketball team is headed to the Class 1A state basketball tournament.
The black-and-gold, ranked 15th in the final rankings, out-scored No. 5 Kingsley-Pierson 15-9 in overtime to hand last year’s state semifinalist a 73-67 season-ending loss.
The Golden Bears built a 19-point lead in the first half only to see Kingsley-Pierson chip away at the lead and take a three-point lead late but Jenna Boelter nailed a three-pointer with three seconds left in regulation to force an extra session that was dominated by Bishop Garrigan.
“That was a lot of fun and I am very proud of the kids,” said Golden Bear head coach Brandon Schwab after the game. “We hit some big shots in the first half to build a big cushion. They made a run in the second half but I was really happy with the way we handled things when it got close.
For more on this story, please see the March 1 issue of Kossuth County Advance.