DeLaSalle coach Dave Thorson won’t deny the obvious.

Thorson’s Islanders, going for a record fifth consecutive state title, have faced plenty of pressure this season.

“You can’t have your head in the sand and say we haven’t talked about it,” Thorson said. “I think we’ve talked more about getting to Saturday this year than any of the previous five years.”

When a season hangs on a goal such as that, a rough offensive performance in the first half is nothing.

So after a strong second half Thursday at Target Center, DeLaSalle defeated Monticello 59-45 and will get its shot at the state title.

The Islanders (23-4) earned the victory despite going scoreless in the final 5:50 of the first half, allowing Monticello to close the period on a 13-3 run to cut the deficit to 25-20.

In the second half, the Magic’s momentum faded without much resistance. The Islanders opened with a 17-2 run.

“Halftime always comes at a bad time,” Monticello coach Jason Schmidt said. “We were starting to gain momentum. (Halftime) gave them a chance to get their feet back under them, and they did that.”

Goanar Mar’s hot start to the game helped him finish with 20 points for DeLaSalle. The Islanders got balanced scoring from the rest of their starting five along the way.

“(Defending Mar) is a difficult task because he’s such a multiple-threat guy,” Monticello forward Trevor Bautch said. “He can put it on the floor and get to the hole, and as we saw, he can shoot.”

Matt Todd led Monticello (20-11) with 16 points, all in the second half, but DeLaSalle’s defensive dominance showed down the stretch and sent the Islanders to Saturday’s 5 p.m. state championship.

Despite the magnitude that inevitably comes with such a game, Thorson said at this point, the pressure is off. The whiteboards riddled with strategy, the talks about program history, the emphasis on attitude and effort and communication all paid off.

For DeLaSalle, now comes opportunity.

First report

DeLaSalle’s offensive performance late in the first half Thursday was far from ideal.

In the second half, the Islanders made up for it in a big way.

DeLaSalle defeated Monticello 59-45 in the Class 3A semifinal at Target Center thanks to a 17-2 run after halftime that all but put the Magic away.

DeLaSalle (23-4) got up early behind efficient scoring from junior Goanar Mar, who finished with 20, but the Islanders hit a cold spell that left them scoreless for the final 5:50 in the half.

Monticello (20-11) trailed 25-20 at halftime after its inside defense left DeLaSalle 0-for-9 shooting in the scoreless stretch. But after halftime, any hope the Magic had faded quickly.

Matt Todd led Monticello with 16, but balanced scoring from the Islanders starting five helped DeLaSalle pull away.

DeLaSalle will play in the Class 3A title game Saturday at 5 p.m. at Target Center, where the Islanders have a shot to become the first team in Minnesota history to win five consecutive boys’ basketball state titles. 

Check back later for more on the game.