Fairmont knew St. Peter wasn’t going to pushover despite its 14 losses. The Cardinals had seen the Saints' improvement first hand in two regular-season meetings. The third was the best to come.

Fairmont used an 8-2 run midway through the second half, turning a one-point deficit into a five-point lead. It got baskets from four different players during the run en route to a 58-54 victory in the Class 2A quarterfinal at Williams Arena.

St. Peter (14-15) pulled within 55-54 on Tom Steidler’s two free throws with 20 seconds left. The senior forward finished with a game-high 19 points.

Senior guard Jay Ruen made three free throws and came up with a steal in the final 19 seconds to preserve the victory. Ruen and Mitch Pfingsten each had 17 points for Fairmont (25-4). 

The Cardinals had defeated St. Peter by 14 and 11 points during the regular season.

“When you play a team for a third time it’s a real dogfight,” Pfingsten said. “We knew what to expect, and they knew what to expect. It makes it so much sweeter when you win.”

RON HAGGSTROM