It was a matchup DeLaSalle coach Dave Thorson wasn’t looking forward to, a third clash with conference foe Fridley. His squad overwhelmed the Tigers in its first two Tri-Metro meetings by 38 and 22 points.

Top-ranked DeLaSalle ran into a more intense and determined Fridley group Wednesday morning, escaping with a 65-52 victory in the Class 3A quarterfinals at Williams Arena.

The Islanders (22-4), seeking a fifth consecutive state championship, will face the winner of Chisago Lakes (22-6) and Monticello (19-10) in the semifinals Thursday at Target Center at noon.

“It’s hard to play and beat a team three times,” Thorson said. “I have a lot of respect for Fridley. Its defense has gotten a lot better the last month. They were awesome today.”

Junior forward Goanar Mar scored 19 points and sophomore guard Gabe Kalscheur added 16 to pace a balanced Islanders (22-4) attack. They had four players in double figures. Mar, who also had 12 rebounds and three blocked shots, and Kalscheur combined for over 50 points in each of the previous two games.

“They were more physical today with me and Goanar,” Kalscheur said. “They played with a lot of intensity. It was a battle.” 

Fridley senior Teathloach Pal concluded his career with an outstanding performance. He led the Tigers (13-14) with a game-high 27 points, grabbed 13 boards, blocked five shots and dished out four assists. He had 31 points in the first two meetings combined.

“There is always another level you can play at, and this is the state tournament,” Pal said. “We played hard, and left everything on the court.”

It was a matchup DeLaSalle mentor Dave Thorson wasn’t looking forward to, a third clash with conference foe Fridley. His squad overwhelmed the Tigers in its first two Tri-Metro Conference meetings by 38 and 22 points.

Top-ranked DeLaSalle ran into a more intense and determined Fridley group Wednesday morning, escaping with a 65-52 victory in the Class 3A quarterfinals to begin its quest for a fifth consecutive state championship at Williams Arena.

Junior forward Gonar Mar and sophomore guard Gabe Kalscheur paced a balanced Islanders (22-4) attack with 19 and 16 points, respectively. They had four players in double figures. Mar and Kalscheur combined for over 50 points in each of the previous two games.

Fridley senior Teathloach Pal concluded his career with an outstanding performance. He led the Tigers (13-14) with a game-high 26 points. He had 31 points in the first two meetings combined.

The Islanders (22-4) will face the winner of Chisago Lakes (22-6) and Monticello (19-10) in the semifinals Thursday at Target Center at noon.

Check back later for more on the game.