“I knew we had a special team,” said Hannan, a 2001 graduate of Holy Angels. “Things just started rolling and senior and junior guys stepped up. It’s been a fun team to coach.”

The Stars (24-4) relied on a complement of scorers in Thursday’s win, but it started with their two starting guards, Emmett and Charles Johnson. Emmett Johnson, the younger brother and a freshman, came through with a team-high 26 points in the win.

The Johnson brothers combined for 36 points, but their ability to run the Holy Angels offense might have been their biggest contribution.

“They’re super helpful for all of us,” Banovetz said. “They know our offense well. They push it when they know we need to.”

And the Johnsons pushed. The speed of the game caused St. Thomas Academy (17-12) to commit nine first-half turnovers while also allowing the Stars offense to pull ahead 48-41 at the half. Banovetz came through late in the first half and added 12 points before finishing with 18 points — after scoring 40 in last week’s 94-71 section semifinal win over St. Croix Lutheran.

“He’s been good all year, but he’s really stepped up lately,” Hannan said. “He’s a solid athlete that coaches scout as our main guy. He’s also a great defender.”

In the second half, the Cadets, the two-time defending section champions, slowly chipped away at the Stars’ lead and held the upper hand for moments down the stretch.

But the Stars once again looked to senior leadership and center Thor Holien, who came through with 15 second-half points and finished with 23. Holien made big baskets even while Holy Angels struggled to stop St. Thomas Academy.

“Every time we got too sped up, they took advantage,” Banovetz said. “It was a game of runs and we needed theirs to end.”

With about three minutes left in the game and St. Thomas Academy ahead 72-70, Hannan called timeout. Out of that break, the Stars started their own run when Banovetz and Emmett Johnson each hit three-pointers to turn a two-point deficit into a four-point lead. That duo continued to contribute down the stretch — Emmett finished the job with a layup that gave Holy Angels the 85-78 win.

The Stars are heading back to Target Center for the state tournament for the first time in 15 years. It’s a special moment for the entire group, including Hannan, who is one of eight Stars boys’ basketball players to eclipse the 1,000-point mark.

“This has been a special team,” Hannan said. “Things started rolling in December and they never stopped. I’m glad we have another week together. This is a fun team.”