Nervous Minneapolis Washburn bench players frantically tapped the top of their sneakers to the Target Center court during a double-digit second-half run by St. Paul Johnson on Thursday.

But by the end, the bright smile on Joseph Doby’s face as the game’s final free throws swished through the net personified the true story.

“So happy we were able to pull away at the end,” he said. “I think it was the first time I’ve ever smiled like that.”

He had reason.

The senior forward paced the Millers to a tight 75-66 Class 3A semifinal victory over St. Paul Johnson with 21 points and nine rebounds. After a missed free throw, his off-the-glass put-back with just under five minutes to play gave top-seeded Washburn (29-2) the lead for good.

“We weren’t going to lose, we weren’t going to go home,” said Doby, one of three Millers in double-digits and the leader of nine players on the score sheet. “We want that championship.”

Securing a spot in Saturday’s final game was no cinch, though it appeared it was headed that way early. The Millers led by as many as 15 points late in the first half and took a nine-point lead into halftime.

But the Governors (21-9) entered the second half reenergized. They scored the first five points and used an 11-0 run to take a one-point lead with 6:30 to play.

“It was going to be a dogfight to get this one,” Washburn coach Reggie Perkins said.

The Millers out-rebounded the Governors 44-26 in the game and limited them to 16 second-chance points.

“That was our focus,” Perkins said. “And it worked.”

Marcus Marshall put on a show for the Governors. The senior guard scored St. Paul Johnson’s first 11 points en route to a game-high 31 points before fouling out in the game’s final minute.

Joseph Doby, Minneapolis Washburn

Doby was Mr. Consistent for the Millers, scoring 9 in the first half and 10 in the second. He was very efficient cutting and driving to the basket, shooting an impressive 9-14 from the field. He also helped Washburn win the rebounding battle, grabbing 9 boards

Jerry Pratt, Minneapolis Wasburn

Pratt kept up his solid play in the state tournament for the Millers, logging his second straight impressive stat line. He scored 15 points, grabbed 5 rebounds and hit five free throws down the stretch to seal the victory for Washburn. He also had two thunderous dunks on the fast break that energized the Millers.

Marcus Marshall, St. Paul Johnson

The Governors' star did all he could to lead his team to a comeback victory, but his 31 effort on 50% shooting fell just short of beating the Millers. He either drilled a big shot or got to the line whenever the Governors were close to letting the game slip away in the second half. He and his teammates demonstrated a lot of heart in the hard-fought loss.

 -Alec Kinsky, MN Basketball Hub Staff