Minnehaha Academy guard Jalen Suggs (1) drove toward the basket for a layup against St. Cloud Cathedral in the first half. Photo: AARON LAVINSKY • aaron.lavinsky@startribune.com
St. Cloud Cathedral faced a pick-your-poison decision Friday: Defend the lane and leave Minnehaha Academy open outside or extend the defense to the perimeter.
The Crusaders chose the former. And the Redhawks made them pay.
After struggling to hit outside shots in the quarterfinals, Minnehaha Academy found its shooting eye, hitting eight of 14 three-point attempts in the first half and cruised to a 77-51 victory at Target Center. The Redhawks (27-4) earned a title-game opportunity to defend their 2017 Class 2A championship.
“We had to give up something and we chose to give up the three-ball,” St. Cloud Cathedral coach Matt Meyer said. “They made us pay in the first half.”