ROCHESTER – The No. 2 seeded Lyle-Pacelli girls basketball team let things slip away early in the second half as its season came to an end in a 52-43 loss to top seeded Goodhue in the Section 1A West title game in Mayo Civic Center Saturday.

The Athletics (22-7 overall) led by as many as four points in the first half, but the Wildcats (22-4 overall) used an 8-0 run to start the second half and take a 28-22 lead and LP never got closer than three points the rest of the way. LP had taken a 22-20 lead into the break after Brooke Walter hit a three-pointer.

Goodhue was able to take control by hitting some big shots down the stretch as Maddy Miller hit a three to put the defending Class A state champion Wildcats up 44-35 with 3:41 left and Miller hit another three to put Goodhue up 47-37 with 2:30 left.

“They’re the defending champs and this is a game you should see in the state tournament,” LP head coach Justin Morris said.

Morris said that there were some things that his team could’ve done differently in the loss.

“Our inability to value possessions is what lost us the game,” he said. “Our spacing was good and our opportunities against their pressure was good. We just turned the basketball over too much.”

Abby Bollingberg had 15 points for LP, Kristi Fett had 11 points and seven rebounds and senior Bethany Strouf had nine points, eight rebounds and three assists.

“We’re going to miss [Bethany] like crazy,” Morris said. “She led by example, she made shots and she was tough as nails. Her growth as a person and a player since her freshman year has been unbelievable.”
LP 22 21 – 43
Goodhue 20 32 – 52
LP scoring: Abby Bollingberg, 15; Kristi Fett, 11; Bethany Strouf, 9; Olivia Christianson, 4; Brooke Walter, 3; free throws: 71 percent (10-for-14); rebounds: 24 (Fett, 7); turnovers: 13