State girls basketball: Stout defense propels Bombers to state title game

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MINNEAPOLIS — University of Minnesota women’s basketball coach Pam Borton watched one of her future players, Parkers Prairie senior Sari Noga, during today’s Class A semifinal against Barnum.

She also saw a player she didn’t recruit, Barnum senior Katrina Newman, hound and harass the state’s third all-time leading scorer into a poor shooting performance at Target Center.

Newman and Noga each scored 18 points, but it was Newman’s defensive shadowing of her counterpart that stood out in the Bombers’ 61-52 victory at the Minnesota high school girls state tournament.

“You hear a lot about Noga, and she’s an outstanding player, but you know what? Kat ain’t bad, either,” Barnum coach Randy Myhre said. “Kat won that matchup today, in my opinion. She’s a competitor and she knew she was guarding one of the best players in the state of Minnesota, and she came out and did an excellent job.”

Barnum (30-2) faces Goodhue (25-7), a 51-44 winner over the previously undefeated Northern Freeze, in the state championship game at noon Saturday at Target Center. The Bombers are attempting to win their first title and the first for a Northeastern Minnesota school since Chisholm in 1984.

Noga entered today’s matchup with 3,527 points, third-most all-time in state history, and a state-record 1,717 rebounds. She was 2-for-8 shooting in the first half as Barnum took a 28-20 lead and finished 7-for-20, including 1-for-6 from the 3-point line.

“We heard a lot of hype of how great she was,” said Barnum senior Sarah Myhre, who scored a game-high 24 points and hit three important second-half 3-pointers. “And she is a great player, but I think Katrina did an amazing job on defense. She can take anyone when she gets her mind set on it. She was really determined to do the best job she could.”

Barnum 28-33—61

Parkers Prairie 20-32—52

Barnum — Jessica Newman 11, Katie Myhre 2, Leah Nordvall 6, Katrina Newman 18, Sarah Myhre 24. Totals 20 16-22 61.

3-point goals — S. Myhre 4, Nordvall.

Parkers Prairie — Jazmyn Dorn 3, Kaylee Dorn 9, Sari Noga 18, Madison Dorn 12, Krista Alberts 2, Micaela Noga 8. Totals 16 18-25 52.

3-point goals — M. Dorn, S. Noga.

Tags: sports, breakingnews, barnum, basketball