MINNEAPOLIS — The Kelliher/Northome girls will make the program's first-ever basketball state tournament appearance.
The Mustangs (29-1) are one of three rural Northern Minnesota schools competing in the tourney Wednesday through Saturday, March 11-14, in the Twin Cities.
The Mountain Iron-Buhl Rangers (28-1) will join Kelliher/Northome in Class A, and the Rock Ridge Wolverines (20-9) will make its third-straight appearance in 3A.
The Mustangs' only loss this season was in December to Mountain Iron-Buhl, 100-90, and the Rangers' only loss was in February to Rock Ridge, 79-67.
The No. 7 Wolverines are the first Northland team to play. They'll take on No. 2 Benilde-St. Margaret's at 2 p.m. Wednesday at the University of Minnesota's Maturi Pavilion.
After narrowly missing out on the tourney last year, Mountain Iron-Buhl earned the top seed. It's the Rangers' fifth appearance this decade. They were the 1A champion in 2023 and the runner-up in 2024.
MIB will play No. 8 Braham at 11 a.m. Thursday at Maturi Pavilion.
No. 3 Kelliher/Northome will play No. 6 Central Minnesota Christian at 5 p.m. Thursday, also at Maturi.
The semifinal and championship games will be at the U's Williams Arena, and the third-place and consolation games will be at Concordia University's Gangelhoff Center.
Ticket information and other spectator details are available from the Minnesota State High School League.
The semifinal and championship games will be shown on Prep 45. The rest of the tournament will be streamed on NSPN; a subscription is required.
