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Lyle/Pacelli overpowers Sleepy Eye to win 1A championship

By RON HAGGSTROM, Star Tribune, 03/17/18, 1:45PM CDT

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The Athletics' 6-5 center Kristi Fett scored 30 points and had 16 rebounds to lead her team to a 57-33 victory.


Lyle/Pacelli's Kristi Fett (50) blocks a shot by Sleepy Eye's McKenzie Cselovszki (12) during the first half of the Class 1A championship game Saturday at Target Center. Photo: DAVID JOLES • david.joles@startribune.com

Sleepy Eye coach Ryan Hulke knew his undersized squad would have its hands full with Lyle/Pacelli’s imposing center, Kristi Fett. The challenge grew when Fett got in the flow from the outset.

The 6-5 senior scored 30 points, grabbed 16 rebounds and blocked five shots, leading the Athletics to their first state championship with a 57-33 victory over the Indians in the Class 1A finals Saturday at Target Center. Both schools were making their first championship game appearance.

“It was my last game ever. I wanted to go out with a bang,” said Fett, who went 11-for-17 from the floor and 8-for-11 from the free-throw line. “It was the game of a lifetime.”

First report

Sleepy Eye coach Ryan Hulke knew his undersized squad would have its hands full with Lyle/Pacelli’s imposing center, Kristi Fett. The challenge grew when Fett got in the flow at the outset.

The 6-5 senior scored 30 points and grabbed 16 rebounds, leading the Athletics to their first state championship with a 57-33 victory over the Indians in the Class 1A finals Saturday afternoon at Target Center. Both schools were making their first championship game appearance.

Fett scored the Athletics’ opening bucket after taking a lob pass from sophomore forward Olivia Christianson. It was a clear indication of what was to come.

Fett had 17 points in the opening half as the No. 1-ranked Athletics (31-1) built a 31-22 lead. They closed the first half on a 14-7 run, with Fett scoring half the points in the spurt. She was 6-for-8 from the floor and 5-for-6 from the free-throw line at the intermission.

The Athletics put the game out of reach at the start of the second half. They scored the first 10 points, once again half of them by Fett, to extend their lead to 41-22. Fett wound up 11-for-17 from the floor and 8-for-11 from the free-throw line.

Lyle/Pacelli limited Indians leading-scorer Madi Heiderscheidt to a team-high eight points. She had 49 points in their first two tournament games.

Pacelli’s nickname prior to combining with Lyle was the Shamrocks. It was fitting for the St. Patrick’s Day matchup. They just didn’t need any luck on this day.

Check back later for more on the game.

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