Lady Jays advance to women's hoops title game with 68-57 win

Minnesota West is now one win away from its second NJCAA Division 3 women's basketball championship in three years.

The No. 1 Lady Jays were tested Friday but in the end were able to fend off No. 5-seeded Fulton-Montgomery 68-57 in a semifinal clash in Brownwood, Texas. It will be an all-Minnesota final on Saturday when Minnesota West faces familiar foe Anoka-Ramsey at 2 p.m. and tries to make it a perfect three-for-three this season against the second-seeded Golden Rams. Anoka-Ramsey edged another Minnesota school, sixth-seeded Northland Community College, in Friday's other semifinal, 57-55.

After the Raiders scored the first five points of Friday's game, the Lady Jays responded and were able to limit their opponent to just four more points over the final 7:47 of the first quarter. With a 17-9 lead after the first 10 minutes, Minnesota West opened up a 20-9 advantage following an Izzy Klumper layup early in the second stanza. Fulda-Montgomery then started a rally that eventually resulted in a 26-26 deadlock at the half.

 A 3-pointer by the Lady Jays' Katrina Schutz — who celebrated her 20th birthday Friday — resulted in the largest lead of the third quarter for Minnesota West, 40-32, with 5:08 to go in the period. The Raiders quickly closed to within three. but a jumper by Payton Reimers in the final seconds of the quarter put the Lady Jays ahead 44-37 heading into the fourth.

Klumper's 3 put Minnesota West up by 10 again, 64-54, a little more than three minutes into the quarter. The Raiders wouldn't get any closer than five the rest of the way.

Schutz wound up with 24 points, 15 rebounds, three steals. three assists and two blocked shots in the game. Sadie Krahling contributed 18 points for the Lady Jays, now 25-5, and Maddie Kamm added 10 points, 11 rebounds, seven assists and two blocked shots.

Fulton-Montgomery wound up shooting 31.1% from the floor compared to Minnesota West's 43%. The Lady Jays also made 17 free throws compared to the Raiders' three.