Experienced Wagner girls ready for return to Class A state tournament
· Yahoo Sports
Mar. 10—WAGNER, S.D. — The road to the Class A state tournament has become a familiar one for the Wagner girls basketball program.
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For the fourth time in the past five seasons, the Red Raiders are headed to the Class A state tournament, carrying both experience and momentum into Thursday's quarterfinal matchup in Watertown. Third-seeded Wagner enters the tournament with a 19-2 record and a 13-game winning streak, setting up a challenging opening-round matchup against No. 6 Sioux Falls Christian (19-4) at 6:45 p.m. Thursday in the Watertown Civic Arena.
At the center of Wagner's success is senior standout and reigning Gatorade South Dakota girls basketball player of the year Ashlyn Koupal, who has delivered one of the most dominant seasons in Class A. Koupal is averaging 28 points, 14.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 4.3 blocks and three steals per game while shooting 59.9% from the field. Her all-around play has powered Wagner on both ends of the floor, helping the Red Raiders average 57.1 points per game offensively while allowing just 32.9 points per contest — the third-best defensive mark among the remaining teams in the Class A bracket.
While Koupal is the lone senior on the roster, Wagner's supporting cast features several experienced contributors who have helped round out the lineup. Junior guard Braxton Nedved is averaging 7.5 points, 2.9 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.5 steals per game, while junior guard Hayden Knudsen contributes 5.3 points per contest.
Wagner head coach Michael Koupal believes that combination of production and experience could be a key advantage heading into the tournament.
"This group, a lot of them are juniors and they have been to the state tournament three times and this will mark Ashlyn's fourth," Michael Koupal said. "So, you know, we are bringing a lot of experience into this tournament and I am excited to see what we can do."
Sophomore guard/forward Hannah Holzbauer has also become an increasingly important piece of the rotation. Holzbauer averages 5.1 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.2 steals per game after missing last season with a season-ending injury as a freshman.
"This is (Holzbauer's) first go around because she didn't get to play with us last year," Michael Koupal said. "She had that season-ending injury, but she has been rising up to the occasion. She had a great game (against Dell Rapids), so I am very happy with that and how she has continued to get better."
The Red Raiders secured the Watertown trip with an impressive defensive performance in the SoDak 16 round on March 5. Wagner overwhelmed Dell Rapids 46-31 in Irene, holding the Quarriers to a season-low scoring total. Koupal led the charge with a dominant two-way performance, finishing with 23 points, 20 rebounds, eight blocks and three steals in the victory.
Wagner's defensive intensity has been a staple all season, and it was on full display in the SoDak 16 win, where the Red Raiders consistently disrupted Dell Rapids' offensive rhythm.
But Wagner's postseason path, however, won't be easy. Sioux Falls Christian enters the quarterfinal matchup as the defending Class A state champions after winning last year's title in dramatic fashion. The Chargers defeated Mahpiya Luta on a last-second buzzer-beater by Lezlei Setzer, capping a championship run with a record of 24-1 as the No. 1 seed in the bracket.
The Chargers are back in the state tournament for the sixth consecutive season and arrive in Watertown playing strong basketball, having won 11 of their last 12 games. Their lone loss during that stretch came against top-ranked Hamlin in the DWU Classic on Feb. 13 at the Corn Palace.
Setzer leads SFC, averaging 17.1 points, nine rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game. Ruth Dvoracek adds 9.8 points per contest, while Emory Lems contributes 9.3 points per game. Offensively, the Chargers are one of the most potent teams in Class A, scoring 61.2 points per game — the fourth-best average in the field — while allowing 38.9 points per game on defense.
"We're going to have our work cut out for us because we get Sioux Falls Christian who likes to press," Michael Koupal said. "Then, if you win that game, you have Mahpiya Luta on the second night. We just have to take it one game at a time and worry about us. We made it, and now we have to prepare and take care of business on Thursday against a really good team."
For Wagner's senior leader, the opportunity to return to the big stage carries special meaning.
"It's a huge honor," Ashlyn Koupal said on making the state tournament for the fourth time in five seasons. "This wouldn't be possible without the girls around me and the coaching staff. Everyone puts so much time into this team. We are here for a reason, and we just need to go out there and do what we can."
And while the Red Raiders know the competition in Class A will be tough, their goals remain clear and Ashlyn Koupal is embracing every remaining moment of her legendary high school career.
"We want to go there and win it," she said. "Class A is really good, and I think there are a lot of teams that have a shot to win it all. I just want to make some more memories, knowing it's my last state tournament. It's also the last time I am going to be coached by my parents (head coach Michael Koupal and assistant coach Tera Koupal), and that is something I will remember forever. Also, I have been playing with these girls my entire childhood, so I am super excited to go out there with my team one last time."