Mount Vernon back in 3A finals, will face Dubuque Wahlert

Mount Vernon won gold in 2010 in 2A, finished second in ‘11

The semifinals in several classes took place on Thursday inside Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines. / Cody Scanlan/The Register / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

After scoring 75 in the quarterfinals, Mount Vernon got by with its defense in the semis, hanging on for a 35-34 victory over Estherville-Lincoln Central Thursday in Class 3A from Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines.

The Mustangs (24-1) will be going for their second state championship all-time, having won it all in 2010 in 2A. They were also runners-up in 3A the following year. 

Sydney Huber scored 11 points including a key 3-pointer that kick-started a 9-3 run in the second half. Courtney Franck added eight points with seven rebounds while Taylor Franck had seven points, three rebounds and three steals. 

Mount Vernon will meet Dubuque Wahlert in the finals on Friday at 8 p.m. 

Estherville-Lincoln Central, runners-up last year, were led by Haylee Stokes, who scored 15 points with six rebounds, four assists and four steals. Hillary Ruschy had nine points on 3-pointers in the fourth to spark the rally. 

Dubuque Wahlert 52, Williamsburg 34

Dubuque Wahlert's Claire Lueken led her team to a win in the state semifinals on Thursday. / Lily Smith/The Register / USA TODAY NETWORK

Claire Lueken scored 27 points and Dubuque Wahlert punched its ticket to the state championship game with a 52-34 victory over Williamsburg.

Lueken was 10 of 18 from the field, burying three 3-pointers while adding eight rebounds. Claire King and Caroline Freed each scored seven, as Freed added nine rebounds. 

Ruth Tauber had seven rebounds and six assists as Wahlert held a plus-13 edge on the glass.

For Williamsburg, Carly Rich had nine and Ava Hocker added six with five rebounds.

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