Plainview-Elgin-Millville Wins 1st 2A Title

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Plainview-Elgin-Millville coach Jason Melbostad saw state-title success firsthand more than a decade ago.

As an assistant coach for Elgin-Millville, he was on the bench for five straight tournament appearances and a Class 1A title in 2005. Now he's back on top with this co-op, as PEM downed New London-Spicer 72-42 in the Class 2A girls' final Saturday at Williams Arena.

"I always thought in the back of my mind: What if I had a chance to be a head coach someday? What would it feel like to do this?" Melbostad said. "And right now it really just feels like another game, but it'll sink in soon."

While Elgin-Millville's success of the past holds meaning for Melbostad, he separates this state title as the start of something new.

"This is considered a first," he said. "Everything we do now is considered a first."

PEM's state championship win came in its lone tournament appearance since Plainview created the co-op a decade ago with Elgin-Millville, which was once a basketball powerhouse.

Emmaline Polson led all scorers with 22 points, and chipped in 10 rebounds for the top-seeded Bulldogs (31-1), whose only loss of the season came against Class 4A Rochester Mayo.

The Bulldogs started on a 10-0 run. Polson made 7 of 11 shots in the first half, helping PEM gain a 39-14 lead at halftime.

They used their size, led by the 6-foot-2-inch Polson, to crash the boards and outscore the Wildcats 38-14 in the paint.

Senior guard Sarah Hart chipped in 13 points and seven assists.

"It means the world," said Hart, a four-year varsity starter.

The Wildcats (25-7), who made a state-record 16th appearance in the tournament, were trying to become just the third unseeded team to win the championship.

Wildcats coach Mike Dreier, Minnesota's winningest girls basketball coach, said he's not sure how much longer he'll continue coaching.

Megan Thorson led the Wildcats with 13 points.

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