Fueled by the “underdog” label, West Central Area set out Friday, March 14 with the intent to do what few thought they could accomplish. They relished the idea of playing their hearts out when they faced top-seeded Goodhue, the defending Class A champion, in the semifinals of the Minnesota Girls Basketball State Tournament at Williams Arena. 

The No. 4-seeded Knights did just that and turned heads, following a 58-50 victory over Goodhue. Senior guard Mya Foslien led a balanced, consistently tenacious attack with 15 points. Senior forward Addison Staples had 12 points and 11 rebounds, and senior forward Jayden Styba also had 12 points. Senior guard Macy Grosz also had a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds. 

West Central Area (26-6), making its first state tournament appearance since 2021 and second overall, moves into a girls basketball championship game for the first time in program history. They await the winner between Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s and MACCRAY, who played in the second semifinal. 

The Knights are one of three programs from the West Central Conference to play in this week’s state tournament. The other two are Sauk Centre and Minnewaska Area in Class AA. 

This was Goodhue’s first loss as a No. 1 seed. The other two times they were the top seed in 2016 and 2024, the Wildcats emerged with a state championship. 

West Central Area’s strong defense combined with Goodhue’s tough shooting day forced an early deficit for the Wildcats. In fact, Goodhue led just once and that was by a basket with less than a minute elapsed.