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What had been a close game at halftime turned into a route in the second half, as Aquinas topped Melrose-Mindoro 65-39 to claim the 2019 WIAA Division 4 girls basketball state championship.

It is the second straight season that Aquinas beat Melrose-Mindoro for the title, and the third consecutive year the Blugolds have ended the Mustangs' season.

Aquinas held a tenuous 23-20 lead after the first half, but a 15-0 run to begin the second half effectively put the game away. The Blugolds turned up the pressure, forcing 14 turnovers after halftime, limiting Melrose-Mindoro to just 24% shooting after the break.

Kayla Bahr keyed the Blugolds second half run, knocking down a trio of three-pointers during Aquinas' 15-0 stretch. Bahr would finish with 17 points, making all five of her three-point attempts in the game. Junior Lexi Donarski led the Blugolds with 22 points in the game, while Taylor Theusch added 11.

Melrose-Mindoro got 12 points from senior Erika Simmons, though no other Mustangs players made it into double-figures.

After a heart-breaking 44-43 loss to Howards Grove in the 2017 Division 4 state title game, Aquinas has won two straight, and likely will be favored again in 2020, as the team brings back its top six scorers.