Wisconsin High School Sports | Wisconsin Sports Network | WisSports.net

The much-anticipated unbeaten Coulee Region showdown between Aquinas and Melrose-Mindoro, schools located just 25 minutes from each other, turned into a blowout, as Aquinas was too much in a 68-52 win to secure the school's first WIAA girls basketball state championship.

Melrose-Mindoro led 5-2 early on in the first half, but a 17-0 run by Aquinas over roughly nine minutes of game action gave the Blugolds a double-digit lead they'd never relinquish en route to the Division 4 title.

Aquinas led 28-13 at halftime, and pushed its advantage to 25 points with 11:51 left in the game. Melrose-Mindoro cut it to 14 with just over two minutes remaining, but by that time it was too little, too late.

It wasn't a pretty shooting performance for Aquinas, who shot just 36.8% overall in the game and 1-of-20 from behind the three-point line, but the Blugolds did make 17-of-25 from the charity stripe. An active and aggressive defense forced 25 Melrose-Mindoro turnovers as well.

All five starters reached double figures for Aquinas, as Lexi Donarski, Madessa Collins, and Courtney Becker all had 13 points, while Jessa Peterson and Kyah Steiner chipped in with 11 apiece. Steiner (14 rebounds) and Collins (11 rebonds) each had a double-double in the game.

Erika Simmons led Melrose-Mindoro with 14 points and 11 rebounds, while Calette Lockington scored 12 points.

Aquinas gets its first WIAA girls basketball title, and redemption after losing a late lead in last season's 44-43 championship game loss to Howards Grove.