Baraga Vikings Girls Basketball team playing in state final game Saturday

NEGAUNEE TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WLUC) - The Baraga Vikings Girls Basketball team started their season with a home win against Ontonagon 42-38. They would go on to win their first seven games before losing to Houghton.

Now, with a record of 23-5, they’re just one win away from a state championship. Although it’s only Head Coach Tyler Larson’s second season as varsity coach, he’s worked with these girls for years.

“You don’t think about this when they’re in third, fourth, fifth grade but, it’s certainly a competitive group, and in the kids, we’re instilling the basic fundamentals with them and they’re succeeding and getting along well and they play so well together, you know that there could be something down the road,” Larson said.

During the season, standout Vikings player Cori Jahfetson scored her 1,000th point against the Ewen Trout Creek Panthers on Feb. 9.

”Words don’t even describe what I’m feeling right now, it’s a surreal feeling, after how many years. I don’t even know who the last person was to get it and to get it with the team I have now is just crazy,” Jahfetson said after that game.

The Vikings would defeat the Mackinaw City Comets 40-36 in their march through the playoffs. On Thursday night, they bested two-time defending state champions Fowler 46-44 at the Breslin Center in East Lansing. A little revenge, since last year, Fowler ended the Vikings’ run by beating them 51-45.

During this year’s win, Cori Jahfetson sank two clutch free throws during the game’s final seconds to seal the win.

Next for the Vikings is Maple City Glen Lake with a 25-2 record. Coach Larson said they just have to keep grinding through the game.

“They’re playing some good basketball, so is Baraga, we took down a Fowler team that just won it back-to-back, we just have to keep playing that tough, hard-nosed basketball that these girls know how to play,” Larson said.

The Baraga Vikings face Maple City Glen Lake at the Breslin Center in East Lansing on Saturday at 10 a.m.

You can watch that game on Bally Sports Detroit.