Cody Schilling scored 35 points and Aaron VanDerStoep 28 to lead Ellsworth, rated No. 4, over top-ranked St. Bernard’s 85-73 in the Class 1A boys’ basketball state semifinals on Friday at the Target Center.

Ellsworth will play the winner of the Cass Lake-Bena vs. Barnum game for the small-school championship at noon Saturday.

We’re off. The first game of eight today in the boys’ basketball state tournament is underway. And Holy Family is leading Bagley 23-11 with 5:41 left in the first half of their Class 2A quarterfinal at Williams Arena.

Trevor Mbakwe was held to just 11 points and 25 minutes, but the Bulldogs still rolled without him. He was not happy after the game.

St. Bernard’s has dominated from the opening tip. Trevor Mbakwe was relegated to the bench for most of the first half after receiving a technical foul for a soaring dunk, no one is really sure why. Regardless, the Bulldogs coaching staff is being careful because 2 technicals would result not only in Mbakwe’s ejection from this game, but also from the next game. At this point, they’re looking like they’re going to be there.

Benilde-St. Margaret’s defeated Duluth Central 68-42 on Wednesday in the fourth Class 3A quarterfinal game of the boys’ basketball state tournament at Target Center.

So the field for Thursday’s semifinals back at the Target Center is set. Rocori will play St. Thomas Academy at noon, Spring Lake Park will play Benilde-St. Margaret’s at 2 p.m.