Woodbury basketball: Suggs' 38 points leads Woodbury into section finals

The Royals advanced to the Section 4AAAA championship game for the second year in a row after a 91-85 win Saturday over Mahtomedi.

Woodbury’s Renard Suggs led all scorers in the section semifinal game at East Ridge, with 38 points against the 21-6 Zephyrs.

The No. 2-seeded Royals (23-4), who led 51-43 at the half and extended their lead to 10 in the second half, fended off a spirited Mahtomedi attack late in the game, grabbing a brief lead at 66-64 with about eight minutes left.

Woodbury came right back and reclaimed the lead behind clutch 3-point shooting by junior Matt Ambriz and Suggs.

Mahtomedi, the No. 6 seed, kept the game to a three-point deficit with less than a minute to play, but late free-throw buckets by Woodbury’s Rob Claypool and Suggs extended the lead to a two-possession contest the Zephyrs couldn’t overcome as the final 15 seconds expired..

Woodbury’s section final opponent was being decided in the 8 p.m. game between No. 1-seeded Roseville and Stillwater, the No. 4 seed.

The section championship will be 7 p.m. Wednesday at East Ridge.

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