Strafford's Kinley Larsen powers team to Class 4 state championship game

Sophomore's 32-point effort helps Indians hold off Cardinal Ritter 55-52 in semifinal

Mar. 19, 2026 at 1:32am

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Sophomore Kinley Larsen scored 32 points, including a halftime buzzer-beater, to lead the Strafford Indians to a 55-52 win over the Cardinal Ritter Lions in the Class 4 state semifinal at Mizzou Arena. Strafford overcame a slow start and a 10-2 deficit in first-half turnovers to regain control and limit Cardinal Ritter to just 37.5% shooting from the field. The Indians will now advance to the state championship game against the Doniphan Donettes.

Why it matters

Strafford is seeking its second state title in the last six years, having won it all in 2020 under head coach Dustin Larsen. The Indians have had to overcome the loss of senior Elsie Larsen, who suffered a knee injury in the district championship game, but Kinley Larsen has stepped up in a big way to lead the team to the championship game.

The details

Strafford trailed 25-26 at halftime, but Kinley Larsen's buzzer-beating 3-pointer gave the Indians a 26-25 lead heading into the break. Larsen then scored 32 points overall to power Strafford's second-half comeback. The game was tied 45-45 with 4:19 left, but the Indians' defense limited Cardinal Ritter to just two more baskets down the stretch to secure the 55-52 victory.

  • Kinley Larsen hit a halftime buzzer-beater to give Strafford a 26-25 lead.
  • The game was tied 45-45 with 4:19 remaining in the fourth quarter.

The players

Kinley Larsen

A sophomore who scored 32 points to lead Strafford to the victory, including a key halftime buzzer-beater.

Elsie Larsen

A senior Colorado State commit who suffered a knee injury in the district championship game and was unable to play in the state semifinal.

Dustin Larsen

The head coach of the Strafford Indians, who is in his sixth season leading the team and guided them to the state title in 2020.

Trista VanHorn

A sophomore who emphasized the importance of Strafford's defense in the second half, as the team limited Cardinal Ritter to just 37.5% shooting.

Lizzy VanHorn

A senior guard who said the team had set a goal to reach the state championship game since the beginning of the summer.

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What they’re saying

“She likes to get those buzzer beaters going. It's definitely an energy shift for us, it gets our head back in the game. I think that was a swing in the game, I think we were all like, 'Okay, this isn't over yet.'”

— Trista VanHorn, Sophomore

“Unbelievable game. It's been an unbelievable season and journey for us to get here. These kids have been resilient all season, just continuing to play with all kinds of heart, and I think they showed that today.”

— Dustin Larsen, Head Coach

“Honestly, I'm just glad I get to experience it right there with them. As much as I wish I was out there on the floor, I couldn't be more proud and excited for this team.”

— Elsie Larsen, Senior, Colorado State Commit

“It took everybody, my teammates getting me the ball, everybody staying in space, everybody doing their job on defense, but I definitely do feel accountable for this team and yeah, I just tried to do my best no matter what time of the game it was.”

— Kinley Larsen

“From the very beginning of summer, we set goals like we wanted to be here....we knew we were coming here. That was our goal, that was on our dream board, that was where we wanted to end up.”

— Lizzy VanHorn, Senior Guard

What’s next

The Strafford Indians will take on the Doniphan Donettes in the Class 4 state championship game on Thursday at 4 pm at Mizzou Arena.

The takeaway

Strafford's resilience and team-first mentality, led by the standout performance of sophomore Kinley Larsen, have propelled the Indians to the state championship game. Despite the loss of senior leader Elsie Larsen to injury, the team has rallied together and proven they have what it takes to compete for a state title.