The St. Patrick Saints’ rise in the ranks of the Thunder Bay high school senior girls basketball scene can no longer be ignored. However Tuesday’s semifinal round also served as a quiet last chapter for one of the great eras of Hammarskjold Vikings basketball.

Mara Johnson scored 12 points and Jordan Glover added eight as the Saints gutted out a 35-28 win to eliminate the Vikings from the Thunder Bay playoffs on Tuesday.

The No. 2-ranked Saints (9-4) will next meet the top-seeded St. Ignatius Falcons (12-1) in a do-or-die championship game on Thursday. The winner advances to the regional final — the final step to advancing to the OFSAA ‘AA’ championship.

St. Ignatius took down the Westgate Tigers, 45-25, in Tuesday’s other semifinal.

The Saints, who have been on the outside looking in

See Full Page