Jackson McAndrew presented a problem for Cretin-Derham Hall Thursday night.

A tall one.

The 6-foot-9 senior Wayzata standout — who is headed to play at NCAA Div. I Creighton next season — finished with 25 points, 13 rebounds and eight blocks as the top-seeded Trojans rolled past the fifth-seeded Raiders 74-48 in a Class 4A state boys basketball semifinal at Williams Arena.

“He has the ability to score at all three levels,” Cretin-Derham Hall coach Jerry Kline Jr. said. “He can score inside, mid-range, and of course he’s got that deep range too.

“Our guy Miles (Bollinger, who stands 6-1) is fighting his tail off and he gets up to his navel,” he added with a smile. “That’s how long he is. He’s gifted. He plays the right way. I’m glad to see he’s a senior and he’s moving on to the next level.”

Wayzata (29-1) advances to play in the state title game for the fourth year in a row. The Trojans will face the winner of the semifinal game between Minnetonka and Eagan at 8 p.m. Saturday at Williams Arena. The Raiders (25-5) will play for third place at 4 p.m. Saturday at Concordia-St. Paul.

“There’s been a little more stress this time because you know any game could be your last if things don’t go your way,” McAndrew said. “You just try to focus on preparation and making sure you’re ready.

“(Every season) is special, but this one is definitely different.”

The Trojans — ranked No. 1 in the Class 4A Minnesota Basketball News state poll — won state titles in 2021 and ’23 and finished as state runners-up in 2022.

“Every season is different,” Wayzata coach Bryan Schnettler said. “And it’s really fun to see different kids get this experience that they’re going to remember for the rest of their lives.”

The Raiders took a 7-3 lead early before Wayzata mounted a 12-0 run sparked by seven points and a couple of blocks from McAndrew. From there, the Trojans stayed in front, though Cretin-Derham Hall cut its deficit to just three — at 24-21 — when senior guard Anthony Knight hit a jumper with 4:12 remaining before halftime.

But senior Brayden Sandmann and McAndrew followed with back-to-back 3-pointers, and Wayzata scored 13 of the next 16 points before halftime to take a 37-24 lead into the locker room. McAndrew finished the first half with 12 points, four rebounds and two blocks.

“Guys started to play hard on defense, then when we really moved the ball, that helped us defensively a lot,” McAndrew said. “Everybody got more into it and you started to feel the momentum shift.”

McAndrew added 13 points, nine rebounds and six blocks in the second half as the Trojans pulled away for good.

Wayzata finished 30 for 56 (53.6 percent) from the field and 11 for 26 (42.3 percent) from 3-point range. Sophomore guard Isaac Olmstead added 12 points and junior Wyatt McBeth had eight off the bench.

McAndrew, meanwhile, mixed in a few dunks with a 3-for-5 performance from beyond the arc.

“It’s tough because you have to have help-side on a guy that big and that leaves another guy on the backside to worry about,” Bollinger said. “It’s definitely not easy going against someone like him.”

Junior Monteff Dixon finished with 10 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Raiders.

“We ran into a buzzsaw tonight,” Kline Jr. said. “Wayzata is number one in the state for a reason. They’re well-coached. They played outstanding. I give them a lot of credit.

“I’m proud of our guys. We battled, and the beautiful thing is our season isn’t over. We still have the opportunity to play for some hardware Saturday afternoon.”

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