Class A State Tournament: Day 1 Recap/Day 2 Preview
The Class A State Tournament kicked off Thursday with Fargo Davies, Fargo Shanley, Devils Lake and Mandan earning wins to the semifinals. It was a good day for the EDC, as three of its top teams all advanced to the…
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Continue ReadingThe Class A State Tournament kicked off Thursday with Fargo Davies, Fargo Shanley, Devils Lake and Mandan earning wins to the semifinals. It was a good day for the EDC, as three of its top teams all advanced to the state semis and in the two games featuring the heavyweights, Fargo Shanley and Devils Lake both earned redemption from losses in last year’s state tournament.
Here were some of the standouts
Maya Barendt, Devils Lake
Devils Lake took down Bismarck Century in a matchup featuring perhaps two of the three best teams in the state and it was Barendt who provided the spark for the Firebirds. The senior wing has gotten lost in the shuffle at times with the Firebirds having so many capable scoring options, but Thursday was her day to shine, and she took advantage, knocking down four 3-pointers and scoring 18 points. The Firebirds became the favorite to win the title, and Barendt providing yet another scoring option makes them even more dangerous than they’d shown to be.
Reile Payne, Fargo Shanley
Payne didn’t score like she’s accustomed to – going against arguably the best defensive team in the state – but she stuffed the stat sheet in ways few players can. The senior do-it-all star scored just nine points, but she grabbed six rebounds, dished out three assists and was a terror defensively, recording eight steals. She’ll need to score for the Deacons to continue advancing in this tournament, but she proved she’s capable of driving winning without piling up points.
Lakyn Darras, Mandan
Darras had one of her worst shooting performances of the season, but she helped the Braves get a win with her effort defensively, on the glass and as a playmaker. It wasn’t pretty. Mandan shot just 27 percent from the field and Darras went just 4-for-18, but it was a game that they found a way to win. She grabbed 13 rebounds, she dished out a couple of assists, her presence helped her teammates find openings and get looks and she was impactful on the defensive end of the floor.
Taylor Fey, Fargo Davies
In game that could affectionately be described as ‘a grind,’ Fey was a bright spot on the offensive end of the floor for the Eagles. The junior forward went for 17 points and 10 rebounds and her effort on the defensive end of the floor against an elite frontcourt duo in Maria Mann and Hallie Schweitzer was the key reason the Eagles advanced to the semifinals.
Things to Watch Friday
Fargo Shanley vs. Mandan
Two teams that had to grind out wins Thursday get a chance to see if they can ascend to the mean offensively Friday. The Deacons have been one of the best offensive teams in the state all year and while they pulled something of an upset over Bismarck Legacy, it wasn’t because of their offense. That’s a scary thought because it’s hard to imagine Reile Payne scoring just eight points again. Moriku Hakim and Hadley Huber both struggled from the field as well. How likely is it that those three are contained again?
Mandan can head into Friday with similar optimis. Lakyn Darras and Sydney Gustavsson combined to shoot 6-for-26 from the field…and the Braves still won. Those two should be able to get a little more going offensively against the Deacons. If they don’t, it’ll be up to their defense to slow down a Deacons team with more firepower than teams they are used to facing.
Devils Lake vs. Fargo Davies
Round Four of the Firebirds vs. the Eagles. If it is anything like the first three matchups, nobody will complain. The Firebirds won the two regular season games but Fargo Davies took the third matchup on its way to claiming the EDC Tournament Championship. There’s an interesting dichotomy stylisticaly for these two teams as the Firebirds have a bevvy of athletic wings and want to push the tempo while the Eagles have a terrific frontcourt and want to feast in the paint.
In the EDC Tournament Fargo Davies win, Taylor Fey and Ryleigh Wacha were dominant inside. Can those two dominate the game again? Can the Firebirds get things cooking offensively like they did in the regular season when they scored 91 and 76 points? The pace will be a big key to this one.
Players to Watch in Consolation Round
Logan Nissley, Bismarck Century
Maria Mann, Bismarck St. Mary’s
Claire Leach, Grand Forks Red River
Arianna Berryhill, Bismarck Legacy