North Dakota Games to Watch, February 17-22
The season is winding down quickly. With five games or less left of the regular season for a lot of teams, region standings are starting to take shape. But there is still a lot to be decided with massive games…
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Continue ReadingThe season is winding down quickly. With five games or less left of the regular season for a lot of teams, region standings are starting to take shape. But there is still a lot to be decided with massive games taking place over the next couple of weeks.
Here are the games to watch this week:
Mandan at Bismarck, 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, February 18
The No. 1 spot in the WDA is almost certainly locked up by Jamestown, but the second, third and fourth seeds are still up for grabs. Two teams jockeying position at the top of the league meet Tuesday when the Braves head to Bismarck to face the Demons. Bismarck currently sits in second at 13-4 in the league while Mandan is 12-5 and winners of six in a row. The Demons certainly have an advantage when it comes to depth and their hard-trapping style is hard to play against. Mandan might be on the teams best equipped to combat that though as Jaxton Wiest is one of the best point guards in the league – and seems to have settled in after missing time with an injury – and Elijah Klein is a force inside.
Thompson at Hillsboro/Central Valley, 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, February 18
Region 2 contenders clash in Hillsboro as the reigning state champs take on the champs from two years ago and preseason favorites. The Tommies have clearly overcome a slow start and are now sitting at 13-4 on the year while the Burros have seemingly found themselves after a mini-slump a few weeks ago. Carson Henningsgard carried H/CV to win over Grafton last week and then the Burros beat Shiloh in nip-and-tuck fashion while the Tommies are riding high after a win over Four Winds/Minnewaukan the previous weekend. Both teams excel on the defensive end of the floor despite being very different stylistically – Thompson has terrific size while the Burros are guard-heavy. Hillsboro beat Thompson by 10 in early January. This game could be played again in a few weeks in the Region 2 tournament, but both teams will want this win to potentially get the No. 2 spot in the region.
Hatton/Northwood at Kindred, 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, February 18
A matchup between the top team in Region 1 and Region 2, Kindred and Hatton/Northwood both have opportunities to reach the state tournament, so this could ultimately be a state tournament matchup we see in a month. The Vikings and Thunder come in winners of a combined 26 games in a row. Gavin Keller, Dawson Schaffer and Andrew Freier for a terrific trio for the Vikings while the Thunder can counter with Alex Wolfe, Avery Thorsgard and Colton Konschak.
Jamestown at Bismarck Legacy, 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, February 18
There might not be a hotter team than Bismarck Legacy right now in the WDA. The Sabers have won six games in a row and just got reinforcements in the form of Nick Kupfer – 10 points in his season debut – for the stretch run. All of that momentum and the Sabers are still likely finishing sixth or seventh in the WDA. Ultimately, this game doesn’t have much of an impact on WDA standings – both teams are mostly set in their current spots – but it could be an awfully exciting game given how both teams have played in recent weeks. Can the Sabers slow down Boden Skunberg? The Jamestown senior wing has been scorching as of late.
Hazen at Dickinson Trinity, 7:30 p.m., Thursday, February 20
Here’s a potential Region 7 semifinal matchup as Dickinson Trinity and Hazen are both tracking towards top-four seeds in the region. The Bison are 14-3 on the year while the Titans are 16-3. The Titans are fairly secure as a top-10 team in Class B and a legitimate contender in Region 7 while Hazen is coming on strong. This game probably means more to the Bison given where things have been in recent years between the two programs. It’s an opportunity for Hazen to make a big statement and perhaps jump into the mix of contention of Region 7.
Shiloh Christian at Four Winds/Minnewaukan, 7:30 p.m., Saturday, February 22
Here’s a potential state tournament matchup as the Indians are the No. 1 team in Class B and the favorite to win Region 4 while Shiloh has spent time ranked and is the favorite in Region 5. The Indians certainly have a lot more juice and depth than the Skyhawks, so this game will likely come down to which team can control the tempo. Shiloh will want to slow the game down, limit possessions and lean on Jaden Mitzel. The Indians can certainly win a slugfest, but they are impossible to matchup with when they are playing up and down and using their depth to their advantage.