Top Players: West Fargo Sheyenne vs. Fargo South

Fargo, ND - We had an EDC mathcup this afternoon and it was the first game for both teams since this Christmas break. The Bruins came out with the quick lead and led 8-1. However, the lead did not last long and the Mustangs would take the lead at 9-8. From here on out the Mustangs would hold the lead for the rest of the game. In the first half Sheyenne’s biggest lead got up to 7 and they went into the half with a 4 point lead. It was not the prettiest half of basketball but the teams played hard and they are knocking off the rust from the X-mas break. In the second half, the Mustangs built their lead up to 15 points. The Bruins kept battling and they got within 5 points. Sheyenne let South get close but they held them off and came away with the 10 point win. The Mustangs dominated on the boards, especially on the offensive end. The Mustang zone press looked good at times and they forced a good amount of turnovers. I was impressed with how the Bruins fought the entire game, always seemed to be attacking, and never backed down from the bigger Mustangs. Read below for information on the top Mustang and Bruin players. Scores Halftime - Sheyenne 30 South 26 Final - Sheyenne 70 South 60 <h4>Top Mustangs</h4> [player_tooltip player_id="1046354" first="Michael" last="Nhial"] (2022) |6-7 SF| 25 points, 4-7 ft’s, one triple. He must have easily had a double-double with points and rebounds. Nhial grabbed so many offensive rebounds, I would not be surprised he had double-digit rebounds just on the one end. With all of those O-boards, Nhial put up a ton of his points just on putbacks. It was the best offensive rebounding I have seen this year. He could not be blocked out! I was very impressed with Mike's driving and finishing with his right hand. When finishing in the paint, Nhial is basically ambidextrous, which is rare! Mike showed a sweet Sikma move, jab step, and drive. I loved his high-low pass to Dosmann. On defense Nhial showed his athleticism with a blocked shot, he went up and hammered a shot attempt off the backboard. He was off from the outside but he still was the best player on the court and he was a big-time difference-maker rebounding and scoring in the paint. [player_tooltip player_id="1133064" first="Kaleb" last="Larson"] (2022) |6-3 SG| 17 points, 8-14 ft’s, one triple. He stood out tonight attacking and getting to the charity stripe. This big guard is more than just a 3-point shooter. The 3-ball that he did hit was way deep, it was out in NBA range. Larson was also dangerous and destructive on the O-boards. Kaleb had multiple AND1 finishes. I liked his hesitation move and his cross-lane attack and finish. I was impressed with the way Kaleb uses his body to protect the ball when going up for a shot. If the D wanted to block him, they had to go through his body and foul. [player_tooltip player_id="812221" first="Dominic" last="Dosmann"] (2022) |6-8 PF| 8 points, 3-6 ft’s, one triple. The big man showed tonight that he can drill the triple. It was actually a key shot, it matched a 3 from the Bruins when they were making their mini-comeback. Like always, Dom gave great effort on the boards. I liked how he battled and tipped for rebounds, this enabled him to gather multiple offensive boards. Dosmann showed a nice drop-step spin-move and a right-handed finish. I loved how he sealed in the high-low action that Sheyenne ran. [player_tooltip player_id="812234" first="Trent" last="Freih"] (2022) |6-1 SG| 8 points, 1-2 ft’s, one triple. He is a hustler and an athlete. Trent has been giving high-quality minutes off the bench for Sheyenne. Freih is an athletic finisher that gets to the cup quickly. I liked his quick hands when he snuck in and tied up the ball for a jump. I like this kid's feel for the game. Freih's play of the game was the half-court buzzer-beating shot directly before halftime. Those are the type of shots players dream and practice for. It was fun to see it play out. [player_tooltip player_id="1133065" first="James" last="Hagen"] (2022) |5-9 PG| 4 points, 2-5 ft’s. He has the ball in his hands often as Hagen is one of the primary ball handlers for the Mustangs. His quick hand's force turnovers and James does a nice job directing traffic and moving the ball on the other end. [player_tooltip player_id="1306390" first="Caleb" last="Duerr"] (2024) |6-3 G| 5 points, 1-1 ft’s. I like his anticipation and how Duerr picked off passes on the backside of the defense. Caleb is a nice athlete with quick hands. He had both his buckets from offensive rebounds. His first was an O-board putback with an AND1 and he cashed the free throw. His other basket came from a long rebound and Caleb hit the 10-foot jumper. I like his potential. [player_tooltip player_id="1133224" first="Zander" last="Newton"] (2022) |6-5 F| 3 points, one triple. His 3-ball came from the top of the key and was early in the game. Newton helps protect the rim for the Mustangs by challenging and contesting shots. <h4>Top Bruins</h4> [player_tooltip player_id="1317710" first="James" last="Hamilton"] (2024) |6-3 F| 24 points, 1-3 ft’s, one triple. He really stood out with his effort and rebounding. James battled for every rebound and he snagged many O-boards. He also scored off many offensive rebounds. Hamilton uses his body well. He did all of his damage around the hoop. I liked how he cut to get open and for good position. James had an impressive backdoor cut. Hamilton can also slash. He had a great jab step, spin move, finger roll finish that made the bench stand up and holler. On defense, James blocked shots and boxed out with physicality. He also sprints the floor on both ends. Hamilton had a great performance for an undersized forward. Dean Grant (2023) |6-4 G/F| 9 points, three triples. He is a nice athlete. Grant has an effortless shot. I like how he moves without the ball. Dean also does a nice job of putting the ball on the floor, attacking and moving the ball. [player_tooltip player_id="1135490" first="Zunekia" last="McGill"] (2022) |6-0 G| 7 points, 3-4 ft’s. Diamond was in foul trouble for much of the game, so he did get as many minutes as he normally would. He is tough to stop once he gets going to the bucket and McGill is an efficient finisher. He was aggressive rebounding the ball, he really attacks it. Cole Kegbeh (2024) |6-3 F| 6 points and all of them in the second half. Cole had an impressive euro-step finish. He had multiple offensive rebounds. He is a strong player that went after the ball with aggression. I liked his left-handed put-back finish. Evan Booth (2023) |6-0 G| 12 points, four triples and they all came in the second half. Evan had a nice 2nd half shooting the ball. He spaced the floor and shot the 3-ball in rhythm. Booth was a big reason the Bruins stayed in the game. Kolby Jones (2022) |5-8 G| A quick guard that pushes in transition and plays fast. I liked his hustle and effort.