Opening Night Standouts
In this article:
West Fargo, ND – It was opening night in North Dakota for Class AA. PHD was in the gym at West Frago Sheyenne to take in the action between the Mustangs and the Demons. It was fun to see the…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingWest Fargo, ND – It was opening night in North Dakota for Class AA. PHD was in the gym at West Frago Sheyenne to take in the action between the Mustangs and the Demons. It was fun to see the WDA vs. EDC matchup to start the season.
We could not have asked for a better way to start the year! Bismarck vs. Sheyenne had a great atmosphere, a super-fast pace, clutch plays/shots, lead changes, and it came down to the wire. In this article, we are looking at the players who stood out in the Demon vs. Mustang opening night matchup.
SCORES
HAFLTIME – Sheyenne 36 Bismarck 36
FINAL – Sheyenne 82 Bismarck 76
3’s Made – Sheyenne 5 Bismarck 6
FT’s – Sheyenne 14/22 Bismarck 12/20
Sheyenne Scoring – Tommy Ahneman Tommy Ahneman 6'10" | PF West Fargo Sheyenne | 2025 State #315 Nation ND 27, Caleb Duerr Caleb Duerr 6'4" | SG West Fargo Sheyenne | 2024 ND 16, Noah Olson Noah Olson 6'2" | SG West Fargo Sheyenne | 2024 State ND 15, John Angau John Angau 6'4" | SG West Fargo Sheyenne | 2024 State ND 7, Jaxson Miller Jaxson Miller 5'9" | SG West Fargo Sheyenne | 2024 State ND 6, Turo Moni Turo Moni 6'8" | PF West Fargo Sheyenne | 2024 State ND 6, Barry Kpeenu Barry Kpeenu 5'10" | PG Sheyenne | 2024 State ND 5
Bismarck Scoring – Andre’ Austin Andre’ Austin 6'3" | CG Bismarck | 2025 State #388 Nation ND 16, Teysean Eaglestaff Teysean Eaglestaff 6'7" | SF Bismarck | 2024 State ND 14, Carter Henke Carter Henke 6'1" | SG Bismarck | 2024 ND 13, Jack Shaffer Jack Shaffer 6'7" | PF Bismarck | 2025 State ND 8, Weston Scott Weston Scott 6'1" | SG Bismarck | 2027 State ND 8, Ross Fischer Ross Fischer 6'0" | SG Bismarck | 2025 State ND 5, Preston Lemar Preston Lemar 6'3" | SG Bismarck | 2024 State ND 5, Ty Luetzen 3, Carson Henke Carson Henke 5'11" | SG Bismarck | 2024 State ND 2, Luke Dockter 2
FRIDAY AA SCORES
Minot 73 West Fargo 40
Sheyenne 82 Bismarck 76
Legacy 63 Shanley 41
North 75 Mandan 74
Sheyenne
Barry Kpeenu Barry Kpeenu 5'10" | PG Sheyenne | 2024 State ND (2024) |5’10 G|
-Fast, quick, strong guard
-Showed good anticipation by grabbing a long offensive board
-Scored in transition with his breakaway speed
Noah Olson Noah Olson 6'2" | SG West Fargo Sheyenne | 2024 State ND (2024) |6’2 G|
-13 of his 15 points came in the second half
-2/2 clutch FT’s late to put the game on ice
-Nailed monster back-to-back triples late in the game when the Mustangs needed points, turning point in the game that ultimately led to the Sheyenne win, clutch performer
-Played hard and hustled for O-boards
Caleb Duerr Caleb Duerr 6'4" | SG West Fargo Sheyenne | 2024 ND (20245) |6’4 G|
-Crushed it on the offensive glass
-Many putback scores, often in the right place at the right time, great instincts, refused to be boxed out
-Superior athlete, Demons could not hold him off the glass, has a nose for the ball
-Hustled and dove on the court for loose balls
-Many athletic finishes, showed speed in transition for buckets
-Nice assist to Ahneman for an interior score
-Slash, great score late, floater in traffic in a congested lane, huge take & score lake, GAMER
-Did not force shots, shared & moved the ball
John Angau John Angau 6'4" | SG West Fargo Sheyenne | 2024 State ND (2024) |6’4 G|
-Cashed in a triple early from right wing after the Mustangs broke the press
-Excellent shooting stroke
-Awesome transition pass to a sprinting Miller for a transition score
-HUGE rebound at the end of regulation, transition pass to Ahneman for a dunk to put a bow on the win
-Showed that he does not need to score a ton of points to be effective
Tommy Ahneman Tommy Ahneman 6'10" | PF West Fargo Sheyenne | 2025 State #315 Nation ND (2025) |6’9 PF|
-Amazing start to the season and NDSU assistant coach was in the stands watching
-Post touch & score on first possession of the game, showed good feet & patience
-Many left-handed scores, ambidextrous finisher, VERY impressive, he even put in a lefty floater
-O-board tip rebound out to a shooter, showed keen awareness
-Scored off the bounce, not just a back-to-the-basket player
-Caught, ripped, attacked with 2/3 dribbles, short pull-up, shooters-touch roll for the score
-Multiple slam dunks, 2-handed power slams, 1-handed alley-oop throwdown
-Transition run-out score late, capped it off with a 2-hand wham before the clock expired
-Runs the floor like a deer, great hands catching & finishing
-Impressed with his outlet passes, good vision & sharp passing
-Many blocked shots and changed several others
-Gobbled-up O-boards even when doubled-teamed, could not be stopped
-No problem scoring with defenders on his back or in his face
-Masterful performance for “Ambidextrous Ahneman”
-He might shatter the backboard this season on one of those 2-handed throwdowns!
Jaxson Miller Jaxson Miller 5'9" | SG West Fargo Sheyenne | 2024 State ND (2024) |5’9 G|
-Played more than I suspected
-Looked good running the floor and scoring a lefty bucket in transition
-Sparkplug on the court, hustles and gives great effort
Turo Moni Turo Moni 6'8" | PF West Fargo Sheyenne | 2024 State ND (2024) |6’8 F|
-Cashed in two triples, one in the first and one in the second
-Smooth and soft shot, did not look rushed, and a hand in his face did not bother his concentration
-Passed out of post to find a shooter, unselfish
– Sullivan Ihry Sullivan Ihry 5'11" | CG West Fargo Sheyenne | 2025 State ND (2024) |5’11 G|
-Threw a beautiful alley-oop lob pass to Ahneman for a slam dunk, great awareness & touch
Bismarck
Andre’ Austin Andre’ Austin 6'3" | CG Bismarck | 2025 State #388 Nation ND (2025) |6’3 G|
-Impressive size & athleticism
-Slash & score early
-Love his left-handed fake crossover, broke down multiple defenders w/ that move throughout the game
-Got to the line early and often, excels at getting to the rim and drawing contact
-8/12 from the charity stripe
-Impressive eyes/vision when attacking, many dimes when penetrating
-Thrives off deep penetration
-Made plays & assists in the PNR game
-Showed a beautiful floater from mid-paint, used body to shield off the defender
Carter Henke Carter Henke 6'1" | SG Bismarck | 2024 ND (2024) |6’1 G|
-Three made triples
-I like his shot, compact, easy release, no wasted movement
-Showed great awareness on an airball shot, caught the ball & scored before the D could react
Weston Scott Weston Scott 6'1" | SG Bismarck | 2027 State ND (2027) |6’1 G|
-Looked a little shaky early but that is expected as a freshman playing in his first varsity game
-Settled in as the game went on and made some nice plays on the offensive end
-Easy to see that Scott is very skilled and has sharp basketball instincts
Jack Shaffer Jack Shaffer 6'7" | PF Bismarck | 2025 State ND (2025) |6’7 C|
-Easy to see why he is a D1 football recruit
-A mountain of a man with strength, plays hard, hustles up and down the court
-Good hands, caught & scored via an Austin dime
-O-board AND1 putback bucket
-Multiple O-board tip-ins
Preston Lemar Preston Lemar 6'3" | SG Bismarck | 2024 State ND (2024) |6’3 G|
-Created turnovers
-Husteld and secured offensive rebounds
-Scored via slash-n-score on a physical take
Teysean Eaglestaff Teysean Eaglestaff 6'7" | SF Bismarck | 2024 State ND (2024) |6’6 SF|
-Stole the pass on a post entry, snuck around & picked off the pass
-Sneaky hands that led to multiple steals
-Tip-out steal that led to an impressive tomahawk SLAM in transition
-Multiple dunks, Teysean can get UP!
-Caught, ripped, attacked, WHAM
-Slash & score AND1, impressed with how he used his body to protect the ball
-Scored after contact in a congested paint
-Long arms, soft touch, scores over defenders in the paint