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CITY (NewsDakota.com)–The Raiders have a ring for every finger, and no one can say the same.
A young, surprising Raider team proved to the area that they truly are for real, avenging their only loss of the season with a stunning 52-46 win over the Valley City Hi-Liners in the Barnes County Girls Basketball Tournament finale at the W. E. Osmon Fieldhouse in Valley City Saturday afternoon.
After losing to the Hi-Liners on home soil in overtime 10 days previous, then pulling off a miraculous comeback from down seven points in 34 seconds against Northern Cass in the semifinals Friday, they allowed the Hi-Liners only one lead the entire game, and closed the tilt with solid control, leading by double figures down the stretch.
The story for Maple Valley was balance. Five players scored between seven and 16 points, with players known more for their defensive contributions, Ashley Punton and Megan Kasowski, leading the team through the first half until the scorers found their rhythm.
Mariah Olstad, an eventual unanimous all-tournament performer, lead Valley City with 16 points, including four three-point shots. But a Raider 2-3 zone that kept the Hi-Liners at bay in Tower City limited all other threats.
Hi-Liner 6’1″ post Allyson Suhr was held to just eight points, while seniors Amanda Tangen and Jenna Jacob scored just two each.
Rylee Nudell led the Raiders with 16, with Cassie Pautz dropping 11. Punton finished with nine, and Kasowski and Abbie Tinjum each added seven.
The Raiders trailed only once, as Valley City scored the first four points of the second half to take a 30-27 lead. Nudell responded with nine in the third alone, fueling an attack that built the lead to 48-38 as the game closed.
The win was the 10th title for Maple Valley in Barnes County tournament history. The championship appearance was their 18th, with both numbers tournament records.
Before the title game, Northern Cass bounced back from a last-second loss to the Raiders in the semifinals with a 61-41 win over Barnes County North in the third-place matchup. The Jaguars led by three at the break, but streaked to a 15-point lead at the end of three quarters en route to a 20-point win.
Whitney Ward led the way with 17 points, with Carley Ward and Brianna Olson each adding 10. Five players scored between eight and 17. Emily Albrecht led the Bison with 13.
The consolation title was claimed by Enderlin in a 46-28 win over Griggs County Central. The Eagles held the Cougars scoreless the entire third quarter, and used an 18-0 second-half run to put the game out of reach.
Sophmore post Megan Johnson had a bust-out day, scoring 17 for the Eagles. Krista Thielges and Hayleigh Lautt each added 10. Presley Paintner and Alexis Savre each scored eight to lead the Cougars.
Litchville-Marion-Montpelier earned their second win of the season, knocking off Finley-Sharon/Hope-Page for seventh place with a 58-52 win. The Rebels led 18-4, then lost the lead in the third quarter, then took an 11-point lead, only to lose that as well, but survive for the win.
Cassandra Fick drained three three-point shots for 17 points to lead the Rebels, with Tasha Piehl hitting seven straight free-throws down the stretch to add 13. Madison Koenig had a second-straight solid effort for the Spartans, leading the team with 16 points.
Awards
Eleven players were named to the all-tournament team, with the top five teams in the tournament all placing two of their players in the group.
Raider eighth-grader Rylee Nudell was a unanimous selection, winning a spot on the team for the second straight year. She was joined on the team by junior teammate Cassie Pautz.
Hi-Liner junior Mariah Olstad was a unanimous selection as well. Senior teammate Allyson Suhr joined Olstad on the team.
Enderlin Eagles junior Krista Thielges, who also won the free throw shooting contest, and sophomore Megan Johnson were named to the team, as were Barnes County North Bison senior Emily Albrecht and sophomore Calby Hanson, and Northern Cass Jaguar junior Whitney Ward and senior Carley Ward. Griggs County Central Cougar sophomore Presley Paintner also received a spot on the team.
Northern Cass won the sportsmanship award.