The Valley City Girls Basketball Team picked up their first win of the season yesterday, 71-54, over the Oak Grove Grovers, as the three-class system is underway for North Dakota Hoops.

The game started on a chaotic front as both teams were bound and determined to run each other out of the gym with nary a half-court possession to be found as both sides enacted a full-court press. The Hi-Liners would get the better of the early exchange as they rode a balanced team-scoring effort to a 21-15 lead after the first quarter.

The second would be more organized as the Grovers would settle into a 2-3 zone that they would use the rest of the game as they dared the Hi-Liners to beat them from deep—with less than two minutes to go in the quarter, Valley City had a 31-22 lead. However, Oak Grove would respond with a 7-0 run to close out the quarter and make it a 31-29 game at the half.

Both teams would come out of the break, guns blazing, as both sides would combine for nine three-pointers in the half as each side looked to land a knockout shot. It would be inside however, where the battle would be won as Tesa Olson, Dacota Potratz, and Greta Goven dominated the interior for Valley City in the third, propelling them to a 58-46 lead after three quarters.

The fourth quarter would be much tamer as both sides struggled early to gain momentum, with Oak Grove never able to mount a serious threat to the Valley City lead. A pair of baskets for Drew Potratz in the fourth would give her 17 points, bested only by her teammate Olson, who led the way with 19.

The next Varsity matchup for Valley City will be December 12th as they’ll be set to take on the Wahpeton Huskies who have been listed as a preseason top-five team in the new look Class A.