Both games between the Huskies and Hi-Liners would come down to the end, with one game featuring a gut-crushing comeback, and the other featuring a rock-solid defensive performance that might pave the way for a mid-season turnaround.
The evening started off with the Hi-Liner girls building an early nine-point advantage over the Wahpeton Huskies as Tesa Olson came out hot, scoring nine points in the opening frame. Wahpeton forward Scout Woods would respond with five points of her own as the first quarter ended with Valley City holding a 16-7 lead.
The second quarter would see the game slow down as both teams looked to clamp down on defense while chipping away inside. The second would be another great defensive quarter for Valley City, holding Wahpeton to eight points as a late three-pointer by Drew Potratz gave Valley City a 26-15 lead going into halftime.
The third quarter would once again prove to be a trying time for the Hi-Liner girls as Wahpeton rallied to more than double their point total, pouring in 21 points in the quarter as the halftime lead shrunk to 39-36 going into the fourth. The final quarter would see another slow-paced grind as neither team could make a bucket. Unfortunately for Valley City, Scout Woods would not be denied in the last quarter, going 7-8 from the stripe to finish with a game-high 21 points as the Huskies took a late lead.
Valley City had a chance to seal the game late, but a bobbled layup resulted in another turnover that would be taken down for a fast break layup to give Wahpeton a 47-44 win. The Hi-Liners dropped to 11-4 overall and 7-1 in Region 1 play.
The Hi-Liner boys would suffer no such comeback as they used another hot shooting first quarter to pull ahead 19-11 in the first. The Hi-Liners were led in scoring early on by Zack Sykora, who finally was able to shed the leg brace he had worn for the first half of the season. Treyton Mauch would be the catalyst for the Huskies as he used his quickness to slip by the Hi-Liner defense and chip in seven points.
The second quarter would be nearly deja vu as the Hi-Liners would outscore the Huskies 17-11 in the second frame as Bryson Heck took over the team lead in scoring, splashing home a couple more three-pointers to give him 12 points going into the half. Generally, with a 36-22, would feel quite comfortable, but after the Lady Huskies come from behind win, the Hi-Liner boys knew they had to close out strong.
The third would see both sides crash inside with little to no avail as both struggled to put points on the board. The Hi-Liner defense was able to limit the Huskies to only 10 points in the third, while the offense only mustered eight tallies of their own. The final quarter, though, would see a strong finish by Valley City as the Hi-Liners sunk five of their six foul shots to put away a 59-44 win to improve to 4-5 overall and 2-3 in Region 1 play.
The next game on KOVC will be Saturday as the Hi-Liners head up to Devils Lake for a mid-season shootout, as they’ll be taking on the Blue Jays of Stanley at 2:00 pm.
Ivy Real Estate Group Players of the Game: Tesa Olson, Bryson Heck