Valley City was able to salvage a win over the weekend in the Devils Lake shootout as the Hi-Liner defense took center stage, propelling them to a 51-33 win.

The first quarter was an offensive grind for both teams, as both the Hi-Liners and the Blue Jays struggled to score. Carver Pederson’s lone three-pointer of the quarter was the difference as the quarter ended with the Hi-Liners clinging to a 7-4 lead. For the Blue Jays, the quarter consisted of failed outside shots, with Tristen Barstad cleaning up the scraps he could get a hold of as he scored all four of the Blue Jay’s first-quarter points.

The second quarter would see the offensive output tick up slightly as a hot start by Stanley’s Josh Hetzel, saw the Blue Jays take an early advantage in the second frame. Jack Dieterle was very active in the quarter, scoring five points. However, the Hi-Liner center only managed to go 1-7 from the stripe in the quarter. A last-second lay-up by Carson Eggert gave Valley City an 18-17 lead at the break.

The next quarter would see the Hi-Liner defense completely suffocate the Blue Jays offense, holding them to four points in the third. For Valley City, they would rely on the scoring heroics of Zack Sykora, as the senior erupted for ten points, helping carry the Hi-Liners to a 36-21 lead at the end of the third quarter.

The fourth would again see the offensive production pick up for the Blue Jays as they tried to muster a late rally. However, Valley City would be there to match the Blue Jays blow for blow as Zack Sykora finished with a game-high 17 points, and a late Talon Larson three-pointer carried him to a 10-point performance on the day as the Hi-Liners collected a 51-33 win.

For Valley City, their overall record now improves to 5-6 on the year, as their next game will be on January 26th against Killdeer. The next game you can hear on KOVC will be January 25th at 7:30 PM as the Valley City girls travel to Kindred to take on the Vikings.

 

Ivy Real Estate Group Player of the Game: Zack Sykora