VALLEY CITY, N.D. – The Devils Lake Firebirds and Valley City Hi-Liners faced off in an early-season showdown between two top-three Class A teams, with the Firebirds pulling out a dramatic 66-64 victory thanks to their execution in the final minutes of each quarter. Devils Lake scored 20 of their 66 points in the last two minutes of each period, proving to be the decisive factor.

The Firebirds jumped out to a 15-9 lead in the first quarter, fueled by Tori Fee and Tylie Brodina’s three-point shooting. Valley City weathered the early storm and clawed back to trail just 20-17 by the end of the first frame.

In the second quarter, Valley City’s defense shined, holding Devils Lake to just four points over the first six minutes. However, the Firebirds responded with a 7-0 burst in under a minute to reclaim momentum and take a 31-27 lead into halftime.

The third quarter belonged to Valley City, as Katie Burchill, Skye Neilson, and Dacota Potratz led the Hi-Liners to a dominant 24-12 advantage in the period. The Firebirds’ offense sputtered outside of Brodina and Fee, but late contributions from Mia Elsperger and a circus shot by Jolie Martinson kept Devils Lake within striking distance.

The defending state champion Firebirds turned up the pressure in the fourth quarter, erasing a double-digit deficit with a 15-7 run to tie the game at 58-58 with under four minutes remaining. The teams traded buckets down the stretch, and the score was knotted at 64-64 when Valley City called a timeout near midcourt with less than 30 seconds to play.

Valley City’s ensuing inbounds pass was intercepted, giving Devils Lake a chance to hold for the final shot. After solid defense forced the Firebirds to inbound with just over five seconds left, Fee caught the pass and drained a floater from the free-throw line to seal the 66-64 victory.

Valley City will look to bounce back on Monday, Jan. 6, when they travel to Wahpeton. That game will be broadcast on 1490 AM/96.3 FM KOVC and streamed online at NewsDakota.com.