OAKES, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) –The Oakes Tornadoes boys’ basketball team started off hot against the Griggs-Midkota Titans and didn’t let up, as they cruised to a 74-39 victory Monday night.
The Tornadoes opened up a 10-point lead by the end of the first quarter (23-13), extending it to 40-23 by halftime.
Oakes used a bevy of turnovers by the Titans to extend their lead after three quarters to 57-29. With a running clock for much of the fourth quarter, the Tornadoes sailed to a victory in their first game of the season. The Oakes boys’ team has dealt with issues related to COVID-19 and quarantine this season, and they finally got on the court Monday, five weeks after practices were initially allowed to start.
To make matters worse for the Titans, they lost junior Logan Topp, one of their best scorers and ball handlers, on the first play of the third quarter. Topp hit a one-handed floater from the free throw line on the play, but he landed awkwardly on his right ankle and missed the rest of the game. He finished with 11 points.
Garret Meehl led the Tornadoes with 18 points, and he was supported with 17 and 15 points from Ashton Biesterfeld and Steele Hansen, respectively. The Tornadoes used their speed and athleticism to out-run the Titans on turnovers and rebounds, something that coach Rod Kramer said he expects from this team.
Griggs-Midkota fell to 1-3 on the season with the loss. Topp was their top scorer, even after missing virtually the entire second half, when the Titans scored just 16 total points. Hunter Gronneberg had 9 points for the Titans, with Jayden Sherrard and Tanner Haugen chipping in six apiece.