BISMARCK, ND. (NewsDakota.com) – A tightly contested state qualifier game turned into a blowout in the blink of an eye as the Blue Jay boy’s basketball team knocked off Bismarck High, 81-57, to qualify for the Class A state tournament.
Jamestown outscored Bismarck High 28-5 over the final nine minutes, including a 22-0 run.
The Blue Jays were on top from the jump, going into the break with a 41-33 behind 12 points in the first half from Dalton Lamp. The Demons cut the lead down to one on multiple different occasions, including to 53-52 midway through the second half. The Demons had a couple of opportunities to take the lead, but after Jamestown extended the advantage to three, the Jays never looked back.
Jamestown scored 22 consecutive points over the course of six minutes to fully swing the advantage in the Jays’ favor. Payton Hochhalter showed true toughness throughout the second half, grabbing 12 rebounds to go along with a game-high 18 points.
The Blue Jays finished with five players in double figures, including Hochhalter. Lamp ended the game with 17 points, and Caydann Cox, Noah Meisnner, and Ryan Larson all had 12.
Jamestown is headed for the state tournament for the first time since 2020. The Blue Jays will be the #4 seed representing the West Region.
Coverage of the state tournament begins on Thursday. #4 Jamestown takes on #1 Fargo Davies out of the East at 2:00 PM from the FargoDome.