The Hi-Liners would cap off their terrific turnaround season with a wire-to-wire win over the Killdeer Cowboys to finish 5th at the Division A Boys State Basketball Tournament.

The Valley City defense defined the first half, as the Hi-Liners held Killdeer to only eight points through the first two quarters. After a sluggish start in the first quarter, Valley City rode the hot hand of Bryson Heck, who erupted for ten points in the quarter and went into the break as the leading scorer, with Zack Sykora following close behind with eight points. With Carson Eggert, Carver Pederson, and Jack Dieterle all chipping in in the first half, the Hi-Liners held a commanding 29-8 lead going into the break.

The third quarter would see the Cowboys awake from their first-half slumber as Killdeer’s Cooper Bang continued his strong state tournament with a solid third quarter. After Valley City relied on a balanced scoring approach in the first half, Carson Eggert would dominate the second half, scoring 12 of Valley City’s 15 points in the third quarter, finishing as the game’s leading scorer with 20 points and 11 rebounds. The Cowboys and Hi-Liners would exchange buckets for the entirety of the quarter, with Valley City holding a 44-23 lead going into the fourth quarter.

The fourth quarter was simply an offensive explosion with 54 combined points being scored in the frame, with Killdeer trying to mount a desperate rally with Valley City looking to hold the line. Cooper Bang and Kale Hansen scored at least ten points in the quarter for the Cowboys as they refused to go away. Fortunately for Valley City, after two poor nights at the charity stripe in their first two games, they would go 10-12 in the fourth quarter, bringing them to an 85% (23-27) clip for the game. Jack Dieterle would also chip in eight points in the final quarter as the Hi-Liners finally closed the Cowboys out with a 67-54 win.

The Hi-Liners finish the season with a 15-12 overall record and a 5th-place finish in their first state tournament since 2000.

 

Ivy Real Estate Group Player of the Game: Carson Eggert