Demons win Class A state title

• Sarah Feeney

Press Photo by Dustin Monke Bismarck High senior Sarah Feeney, right, and Fargo South senior Caitlyn Haring fight for a loose ball in their Class A state girls basketball championship game Saturday at the Fargodome.

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FARGO — A virtually flawless half spoiled the quest for perfection Saturday at the Fargodome.

Bismarck High shot 70 percent from the field in the second half as the Demons scored a 70-62 victory against top-ranked and previously unbeaten Fargo South for the Class A state girls basketball championship.

“They hit every outside shot in the second half it seemed,” said South coach Craig Flaagan, who was named Class A coach of the year. “That’s a credit to Bismarck High. We didn’t play that poorly. I give all the credit to them.”

South (24-1) missed a chance to win its first state title since 1994. The Demons (20-5) hadn’t won a state championship since 1991.

The Bruins fell one game short in their quest to become the first undefeated state champion since Fargo North in 2001.

“They outplayed us today,” said South senior Caitlyn Haring, who scored 10 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. “It hurts, but that’s part of life I guess.”

Bismarck trailed by as many as nine points in the first half, but the Demons scored the final 10 points in the first half to build a 34-32 halftime lead.

That was the first halftime deficit the Bruins faced this season.

“We were not about to lay down and die,” said Bismarck senior Sarah Feeney, who was named the tournament’s most valuable player. “We wanted a challenge. That is what we got.”

Feeney led the Demons’ charge, scoring a game-high 22 points on 8-for-16 shooting from the field. The 6-foot-2 guard added six rebounds and four steals. Senior post Kelsey Sigl scored 16 points.

“They have so much faith in each other,” Bismarck first-year coach Andrea Ronderos said of her team. “These seniors had confidence because they knew that they could do this and it just rolled on to everybody else. … I have never been part of a group that is so strong together.”

South took a 44-43 lead with 12 minutes, 11 seconds to play in the second half after Meghan Roehrich hit an acrobatic transition layup.

The Demons took control from that point, scoring 15 of the next 19 points, including three 3-pointers. Senior Carlie Buechler capped the game-changing surge. The 5-foot-7 guard drained a 3-pointer from the left wing with 7:35 remaining to stake the Demons to a 58-48 lead.

South couldn’t get closer than five points the rest of the way.

Bismarck made 14 of 20 shots (70 percent) from the field in the second half. The Demons shot 83 percent (5 of 6) from 3-point range after halftime.

“We played hard and we didn’t win,” Flaagan said. “I love my team and it was a good season for us. … When a team plays like that, we have to match it. We didn’t do that tonight.”

South shot 36 percent (12 of 33) from the field in the second half. Roehrich led four Bruins in double figures with 15 points on 6-for-14 shooting from the field.

“One loss doesn’t determine a team,” Haring said.

Bismarck shot 26 percent (17 of 65) from the field in its semifinal victory on Friday.

“It’s like we saved them all for today,” Ronderos said.

BISMARCK (20-5): A. Assel 0 0-0 0, L. Assel 3 1-2 8, Sturlaugson 3 1-5 9, Hruby 1 0-0 2, Buechler 3 1-2 9, Feeney 8 3-4 22, Sigl 8 0-1 16, Lingle 1 2-2 4. Totals

SOUTH (24-1): Roehrich 6 2-3 15, Burck 1 0-0 2, Lee 6 0-0 13, Fisher 4 2-2 13, Weatherspoon 0 0-0 0, Dockter 3 3-4 9, Haring 3 4-4 10. Totals 23-60 11-13 62.

Half: BHS 34, FS 32. 3-point goals: L. Assel, Sturlaugson 2, Buechler, Feeney 3, Roehrich, Lee, Fisher 3. Total fouls: BHS 11, FS 18. Fouled out: Fisher, Lee. Rebounds: BHS 38 (Lingle 7), FS 37 (Haring 10). Assists: BHS 11 (Sturlaugson 4), FS 8 (three players with 2). Steals: BHS 6 (Feeney 4), FS 14 (Roehrich 5). Turnovers: BHS 18, FS 18.

Third place

Century 58, Mandan 52

Madi Buck scored 17 points grabbed eight rebounds and added six steals to lead Bismarck Century to a victory against Mandan on Saturday for third place.

Tricia Sorensen added 14 points and five rebounds.

Ali Collins paced Mandan with 12 points, six rebounds and three assists.

CENTURY (19-6): Huelsman 1 1-2 3, Vanderpan 2 0-0 5, Jossart 2 3-8 7, Sitz 0 0-0 0, Peterson 0 5-8 5, Buck 3 10-11 17, Jacobs 1 4-6 7, Jeske 0 0-0 0, Sorensen 5 1-1 14, Richard 0 0-1 0, Adolf 0 0-0 0, Loraas 0 0-0 0. Totals 14-48 24-37 58.

MANDAN (14-11): Longtin 0 0-0 0, Zachmeier 0 0-0 0, Miller 0 0-0 0, Riopelle 0 2-2 2, A. Helmers 0 0-0 0, Berger 4 0-0 8, Collins 3-14 2-7 12, Pedersen 2-6 0-0 5, Levi 1 3-6 5, Sandau 0 0-0 0, Zander 2 0-2 5, Meyer 1 3-5 5, E. Helmers 3 3-4 10, Winkler 0 0-0 0, Larson 0 0-0 0. Totals 16-61 15-24 52.

Half: BC 25, MHS 18. 3-point goals: Vanderpan, Buck, Jacobs, Sorensen 3, Collins 2, Pedersen, Zander, E. Helmers. Total fouls: BC 22, MHS 27. Fouled out: Collins, Pedersen, Zander. Rebounds: BC 50 (Buck 8), MHS 38 (Collins 6). Assists: BC 6 (Peterson 3), MHS 6 (Collins 3). Steals: BC 13 (Buck 6), MHS 16 (Zander 4). Turnovers: BC 28, MHS 23.

Fifth place

Jamestown 47, Devils Lake 32

Morgan Dale scored 15 points, grabbed 16 rebounds and added five steals to lead the Blue Jays to girls fifth place.

Alicia Greening paced Devils Lake with 11 points and four rebounds.

JAMESTOWN (17-7): Dale 4 7-8 15, Dabill 0 0-0 0, Hanson 0 0-0 0, Nygaard 4 3-6 11, Winson 1 0-0 3, Giesler 0 0-0 0, Meikle 0 2-2 2, Manley 1 0-0 2, Wahl 1 0-0 2, McMillan 0 0-0 0, Ramlo 4 4-6 12. Totals 15-59 16-22 47.

DEVILS LAKE (16-9): Greening 4 3-5 11, Larson 0 0-0 0, Whalen 0 0-0 0, Knowski 0 2-2 2, Mertens 5 0-0 10, Babinski 0 0-0 0, H. Elshaug 2 1-2 5, McCarthy 1 0-0 2, Eisenzimmer 0 0-0 0, Kurtz 0 0-0 0, M. Elshaug 1 0-0 2, Thomas 0 0-0 0, Prozinski 0 0-0 0, Peterson 0 0-0 0. Totals 13-59 6-9 32.

Half: JHS 23, DL 14. 3-point goals: Winson. Total fouls: JHS 11, DL 19.

Rebounds: JHS 56 (Dale 16), DL 39 (three players with 4). Assists: JHS 7 (Ramlo 3), DL 2 (Mertens, Babinski). Steals: JHS 15 (Dale 5), DL 8 (Mertens 2). Turnovers: JHS 19, DL 19.

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