Size doesn't matter

• Jordyn Bender was second team all-state

Press Photo by Dustin Monke New England junior guard Jordyn Bender was one of two Region 7 players to make the Class B girls basketball all-state team, which was announced Monday. Bender and Hazen junior Allison Opp were both named to the second team.

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GRAND FORKS — Guards and small forwards for whom size is not a hindrance dominate the 2008-09 North Dakota Class B girls basketball all-state first team.

The first team, as selected by the North Dakota Associated Press Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association, consists of 5-foot-10 Shaunna Knife of Bottineau, 5-6 Katie Ralston of Fordville-Lankin/Park River, 5-7 Maggie Evenson of Hillsboro, 5-8 Lindsey Sand of state champion Kidder County and 5-3 Shauna Long of Standing Rock. Long, a sophomore, is the lone underclassman of the five.

Despite having a lack of size, “I wouldn’t be afraid to play that group against any Class B team,” veteran Bottineau coach Mike Forsberg said. “They can all hit from the outside and handle the ball. They’d give other teams matchup problems. I don’t know of a coach who would turn that lineup down.”

Knife, the Class B senior player of the year, heads the group. She averaged 19.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.0 steals. Knife was used in the post occasionally this season because Bottineau lacked overall size, but she still made 38 3-point shots.

“Shaunna’s ballhandling skills are second to none,” Forsberg said. “She’s very hard to defend one-on-one. We played her on the inside some, but she’s more comfortable on the perimeter with her ballhandling, passing and shooting skills.”

Knife was a first-team all-state pick a year ago when Bottineau won a state championship.

Sand was the standout on this season’s state championship team. She averaged 15 points and 5.2 rebounds while pacing the 26-1 team with 5 assists and 3.3 steals per game. Sand was selected the Region 3 senior player of the year.

“She’s a floor leader, a general out there,’ her father, Kidder County coach Mark Sand, said. “She’s like having a coach on the floor. Lindsey was more of a playmaker in the past. This year, she stepped up her scoring. She’s just a good all-around player.”

Ralston came up one win shy of being on a state championship team, as Fordville-Lankin/Park River lost 45-43 to Kidder County in the state title game. Ralston led the Flyers with averages of 18.3 points and 4.0 steals and also contributed 4.6 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game.

“We used Katie’s skills everywhere on the floor,” coach Kirby Erickson said. “She’s a good ballhandler and shooter. But her specialty was getting inside. She scored a lot around the basket, using her quickness, head fakes, a little hook shot, just her smartness to get off shots against bigger players. She’s a crafty player.”

Evenson’s team came up one win shy of qualifying for the state tournament, losing to Fordville-Lankin/Park River in the Region 2 final. Evenson averaged 13.6 points, 3.4 assists, 3 rebounds and 2.1 steals for the Burros and was named Region 2 senior player of the year.

“Maggie’s statistics don’t jump out,” Burros coach Kyle Morehart said. “She’s the type of player who does what she has to do for the team. She had a couple of 27-point games. But her main job was running the offense, setting up her teammates, handling the ball against the press, just a lot of savvy things.

“She’s the smartest player I’ve ever coached,” he said. “She was like having a coach on the floor.”

Long averaged 21.3 points, 5.9 assists and 3.3 rebounds for a Standing Rock team that finished eighth at state. She had an eye-opening game at the state tournament when she scored 44 in the quarterfinals against Hazen.

“Shauna’s a good shooter,” Standing Rock coach Margaret Gates said. “She can hit the three or drive. Our girls looked to her to score, but she’s also a playmaker. She looked to pass, sometimes too much when she’d give up a good shot of her own to get the ball to a teammate.”

The second team:

- Jordyn Bender, New England: The 5-7 junior had averages of 17.4 points, 4.3 assists, 3.6 steals and 2.8 rebounds.

- Katie Brademeyer, Oakes: Brademeyer was named Region 1 senior player of the year. She averaged 21.2 points, 12.2 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.8 blocks a game.

- Kenzie Church, Fairmount-Campbell-Tintah: Church, a sophomore, was one of the top scorers in the state with a 20.8 average. She also averaged 7.7 rebounds and 1.7 assists.

- Justene Engels, New Rockford-Sheyenne: The 5-8 Engels was named Region 4 senior player of the year after averaging 14.7 points, 7 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 3.1 steals for the Rockets team that finished fourth at the state tournament.

- Bobbi Grann, New Rockford-Sheyenne: The 5-7 senior is a second team all-state pick for the second straight season. Grann averaged 15.6 points, 3.7 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 4.3 steals for the Rockets.

- Samantha Heier, Ray: Heier was a 53 percent shooter from the field this season. The 5-7 junior averaged 19.7 points, 8.1 rebounds, 4.3 steals and 3.5 assists.

- Katie Houdek, Grafton: The 6-foot-1 senior averaged a double-double for the Spoilers. She had 19.1 points and 10.5 rebounds, as well as 2.5 blocks, per game.

- Katie King, Kenmare: The 5-11 sophomore was strong in the post for the Kenmare team that finished sixth at state. King averaged 14.1 points and a team-leading 10.8 rebounds.

- Kendra Miller, Kenmare: The 5-8 senior was the leading scorer for the Honkers. Miller scored 17.6 points a game and also paced the team with 38 3-point baskets and 3.4 steals per game.

- Allison Opp, Hazen: The 5-11 senior was an all-around standout for the Hazen team that finished third at state. Opp led her team with 26 3-point baskets and averages of 3.6 steals and 3.5 assists and ranked second with 13.2-point and 6.9-rebound averages.

Tags: class b, all-state, sports, preps