Beach starts strong, blasts Killdeer in semifinals

• Kelcee Dykins

Press Photo by Dustin Monke Beach senior Kelcee Dykins puts up a shot over Kllldeer sophomore Morgan LeMieux on Tuesday during the Region 7 girls basketball tournament semifinals at Knights of Columbus Activities Center.

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Beach got out to a hot start and couldn’t be stopped Tuesday night.

The Buccaneers broke open a huge first-half lead and coasted into a familiar port: the Region 7 tournament championship game.

Beach defeated Killdeer 73-37 in the semifinals at Knights of Columbus Activities Center to reach and will play District 14 champion Hazen on Thursday night for the chance at its third consecutive region title.

“They came out firing away and played good defense, I thought,” Beach head coach Bob Waldal said.

The No. 8-ranked Buccaneers (21-2) were on fire in the first half, shooting 19 of 33 (58 percent) from the field and hitting 6 of 9 from 3-point range.

Bailey Waldal scored 17 of her game-high 21 points in the first half as District 13 champion Beach built a 47-12 halftime lead.

“We wondered what their field-goal percentage was at halftime,” Killdeer head coach Sarah Doe said. “It seemed like anything we did defensive, they were making ‘em. This is the time of year you like to do that.”

Beach was ahead 22-3 at the end of the first quarter and scored 15 unanswered after Killdeer senior Heidi Ottmar hit a jumper to open the second quarter.

Just 3 minutes into the second, Beach led 37-5.

Bailey Waldal said it was a much better start than in Beach’s 59-44 victory over Dickinson Trinity in Monday’s quarterfinal game. However, she added that the Buccaneers felt like they allowed Killdeer too many opportunities in the second half.

“I think we could be a little better,” she said. “We let them have points in the second half.”

The Buccaneers came out of their trap and dropped into a 2-3 zone in the third quarter and the Cowboys pounced on it.

Megan Klein and Ottmar helped Killdeer (11-13)?outscore Beach 16-12 in the third. Both seniors finished with 12 points. Klein had nine rebounds.

Still, it was too little, too late. The Buccaneers took a 55-28 lead into the fourth, where they picked up the pace again and stretched their lead toward the end of the game.

“We all play as a team,” Bailey Waldal said. “It doesn’t matter really. Whoever has a good night, we just get them the ball. We came out really strong in the first half. The second half, we were a little leery with that 2-3. But all in all, we came back pretty good.”

Beach shot just 10 of 35 (29 percent) from the field in the second half to finish 29 of 68 (43 percent) for the game.

Sophomore Hailee Farstveet had 15 points, eight assists and five rebounds for the Buccaneers. Senior Kelcee Dykins had 16 points and six rebounds while sophomore Cydni Stedman had seven points and 11 rebounds.

Bob Waldal said this version of the “Runnin’ Bucs” —extremely young with only a handful of players who played extensive minutes the past two seasons — has benefitted greatly from two District 13 tournament games and the opening two games of the region tournament.

“These kids haven’t been in that situation,” Bob Waldal said. “This is all new. Sometimes, we as fans take that stuff for granted. They haven’t been there. The district tournament really helped us with nerves because we are treading in waters we’d never been in.”

Killdeer 3 12 28 37

Beach 22 47 55 73

K: Megan Klein 12, Heidi Ottmar 12, Ashley Brew 4, Morgan LeMieux 4, Kelsey Knutson 2, Jessica Starr 2, Tess Gaugler 1.

B: Bailey Waldal 21, Kelcee Dykins 16, Hailee Farstveet 15, Channa Clarin 8, Cydni Stedman 7, Ashlynn Dietz 3, Lateasha Lechler 2, Brooklyn Zachmann 1.

3-pointers: K 2 (Klein 2), B 9 (Farstveet 4, Waldal 3, Dietz 1, Stedman 1). Free throws: K 9-15, B 6-9. Total fouls: K 12, B 14. Rebounds: K 28 (Klein 9), B 40 (Stedman 11). Assists: K 8 (Brew 4), B 17 (Farstveet 8). Steals: K 6 (Brew 4), B 9 (three with 2). Blocks: K 1 (Klein), B 3 (Clarin 2). Turnovers: K 18, B 11.

Tags: killdeer cowboys, beach buccaneers, high school basketball, region 7 tournament, sports, preps, basketball