Winning for a friend: DHS rallies from double-digit deficit to beat Bravettes

• Rachel Schroeder

Press Photo by Dustin Monke Dickinson High senior Rachel Schroeder, left, puts up a shot against Turtle Mountain senior Whitney Wallette, right, as teammate Sydney Gangl watches during a West Region girls basketball game on Friday night at the DHS gymnasium.

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An emotional Friday night for the Dickinson High girls basketball team prompted an emotional response.

Reeling from the automobile accident involving 2011 DHS graduate Kevin Theurer, a close friend of many players, the Midgets turned a 13-point deficit into a 12-point lead in a span of about 12 minutes in the second half en route to a stunning 76-66 victory over Turtle Mountain in a West Region game at the DHS gymnasium.

Midgets senior Ali Moody had 25 points, 13 rebounds, eight assists and six steals and teamed with senior Rachel Schroeder to lead the second-half a 27-4 run that turned the contest on its head.

“For the most part, you dedicate this to him,” said Schroeder, who had 22 points and nine rebounds. “I think if he could have, he would have been here. Just knowing that was kind of a fuel for the fire.”

Theurer suffered life-threatening injuries in a car accident Thursday and remained on life support Friday.

Dickinson head coach Dan Pender said he was proud of the his team bouncing back from Thursday night’s 40-point loss at Mandan for a much-needed win both in the standings and in their hearts.

“I’ve got to give credit to all the girls,” Pender said. “Emotionally, it was a tough thing. It was a tough night for us again, so them responding in that second half, I just give them kudos.”

Turtle Mountain led by as much as 10 in the first half as it built a 43-34 halftime lead.

But Dickinson (3-6, 2-5 West) made sure the game was never out of reach. After falling behind 52-39 just over 4 minutes into the second half, Dickinson rallied, scoring nine unanswered during a 16-2 run.

The Midgets took a 55-54 lead with 7:34 remaining on a pair of free throws by Moody, who kept the possession alive by crashing the boards despite playing with four fouls.

Dickinson never let up from there.

Junior Sydney Gangl buried a 3-pointer from the left wing, Moody scored on a layup and two free throws and senior Taylor Cooper, who scored 12 points played with one of Theurer’s necklaces tucked in one of her shoes, sank a 3 to all but seal the game.

By the time the Bravettes collected themselves, the Midgets had amassed a 66-56 lead after a 27-4 run.

Dickinson, which has hindered itself with turnovers a time or two this season, had only 11 giveaways while coming up with 11 steals.

“We lost our composure with about 9 minutes left,” Turtle Mountain head coach G.T. Monette said. “It just kind of went downhill from there.”

Whitney Wallette had a monster first half to spark the Bravettes (4-7, 3-6 West). The 6-foot-2 senior had 22 points, five rebounds and five assists before halftime. She was 9 of 15 from the field, which included 4 of 5 shooting from 3-point range.

She was limited to just nine points in the second half, with all but two coming in the final 3 minutes after Dickinson had the game well in hand, and finished with a season-high 33 points and had eight assists and seven rebounds.

“We just had to remember that she’ll shoot from anywhere, so you have to get a hand in her face all the time,” Schroeder said. “Once you do that, you kind of shut her down. She had a couple lucky ones go in.”

TM: Whitney Wallette 33, Shikiya Chase 6, Ashley Davis 6, Gia Davis 6, Joee Keplin 6, Winter Monette 4, Dallas Davis 3, Brooke DeCoteau 2.

D: Ali Moody 25, Rachel Schroeder 22, Taylor Cooper 22, Sydney Gangl 7, Riley Cooper 5, Sierra Rohr 4, Lillie Meduna 1.

Halftime: TM 43-34. 3-pointers: TM 6 (Wallette 5, D. Davis 1), D 5 (T. Cooper 3, R. Cooper 1, Gangl). Free throws: TM 6-13, D 17-25. Total fouls: TM 23, D 16. Fouled out: Keplin, A. Davis. Rebounds: TM 37 (Wallette 7, Chase 7), D 38 (Moody 13). Assists: TM 25 (Wallette 8), D 26 (Moody 8). Steals: TM 6 (six with 1), D 11 (Moody 6). Blocks: TM 0, D 1 (T. Cooper 1). Turnovers: D 20, D 11.­

Tags: high school basketball, dickinson midgets, sports, basketball