DICKINSON - Even though Richardton-Taylor enters Friday's District 14 boys basketball tournament at Hazen as the No. 1 seed, coach Dan Glasser said his team is embracing a loser-out mentality.
"I think our backs are still against the wall," Glasser
said. "The No. 1 seed means absolutely nothing going into this
tournament."
Glasser said part of the reason for his team's thinking is the
ADVERTISEMENT
lack of success in past district tournaments.
"We have kids on our team who have never won a district
tournament game," Glasser said. "They've played in them, but
they haven't been able to match that intensity that you need to
win a district tournament game."
In a district with Trinity, Hazen, Beulah, Killdeer and Glen
Ullin-Hebron, nothing can be taken for granted.
According to Glasser, the Raiders' unbeaten record in district
ADVERTISEMENT
play only meant getting the No. 1 seed in the district
tournament and nothing more.
"It doesn't guarantee us anything," Glasser said. "Some of our
wins were by three points. One mistake either way, it's a
different game and we're not sitting with the No. 1 seed."
The Raiders are coming off a rough stretch in which they lost to
Beach and Heart River. Glasser said the focus has turned to how
his players have performed in practice rather than in their two
ADVERTISEMENT
losses.
"I think if we would have won those two games, we wouldn't have
been practicing as hard as we (are)," Glasser said. "(The
losses) really helped us realize that we can't just show up for
a game and win."
Richardton-Taylor and Killdeer earned first-round byes after
finishing the regular season first and second, respectively.
Fourth-seeded Dickinson Trinity takes on No. 5 Glen Ullin-Hebron
ADVERTISEMENT
in the early game at 6 p.m. No. 3 Hazen meets sixth-seeded
Beulah at 7:30 p.m.
Killdeer coach Rich Dufault said he wouldn't be surprised to see
Beulah make a run.
"Beulah has played everyone as close as any," Dufault
said. "They've played everyone really tough."
Dufault said the pressure at tournament time makes things interesting.
"Everyone has to amp up their play," Dufault said. "When you get
ADVERTISEMENT
into tournament play, gyms fill up more than they do in the
regular season. Kids have to play in front of bigger crowds.
It's something all kids have to face.
"It's a fun time of year. It's what you play all year for."
Cluttered field highlights District 13 tournament
Mott-Regent may have earned the District 13 tournament first-
round bye that accompanies winning the regular season title, but it might also make the Wildfire the most hunted.
The tournament kicks off Friday in Bowman where the host team
ADVERTISEMENT
plays the early game as the No. 4 seed against fifth-seeded
Heart River at 4:30 p.m. No. 3 Beach plays No. 6 Scranton at 6
p.m. and second-seeded Hettinger meets No. 7 New England in the
nightcap at 7:30 p.m.
Coach John Butterfield's senior-laden Mott-Regent squad made it through its district schedule without a loss, Butterfield also said he could envision any team in the tournament knocking off its counterpart, citing numerous examples.
"The ones that are playing really well right now are Hettinger
and Beach," Butterfield said. "Bowman (County) had some good
times and bad times. They have one of the premier players in the
western half of the state in (Alex Wolf). Heart River just knocked off Richardton-Taylor ... (R-T) has been in the rankings all year. Scranton ... they knocked off Killdeer. You just don't
know.
"When you go to tournaments, funny things happen. You have to be ready to play solid basketball."
