Sabers sprint by Midgets

Allowing runs at the end of the first half and during the midway point of the second, the Midgets came up short, losing to Bismarck Legacy 58-49 on Thursday, Feb. 1 from DHS Gym.

In an otherwise close game, Saber surges were the difference.

"I think those runs were just instances where we were lackadaisical on offense," DHS head coach Dan Glasser said. "We've done such a good job of getting to the rim the last couple of games, but for some reason, we just didn't do that tonight. We were aggressive on defense, but on the offense end, we just couldn't get to the rim or open anything up."

Despite both teams shooting well under 40 percent, the teams had their moments from the outside.

Junior guard Cody Maier gave the Midgets their first lead of the evening early in the first half after rattling down a 3-pointer from the right wing. After Sabers senior forward Austin Wolf followed with a left corner 3-pointer, sophomore guard Jaiden Wright responded on the next possession, draining one from deep as the shot clock expired, giving Dickinson a 13-11 lead.

Tied at 18 in the final moments of the first half, Legacy made its charge.

Sabers senior guard Jason Hoekstra made a leaner and after a Midgets turnover, converted on a lay-up, giving Legacy a 22-20 advantage that would as the game's last lead change.

Following a corner 3-pointer from senior guard Braxton Erhardt, Wolf ended the half with a putback just a tick before the buzzer sounded as Legacy entered the lockers rooms up 29-22 after a 9-2 run.

"Tonight, I felt like we kind of locked in defensively," Legacy head coach Jason Horner said. "It kind of picked up our energy and we were able to make critical shots after critical stops."

After the teams traded baskets to start the second half, Legacy broke the game open with a 12-3 run. A Wolf 3-pointer following an offensive rebound gave the Sabers a 46-32 advantage, the biggest lead in the game.

Dickinson would cut their deficit down to eight after free throws from Wright and senior forward Krew Mathern. They had a chance to get within five in the final two minutes but three-point attempts from Wright and senior guard Connor Hoenke were off the mark.

Mathern led the Midgets with 16 points, while senior guard Dawson Bechtold added 12 points. However, Dickinson only shot 16-for-51 from the field, a result that Glasser believes is due to the team's stagnation.

"We've done so well the last couple of games of moving the ball, finding the gaps in the defense and attacking those gaps and it just seemed like tonight, everytime we caught the ball, we weren't even looking to go to the rim," Glasser said. "I think that really hurt us."

Hoekstra led all scorers with 17 points while Wolf nearly earning a double-double, collecting 14 points and nine rebounds.

Despite shooting a tick below 38 percent from the field, Horner was proud of how his team captured victory.

"It's funny how your defense can key your offense," Horner said. "That's what we've been trying to let our guys know that on bad shooting nights, you got to lock in and defend. It's okay to win the game in the 40s and in the 50s because that's the type of team that we are."

Bismarck Legacy 58, Dickinson High 49

BL: Jason Hoekstra 17, Austin Wolf 14, Rhett Clements 7, Taylor Morrison 6, Devin beck 6, Braxton Erhardt 3, Jack Markle 3, Matthew Kraft 2

D: Krew Mathern 16, Dawson Bechtold 12, Connor Hoenke 6, Jaiden Wright 5, Cody Maier 3, Braden Selinger 3, Nathan Personne 2, Tallon Klatt 2.

Halftime: BL 27, DHS 20. 3-pointers: BL 4 (Wolf 2), D 3 (Bechtold 1, Maier 1, Wright 1). Free throws: BL 20-27, D 14-20. Total fouls: BL 16, D 21. Rebounds: BL 38 (Wolf 9), D 34 (Personne 6). Assists: BL 2 (Clements 2), D 5 (Mathern 2, Wright 2). Steals: BL 5 (Erhardt 2), D 11 (Mathern 3, Bechtold 3). Blocks: BL 0, D 3 (Selinger 2). Turnovers: BL 13, D 13. Records: BL 7-8 (West Region 7-5), D 5-11 (West Region 3-10).