The last time the Dickinson High boys basketball team played Jamestown, the Blue Jays won 55-54 with a last minute shot, leaving the Midgets heartbroken.
Dickinson kept that chip on its shoulder and unleashed its new-found game to beat Jamestown 76-66 in a rematch West Region game Saturday at DHS Gymnasium.
“I was very proud of our kids coming after a not so very good performance Thursday night against Bismarck High,” Dickinson head coach John Wilson said. “Our kids came out and played with the energy that’s gotten us to where we’re at.
“We had a very very good night when we can get four kids in double digits, that’s where our team is at.”
The Midgets didn’t waste time getting a large lead over Jamestown. With 11 minutes, 27 seconds to go, freshman guard Aanen Moody hit a jumper to put his team up 18-6 with no signs of slowing down. Four minutes later Dickinson’s lead drastically increased to 21 points, 31-9, and had its lead up as much as 26 points.
With 2:10 to go, Jamestown’s Nick Fuchs - finished with 16 points - hit one of his foul shots and two more with one second left in the half to slightly soften the deficit to 46-24.
Four Midgets finished in double-digits and combined for 62 of the team’s 76 points. Junior post Luke Herauf had a game-high 20 points, senior guard Parker Egli followed with 18, junior guard Mark Erickson posted 13 and senior forward Levi Jorheim finished with a double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds.
With Dickinson’s biggest lead of the night at 57-28 three minutes into the second half, Jamestown slowly but surely began chipping away at the deficit and with 5:20 to go, were down by 10, 63-53.
“I thought the Blue Jay boys did well in the last 10 minutes of the game but unfortunately we didn’t do some of the things we wanted to in the first half and the first 10 minutes of the second half and we dug ourselves a pretty big hole,” Jamestown head coach Kelley Kessler said.
Since the last time the teams played, Dickinson began picking up speed and accomplished some critical wins. The Midgets nearly knocked off Bismarck St. Mary’s on Jan. 31, took a win at Williston and knocked off then No. 3-ranked Minot.
Thursday Bismarck High beat them 70-36, but Egli said the team didn’t let the loss affect their game and their confidence.
“We did really well, got a little nerve wracking at the end, but we pulled it off,” Egli said about Jamestown. “We played really well considering our loss on Thursday, we didn’t let it phase us and I think that was the most important thing.”
The Midgets have three games left in the regular season and host Williston at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday. After the loss at home the Coyotes will be out for revenge and looking to knock them out.
“Williston is a very tough team and they’re going to come in with a chip on their shoulder they’re gonna come in and want to redeem a loss down there,” Wilson said.
J: Logan Anderson 18, Nick Fuchs 16, Marc Wagner 11, Noah Wanzek 10, Ashton Johnson 5, Landon Weiser 4, Tanner Lunzman 2.
D: Luke Herauf 20, Parker Egli 18, Mark Erickson 13, Levi Jordheim 11, Aanen Moody 8, Dylan Skabo 4, Mac Rohr 2.
Halftime: D 46-24. Total fouls: J 23, D 18. 3-point goals: J 4 (Fuchs 2, Johnson 1, Wagner 1), D 8 (Egli 4, Herauf 2, Moody 1, Erickson 1). Rebounds: J 29 (Wanzek, Anderson 6), D 39 (Jordheim 12). Assists: J 3 (Lunzman, 2), D 8 (Herauf, Egli 3). Steals: J 7 (Ross Mouse 2), D 4 (Skabo, Erickson, Egli, Jordheim). Blocks: J none, D 2 (Herauf). Turnovers: J 9, D 12.
