Gangl signs to play basketball with Mystics

Dickinson High senior Sydney Gangl didn’t want her basketball career to end.
At least for the next two years, the 5-foot-11 guard/forward continue her basketball career as she signed with Bismarck State College.
“I knew I didn’t want to be done playing basketball,” Gangl said. “The opportunity came up and it seemed like a good fit for me. It’s not too far away from home.
“I’m very excited to play. It makes ending this year a lot easier knowing that I’m going to play next year.”
Gangl finished her senior season averaging 5.5 points and 3.1 rebounds per game. She shot 71 percent from the free-throw line and averaged a team-high 22 minutes per game.
Former Dickinson head girls basketball coach Dan Pender, who resigned at the end of the 2013-2014 season, said Gangl has a natural ability to translate from high school to college.
“Sydney is a great shooter and she’s got a lot of range, so it’s really good for her going to college level,” he said. “Her length is going to play well there. She’s 5-11, so she’s going to fit in well.”
BSC has been a pipeline for Dickinson volleyball players. However, finding a Dickinson girl to sign right out of high school to play basketball hasn’t been easy.
Yet, Gangl’s good friend and Dickinson High graduate Leslie Beaudoin joined the Mystics midway during her sophomore season. Beaudoin average a team-high 15.2 points and 8.5 rebounds per game in 13 games.
“It’s kind of a little extra special that we haven’t had a lot of college basketball coming out of Dickinson High lately,” Gangl said. “When Leslie did decide to play, I got to hear a little bit more about their program and how they do things. Knowing how success (Leslie) was and how much fun she had made me even more excited.”
As a team this past season, the Mystics averaged 71 points and grabbed 47.2 rebounds per game. BSC finished 12-13 overall and 5-5 in the Mon-Dak Athletic Conference.
Gangl said the offense BSC plays should bode well for her playing style. The Mystics took 71.7 shots per game including 32.4 3-pointers.
“They like to run the ball up the court and they shoot whenever they are open,” Gangl said. “It seems like a fun style to play.”