Bob Waldal knew he and his No. 1-ranked Beach girls basketball team would catch some flack for defeating Ray 130-17 last Saturday.
He got calls from one of his old coaches and a couple reporters. He understands that other coaches around the state are talking about the score and how the game got so out of hand.
While Waldal said he never wanted the score to be so lopsided, he now hopes it can serve as an example for the North Dakota High School Activities Association to discuss implementing a "mercy rule" like the one used by the Montana High School Association.
In Montana, if a basketball team leads its opponent by 40 or more points in the second half, a running clock ensues until the end of the game even if the difference in the score drops below the 40-point margin. The clock only stops between the third and fourth quarters, during time outs and while substituting players.
"You see those scores every week," Waldal said. "Something needs to be done."
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While Beach's 113-point win was the state's biggest margin of victory this season, it wasn't the only extremely lopsided game of its kind. On Jan. 27, the Parshall girls basketball team beat White Shield 94-5.
The Buccaneers' starters accounted for 92 of the team's points against Ray, and only one of them played in the fourth quarter.
Waldal defended his team's game plan, too.
Waldal said the Buccaneers pressed for five minutes -- "like we do every game," he added -- before shifting to a man-to-man defense and turning to its junior varsity players and backups for much of the second half.
Some of those reserves were subject to NDHSAA quarter limitation rules.
The lopsided win was an unusual way for the Buccaneers (13-0) to win their 40th consecutive game. The defending Class B state champions haven't lost since the 2009 Region 7 tournament semifinals.
"We don't even discuss it," Waldal said. "They probably see it. I just tell them we've got to get better every day. That's what I try to keep their focus on. Nothing about yesterday, it's about today and right now."
Waldal said the Buccaneers didn't dwell on Saturday's victory, choosing to focus on two crucial games ahead.
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Beach hosts Heart River in a District 13 game at 7 tonight and visits Dickinson Trinity at 7 p.m. Saturday.
The Titans have the second-best record in Region 7 at 11-2 and are poised to claim the regular-season title in District 14 if they beat Richardton-Taylor tonight.
"They could probably run by us," Waldal said. "They're a good team. I think (Titans head coach) Alysia (Barman) does a nice job with those kids. I have the ultimate respect for Trinity."
District boys basketball tournament seeds set
The Beach boys basketball team's 66-62 win over Heart River on Tuesday night helped it seal the No. 3 seed in the District 13 tournament and, ironically, an opening-round rematch with the No. 6-seeded Cougars.
The Buccaneers, Hettinger and New England were all tied with 3-3 district records.
Beach had defeated Hettinger 74-61, Hettinger beat New England 70-64 and New England beat Beach 58-52. Because the tiebreaker following records and head-to-head matchups is point differential, the Buccaneers were awarded the high seed. Hettinger got the No. 4 seed and will play No. 5 New England in the opening round.
Mott-Regent, which finished the regular season with a 6-0 district record, gets the top seed and an opening-round bye.
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Bowman County will be No. 2 and face No. 7 Scranton in the opening round.
District 14 isn't quite so complex since there were no ties among its six teams.
Both Dickinson Trinity and Beulah will have opening round byes after earning the Nos. 1 and 2 seeds, respectively. Trinity won all five of its regular-season district games.
No. 3 Killdeer will face No. 6 Glen Ullin-Hebron in the opening round while No. 4 Hazen takes on No. 5 Richardton-Taylor.
The District 13 tournament is at Bowman County High School's Solberg Gymnasium and the District 14 tournament is at the Bison Sports Arena at Hazen High School.
The tournaments begin Friday, Feb. 11.
