Moody’s 23 leads Class A in Lions All-Star matchup

BISMARCK - With a final opportunity to be a high school athlete, Aanen Moody put up a performance that made him such a successful one in the first place at Dickinson High.

Moody, a University of North Dakota commit, scored a game-high 23 points during Monday's Lions All-Star Basketball game at the Bismarck Event Center, helping the Class A boys to a 99-82 victory over their Class B counterparts.

It took him a few shots for him to get into his usual rhythm, but he still led all scorers with 12 at the half. After the break, he drained a trio of three-pointers on his way to his final tally.

"It's a lot different than how I used to play in regular high school basketball, since we're playing three-minute spurts, so that made it harder to get into a rhythm," said Moody, the 2016-17 Mr. Basketball winner and Class A's unofficial all-time leading scorer. "It's nice to get a game under my belt and get used to it, and hopefully I have a better game tomorrow."

The Class A all-stars will look to sweep the series when it continues Tuesday in Fargo. The teams split the two games last year.

Class B was led by 16 points apiece from Tronis McKay of Four Winds-Minnewaukan and Jacob Hanson of Milnor-North Sargent. Zach Dalen of Devils Lake was Class A's second-highest scorer with 12, and Matt Veit of Fargo Davies added 10.

Class A led 47-43 at halftime, but its lead swelled close to 20 in the second half.

Minot head coach Dean Winczewski, the head coach for Class A, hoped that his team would use its height to its advantage, picking up offensive rebounds and limiting Class B to one shot.

"A lot of it was getting kids to play to their strengths," he said. "In the second half, especially, we were able to execute by letting the ball get swung and force a closeout. And all of a sudden we're getting shots to go in, we're getting to the rim, and we got out in transition. They guarded, and they played really hard defensively."

Moody's Dickinson High teammate Jordan Meidinger tallied six points in the victory. Meidinger, on his way to the basketball team at North Dakota State, said it was exciting to be around a group of players with a skill level indicative of the next level.

"It's fun to build that chemistry with kids around the state," he said. "It's fun kicking out to different people, moving the ball a little bit more, creating for other people. I knew some of the Class B guys from AAU, but playing against new players is always fun."

On the Class B side, Dickinson Trinity's Shawn Stoltz - who is committed to Dickinson State for basketball - tallied four points in the contest. He had been out of action from the Dickinson Roughriders American Legion baseball team for several weeks due to an injury, but he was unhindered on Monday. Still, he called the game a grind.

"I learned how out of shape I was - baseball and basketball are just totally different," he said with a laugh. "But it's a great experience playing with guys you've played against your whole life. And even the Class A guys, we get to know them too. It's not like we're mortal enemies. We're all friends here. Just with a couple days of practice, we all want to make each other better."

Wyatt Carr, Stoltz's Class B teammate but Region 7 foe, was one of the game's more thankful participants. After breaking his right foot during a practice in January, the Hazen star saw his senior season come to an end brutally early.

The University of Mary commit put up six points for Class B.

"(The injury) was kind of degrading, but when I heard I got to play in this it gave me another hope," said the 6-foot-5 forward. "It was one last high school hurrah, so it was a blessing."

Class A 99, Class B 82

Class A: Aanen Moody 23, Zach Dahlen 12, Matt Veit 10, Lucas Mayer 9, Justin Engg 9, Jake Paper 9, Jacob Mertens 6, Jordan Meidinger 6, KyJuan Johnson 6, Siman Sem 4, Carter Bonnema 3, Solomon Garter 2.

Class B: Tronis McKay 16, Jacob Hanson 16, Logan Nelson 14, Ian Chandler 8, Montel Carlow 6, Wyatt Carr 6, Peter Lindgren 6, Shawn Stoltz 4, Jayden Kamrosky 3, Steve Redfox 3.

Irwin, Robson lead Class A girls

The Class A girls ran their winning streak in the Lions All-Star Basketball series to three games with a 77-74 victory over the Class B all-stars.

Class B led at halftime, 38-32, but Class A tallied 45 points in the second half to complete the comeback.

Class B nearly forced overtime on the game's final play. After the ball was inbounded with about 6 seconds remaining, North Star's Macey Kvilvang had the ball find her at the top of the key. With a double-screen in front of her, she let it fly, but it bounced off the backboard and the front of the rim before ultimately falling to the court as the buzzer sounded.

Kvilvang and Fairmont's Harmony Burns were the game's high scorers, with 20 and 21 points, respectively.

On the Class A side, Wahpeton's Tylee Irwin led with 14 points. She was backed up by 13 points apiece from Grand Forks Red River's Lexi Robson and Fargo Shanley's Emily Dietz.

Watford City's Mackenzie Sparby tallied four points in Class B's loss.

After winning both games in 2015, Class B has now lost three straight, a streak it hopes to break on Tuesday when the teams complete the series in Fargo.

Class A 77, Class B 74

Class A: Tylee Irwin 14, Emily Dietz 13, Lexi Robson 13, Cara Haussler 7, Ashley Davis 6, Mercedes Baumgartner 6, Akealy Moton 6, Faith Dionne 5, Lauren Dub 3, Gaby DuBois 2, Brita Feland 2.

Class B: Harmony Burns 21, Macey Kvilvang 20, Kari Wolfe 13, Maara Nelson 6, Bailey Beneda 4, Mackenzie Sparby 4, Jonnah Lee 3, Zoie Breckheimer 3.

Halftime: Class B 38, Class A 32.