Dane Hagler locks in for a free throw. (Photo by Cameron Carlson)
DEVILS LAKE — Two Lake Region State College sophomores will play one last game in their home gyms.
Dalen Leftbear and Dane Hagler are both first-years on the LRSC men’s basketball team, after beginning their college careers elsewhere. Hagler is a North Star alum, hailing from the town of Cando, located just northwest of Devils Lake. Leftbear is from right down the road in Tokio. He graduated from Four Winds High School.
The LRSC basketball teams are set to host games in Cando and Fort Totten on Jan. 28 and Feb. 9, respectively.
It’s partly due to scheduling conflicts, especially on Feb. 9, when the Devils Lake girls’ basketball team is scheduled to host Four Winds/Minnewaukan. But usually, when there’s a conflict, the college plays at Sweetwater Elementary School while the high school plays at the Sports Center.
Instead, the Royals will get on a bus and venture into the backroads next Wednesday when they play host to Jamestown JV in Cando. The women’s game will start at 5:30 p.m., with the men’s game to follow around 7:30.
Hagler’s family and friends from Cando — population 1,061 — won’t have to travel far to watch him play.
“Hopefully we’ll get a good crowd for Dane,” Royals basketball coach Jared Marshall said.
Hagler scored 2,153 points in his high school career, which is the 28th-most in North Dakota history, per northdakotaprepscoreboards.com. His uncle Jacob Hagler is 12th on that list with 2,328 points.
Hagler’s main sport is actually baseball; he originally committed to the Jamestown baseball program before transferring to LRSC last winter. He’s a rare double-sport collegiate athlete in baseball and basketball.
Then, on Feb. 9, the Royals will cross the lake to play a conference doubleheader against Dawson Community College at Four Winds High School.
The women’s game is set for 12 p.m., with the men’s game to follow around 2 p.m.
Leftbear helped FW/M win a Class B state title in his high school days. A first cousin of Deng Deng, he was a big part of the Indians’ success during the season where Deng won Mr. Basketball. He played for United Tribes Technical College his freshman year before transferring to LRSC.
He’ll get one last chance to take the floor in a game on the court where he grew up. His hometown of Tokio, about a 15-minute drive east of Fort Totten, has a population of under 300 people.
“A couple fun games. … A good way to get out in the community,” Marshall said. “Get other places that have been good to us, and really drum up some support. And I think that we had a great crowd [Wednesday]; I was pretty jacked about that. But continue to hopefully develop that, and get those guys their games. If we can have fun at their place, maybe we can get them here, too.”
With the unusually early Monday start on Feb. 9, the games will be over in time for Indians fans to go to Devils Lake that evening and watch the highly-anticipated girls matchup.
Leftbear and Hagler are not only playing for their local college, but both are getting significant playing time. And they’re shining.
Leftbear has been a starter all season and is averaging 10.9 points per game. He’s been particularly good as of late, averaging 17.4 points over his last eight games. He had 24-point performances in back-to-back games.
Hagler’s return to the basketball court after a year off was delayed by an early-season injury. But he’s found a groove in the new year. Over his last five games, he’s averaging 16 points. He’s appeared in 11 games overall and averaged 11.8.
Fans can expect Leftbear and Hagler to both be in the starting lineup and carry a solid load for the Royals.
The men’s team has three other North Dakotans: Lance Bradley from Fort Yates, Little Hail Perkins from White Shield and Brennan Johnson from Tioga.
LRSC is 9-13 overall and 0-5 in conference play.
The women’s team features Devils Lake native Torri Fee, along with Thompson’s Sydney Schwabe, Bismarck’s Zoie Austin and New Town’s Ayiana Gray.
The women are 12-8 overall and 3-2 in conference play.
