Devils Lake girls’ basketball belatedly had its first matchup with No. 5 Carrington on Tuesday.
The Firebirds fell on the road, 62-56, in overtime.
It was only worth one point in the region standings, dropping Devils Lake’s region record to 4-2 (7-6 overall). Carrington won its eighth straight, improving to 10-3 overall and 8-1 in region play.
The Firebirds and Cardinals were previously scheduled to play in Devils Lake on Dec. 18. That game will instead happen this upcoming Monday, Feb. 2. Thompson and Carrington are the only region teams that Devils Lake will play twice during the regular season (as opposed to a single two-point game).
In the first of two rematches of last year’s region championship game, the Firebirds came so close.
They led 31-28 at the half and by as many as seven in the third quarter. Tylie Brodina paced Devils Lake with 23 points, all in regulation. Presley Brown added 14, coming in the first three quarters.
Most of Carrington’s games have been low-scoring, averaging totals of under 50 both for and against. The Cardinals beat Grafton 43-37 and Rugby 30-29, while losing 34-33 to Benson County and 42-39 to Hillsboro/Central Valley.
The first half of Tuesday’s contest didn’t follow that theme. Each team turned it over numerous times and played with physicality. Carrington’s Aniston Hoornaert hit three triples in the first half and four on the night, leading the Cardinals with 19 points.
Brodina scored 10 of her points in the first quarter. She made three triples in the first half and five in the game.
The Firebirds took a hit late in the first half when Dottie Goss went down with an injury. It appeared to be leg-related. Goss had just worked her way back from an injury a few weeks ago.
Devils Lake fended off a pair of Marah Johnson buckets — which briefly tied it at 34-34 — to maintain its lead through the third quarter. Brodina hit a deep, go-ahead three.
Brown completed a three-point play, going 4-for-4 from the stripe in the contest. She added a steal and a layup in the third quarter. The Firebirds’ lead was as wide as 43-36.
Carrington got its own key steal in the fourth quarter, leading to a corner three by Kodi Thiel that got the Cardinals within a point.
Hoornaert hit a go-ahead three as the teams traded leads five times in the fourth quarter.
Carrington frequently got to the free throw line but went just 8-for-16 in that department in the quarter. The Cardinals inched ahead, 52-49, before Brodina flung up a deep three that tied the game with about 11 seconds left in regulation.
Brodina’s triple was only the third field goal of the fourth quarter for Devils Lake. Carrington had just two — and both were threes. The constant trips to the free throw line made the difference, despite the Cardinals not shooting particularly well from the stripe.
Marah Kutz scored the first four points of overtime, including a layup on the opening possession, to give Carrington a 56-52 lead.
Mid-range shots from Mia Elsperger and Emma Hofstad tied it back up.
Those were the only points Devils Lake wound up scoring in overtime.
Johnson, who’d been silent in the first half for Carrington, made 1-of-2 free throws to inch the Cardinals ahead. Then, with about 16 seconds left, she hit the dagger. Hofstad fell down trying to defend Johnson while Carrington passed the ball around, eating up the clock. Johnson then landed a step-back three to give Carrington a two-possession lead.
Brodina missed a deep three attempt on Devils Lake’s last chance. The Firebirds committed one last foul with 1.8 seconds left, and Johnson converted the final two free throws of the night to make it 62-56.
All in all, Carrington went 14-for-24 from the free throw line.
Kutz was second on the Cardinals with 11 points. Johnson only had 10, but her points were some of the most timely of the whole game.
Devils Lake got six from Hofstad, five from Jenae Martinson and four from Elsperger.
The Cardinals will be in Devils Lake Monday to do it all over again. Carrington currently sits in first place in the Region 2 standings, while Devils Lake is in fourth.
The Firebirds still have eight potential region points on the table. Carrington only has five more.
