Devils Lake’s Mia Elsperger guards Central Cass’s Jaci Verkuehlen at the top of the arc. (Photo by Mojo Hill)
MAYVILLE — The Firebirds’ path to return to the state tournament was not a smooth one.
The team was aware that some outside observers didn’t think they’d be going to Jamestown.
“A lot of people haven’t been thinking we were going to make it,” senior Mia Elsperger said. “But we just had to put that aside and get it done.”
Needing to win a state qualifier over Central Cass on Saturday, the Firebirds trailed 40-39 going into the fourth quarter. Eight minutes from their season ending.
“Keep our pressure up. Keep the intensity,” junior Tylie Brodina said. “I think that if we calmed down a little bit, we knew we were going to be fine.”
In the end, they got it done.
It came down to the final seconds, but Devils Lake (15-10) won 52-48 over Central Cass (13-12) at Mayville State University.
“I think we were kind of doubted coming into this,” Brodina said. “Like, they were thinking we weren’t going to make it to state. So I think it just feels good to kind of prove everybody wrong.”
Justin Klein’s squad earned a state berth for the third consecutive year. Klein held a pair of goggles in front of his eyes as he ran into the rambunctious locker room after the game, preparing for the impending shower from his roomful of victorious Firebirds.
Moments like this haven’t gotten old for him.
“Two years ago we win state; we’ve still got some kids on that team that battled through a lot of adversity and things like that,” Klein said. “Our record isn’t very good this year, but we’ve played some good games. We played a really tough schedule. But I think that makes us better for these games.”
The Firebirds seemed to have caught a break by getting Central Cass in this matchup, as opposed to Kindred.
But the Squirrels, who upset Valley City in the Region 1 tournament, weren’t a pushover. They played Devils Lake significantly tighter than in the Firebirds’ 70-51 victory in the regular season.
“They just came out really strong,” Brodina said. “They wanted it just as much as we did.”
Shots weren’t landing for Devils Lake. Presley Brown didn’t score at all in the first half. Brodina hit an early triple but didn’t score again until the second quarter.
“Between Presley and Tylie, we’re usually guaranteed there, 20 points and 10 or 13 or whatever,” Klein said. “So it’s tough. Yeah, we’ve got to figure that out. And that’s some of the problem we had during the year, sometimes, was when those two didn’t score, or Tylie didn’t hit her shots, we just kind of watched.”
After trailing 6-2, and-ones from Ava Beck and Tenley Triepke helped Devils Lake take the lead.
The Firebirds led for the rest of the half. Central Cass went almost half of the second quarter without scoring — but Devils Lake wasn’t lighting up the scoreboard, either. Its lead was only 27-22 at halftime.
“I think Tylie was real flustered. They did a real good job on her,” Klein said. “They pushed us out, too, in the offense, which was not what we wanted. We wanted to play more inside. I thought we took a few too many deep shots, too.”
Perhaps the biggest difference maker in the first half was Triepke, the first player off the bench. She made 3-of-3 free throws in addition to three field goals. She had a game-high nine points at halftime.
“I turned and said to my assistants, ‘If it wasn’t for Tenley, we wouldn’t probably be in this game right now,’” Klein said. “She’s instant offense. Good left-handed guard who’s only a freshman. Stepped up big. Just sometimes, her size is a tough matchup down low. But today was a game she could keep up with because of the speed. She’s real quick.”
The Squirrels came out of the locker room remarkably sharper in the second half. They opened on a 13-4 run, highlighted by a triple from Keelyn Flanagan that gave Central Cass a 35-31 lead.
The teams traded leads four more times in the third quarter.
Elsperger hit two go-ahead shots in the quarter.
“Just take my time,” Elsperger said of her mindset. “Line up and finish in the hoop.”
Central Cass had a one-point advantage going into the fourth.
Brodina made a driving shot to give Devils Lake the lead early in the final period. Elsperger made another shot to give the Firebirds some breathing room.
Elsperger also hit a massive triple that made it a two-possession game. She finished tied for Brodina with a game-high 13 points.
“I’d like to get her down low a little bit more, but they were outside,” Klein said. “And I thought she came off the screen and didn’t hesitate. I thought she did a nice job stepping up as a senior.”
Brown, despite not making any field goals all game, came through by drawing three key fouls down the stretch. She hit 5-of-6 free throws.
She accounted for the final five Devils Lake points of the game.
Kenley Haug kept Central Cass in it with a triple at 13.9 seconds. But Brown went to the line with 11.5 seconds left and made her final two shots from the stripe.
“I thought we did a good job finishing the game,” Klein said. “Presley Brown had a couple big free throws. We ran the clock down and got ourselves good shots. Good execution.”
So, Devils Lake earned a trip to Jamestown.
Two years ago, the Firebirds won the state title to end a drought that had been going since 1987. Last year, they entered as the No. 1 seed but lost in the semis.
They won’t be the No. 1 seed this time. Of the three years in Division A, it’s been the relative rockiest road to the big stage.
Regardless, they’ll get a chance to make another run.
“So amazing,” Elsperger said of the feeling. “I really cannot wait.”
Brodina, who went ballistic two years ago to win state tournament MVP as a freshman, goes back to the dance as an upperclassman.
“Freshman year was really good,” Brodina said. “But this year kind of felt a little special because it’s a new group of girls. We have a lot of freshmen. So just kind of get them that experience, and just show them what it’s like to go to state.”
The state tournament will be held March 5-7 in Jamestown.
