Max Palmer takes a deep breath in preparation to pass the ball during the Firebirds’ region semifinal battle with Four Winds/Minnewaukan. (Photo by Cameron Carlson)
MAYVILLE — In the first quarter, the Firebirds looked like they had alleviated their woes that plagued them in their first two meetings with Four Winds/Minnewaukan.
In the middle two quarters, the Indians reminded Devils Lake why they were ranked No. 1.
But the Firebirds (16-7), seeded No. 4 in the region, outlasted FW/M (20-3) in Tuesday’s region semifinal matchup at Mayville State University. They won 56-48 behind 21 points from Max Palmer and some timely turnovers.
“It feels so good after getting spanked last time,” Palmer said. “We knew they were a good team, so we had to come out and play our ball. And I knew we could win this one.”
Devils Lake returns to the region championship, where it was victorious each of the last two years. The Firebirds have never lost a Region 2A tournament game.
“This is about as good a playoff atmosphere basketball that you could get,” Devils Lake head coach Dustin Brodina said. “It’s almost like a state championship type atmosphere: Back and forth, teams throwing punches at each other. … It’s resilience, it’s discipline and determination, I think, was the three words that we talked about. I’m proud of the guys for finishing the game.”
In the Firebirds’ previous loss to FW/M, Mason and Max Palmer had combined for just 18 points.
In the first quarter on Tuesday, they combined for 10 right away.
Devils Lake had a lead as large as 19-8. Max Palmer picked up where he’d left off on Monday, scoring 15 in the first half. The Indians turned it over seven times in the first quarter.
“We just shot ourselves in the foot too many times,” FW/M head coach Rick Smith said. “All three losses that we’ve had, it’s been first-quarter blues for us.”
But then the Indians fought back.
Max Palmer turned out to be the only Firebird who made a field goal in the second quarter.
Mason Palmer, after scoring four in the first, didn’t find the basket at all in the second or third.
“The thing is, they sped us up with the press, which kind of forced us to take quick shots,” Brodina said. “Our guys are open, and they’re confident shooters. And if we knock down the first two, they’re out of it. But we missed the first two, and then we kept rushing shots. And the guys always want to try to go fast to try to make up for what they lost. We’ve got to teach them to be disciplined and to get the next possession.”
The Indians took advantage. They went on a 15-0 run in the middle two quarters. The big, physical Sonny Alberts made his first two baskets of the game, including one that he muscled through a double-team.
Jonte Delorme opened each half with a triple for FW/M. After baskets from Marial Deng and Dayson Dubois, the Indians led 31-25.
Neither Palmer scored in the third quarter.
“We’ve got to stay calm,” Max said. “We’ve been here before. So our experience helps us a lot.”
Devils Lake ended the third quarter on a 9-0 run. Ben Brodina hit a game-tying three. An Alberts jump-hook bounced short, and Bryar Exner made a go-ahead layup.
FW/M’s Joran Lohnes reached four fouls late in the third quarter. The Firebirds forced a shot-clock violation on a Delorme three attempt, then went into the fourth quarter with a 38-31 lead.
The Indians opened the final eight minutes with another momentum swing in their favor. Deng kept getting inside on Devils Lake, scoring six more points to finish with a team-high 14. He made an athletic move to tie it, then floated one in to make it 40-38 Indians.
“We just don’t have any size at all,” Brodina said. “A bunch of football players. Benny’s our tallest guy, but Marial’s an all-state player for a reason. … And they did a great job of getting it down low. And we tried the best we can to try to limit it.”
It took the Firebirds more than three minutes to score in the fourth quarter.
When they did, though, it was a much-needed go-ahead triple from Max Palmer.
“[The Indians] didn’t knock down threes — so maybe it was a good thing we traded twos for threes,” Brodina said with a laugh.
The teams exchanged leads two more times before Mason Palmer hit his own go-ahead three. Mason hadn’t scored since the first quarter.
“You see Mason’s athleticism and what he can do offensively,” Brodina said. “And they kept him in check. They doubled him quite a bit, especially when he got down in. But he’s so strong. … He’s a big-time player and a competitor when it’s on the line. I don’t know if I’d want anybody else in the state to have the ball in their hands.”
Mason had nine points in the fourth, finishing with 13 overall. He and Max combined for 15 in the final period.
“It was awesome,” Max said. “[Mason] was a little quiet tonight, but he played great defense and did his part.”
Along with a triple by Exner, Devils Lake had a wide enough lead to hold on. The Indians had to foul over the final two minutes or so. They could never cut their deficit smaller than five points.
“You’ve got to credit Devils Lake,” Smith said. “When we took a lead, they made some big shots. … They made the plays down the stretch, and we didn’t.”
The Palmers only went 5-for-12 from the free throw line down the stretch. But it was enough to get the job done.
Brodina had trust in his team in tight moments.
“Got to stay composed and be disciplined,” Brodina said. “We’ve done this in practice 100 times. We put the speakers on as loud as we can in the Sports Center, and we’re throwing stuff at them, and you’re not gonna be able to hear me. You’ve got to be disciplined when it counts. It’s going to come down to three or four possessions, and we need to be perfect.”
The Firebirds will play the winner of Grafton vs. May-Port-C-G Thursday at 7 p.m. in the Region 2 championship.
“They’ll be ready to go. They’re composed,” Brodina said. “We’ve got four seniors that we start; they’ve been here before, to a certain extent. … The last two months don’t mean nothing. There’s a whole new ball game.”
The Indians will play the loser of the second semifinal game at 5:30 p.m. Thursday. If they win, they’ll advance to a state qualifier Saturday at SCHEELS Center in Fargo.
“I feel the hunger,” Smith said. “Our coaching staff feels the hunger. Now they’ve got to feel the hunger. They’ve got to want it. … They’re gonna have to come out with their tennis shoes tied tight and flames coming out of their ears, because nobody wants to play their last high school basketball game. … We’ve got to forget about this one.”
