North Star and Nelson County each won a game at state on Friday.
Seeded No. 7 and 8, respectively, in the Division B boys’ basketball state tournament, the Bearcats and Chargers bounced back from losing on Thursday to grab victories in Friday’s consolation semifinals at the Minot State Dome.
This means the two area squads will play for fifth place on Saturday.
No. 7 seed North Star (21-7) won 57-40 over No. 6 seed Bishop Ryan (20-8). Hunter Hagler had a big game with 18 points and 10 rebounds. Fellow senior Levi Borstad added 10 points and six rebounds.
The Bearcats outscored Bishop Ryan in every individual quarter. They also won the battle of the boards, 43-30. Bishop Ryan shot just 14-for-52 from the field, including 3-for-20 from three. Izaac Strandlen was Bishop Ryan’s points leader, with 10, despite shooting just 3-for-13.
No. 8 seed Nelson County (19-8) won 69-52 over No. 4 seed Midway/Minto (22-5) in the other consolation semifinal. It was a rematch of the Region 2 championship, which M/M had won 56-49.
This time, the Chargers had a 34-20 lead at halftime and never looked back. Senior forward Rider Schmidt had 23 points and 12 rebounds to lead the way. Sophomore forward Jaxson Joramo also had a strong game with 16 points and nine rebounds.
Senior guard Brody Rainsberry scored 13 points, shooting 4-for-5 from the field, including 3-for-3 from three and 2-for-2 from the free throw line. Taven Huso added 12 points off the bench.
Nelson County outrebounded M/M 38-28.
The Chargers went 9-for-13 from three-point range.
The Bearcats’ and Chargers’ seasons will conclude Saturday in the 2:45 p.m. game at the Minot State Dome, competing for fifth place. Both teams are guaranteed to finish higher than their seeding at state.
North Star beat Nelson County twice during the regular season: 65-57 in the Ramsey County tournament championship and 72-60 in their district meeting. Nelson County beat North Star 69-58 in the District 4 quarterfinals, which ignited the run that eventually led the Chargers to their first state appearance in co-op history.
North Star is competing at state for the first time since 2024, when it took second.
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