FARGO — Aubrey Kenner scored nine points in the last half of basketball she’ll play at the high school level.
Going into the half with just two points, Kenner made critical shots, including a triple and 4-of-4 free throws, to help the A/B girls win 79-69 over the AA girls in the Lions All-Star series at Fargo South High School on Thursday. The AA girls had taken the first matchup on Wednesday in Bismarck.
“I think the ball moved really well today, better than [Wednesday], and we talked about that in our practice today, that it needed to be less of like an iso game and more just like pushing it up the court in transition ball, looking for those transition threes,” Kenner said. “And I also think our defense was better today and all-around rebounding, because we knew that they’re the more physical team, but we just put a body on them.”
Kenner was named an All-Star after a decorated high school career that saw her become the most prolific scorer in Benson County history. She was an all-state first team player while being named the Region 2 Senior Athlete of the Year. As a junior, she led the Wildcats to their first state championship since 1987. She will be continuing her basketball career at the University of Mary.
“It’s bittersweet,” Kenner said. “This is the last high school game that I’ll ever play, and so I knew that I was gonna give it all I got. And while I’m sad to see this chapter end, I’m really excited for what comes next.”
The Lions All-Star series unites recent graduates from all over the state. The A/B girls, coached by Valley City’s Jimmy Howard and LaMoure-Litchville/Marion’s Ben Helen, had to learn to play as a team within just a few days.
“I was nervous going into it because I didn’t know what to expect,” Kenner said. “But the bond that we created with these girls over four days was unbelievable, and we did so many fun activities. So yeah, I would recommend it to anyone.”
The team included Thompson’s Addison Sage and South Prairie-Max’s Skotti Beck, who are continuing their basketball careers at Jamestown and Minot State, respectively.
Sage and Beck will be two of Kenner’s opponents in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference. But on Friday, they wore the same purple uniform.
“Teammates today, enemies tomorrow,” Kenner said. “But it was nice to get to know them a little bit more, and they’re incredible athletes. I look forward to playing against them on the court later on.”
Devils Lake’s Presley Brown also took part in the event as an alternate, joining the team on the bench and in the awards ceremony, though she didn’t play.
Kenner and Sage were both among the starting lineup, which had an East flavor given that the game was in Fargo. Kindred’s Liza Trenbeath, Thompson’s Kya Hurst and Hatton/Northwood’s Elizabeth Pinke also started.
The A/B All-Stars scored just three points over more than six minutes to begin the game. Kenner got them back in the scoring column with her first basket of the night. After trailing by as many as six, they went on a 10-0 run to take a 21-13 lead. Sage and Turtle Mountain’s Aubree Jeanotte had triples in that stretch.
A/B led by as many as 12 in the first half after a three by Hurst.
Kenner went into halftime, her team leading 39-29, with just those two points under her belt.
“I knew that I was playing with an incredibly talented team, but everyone has to play confident,” Kenner said. “Everyone on that court had a different role than they had on their high school team, but it was really key that everyone continued to play confident.”
Kenner reentered the game a little more than five minutes into the second half. Within the next two minutes, she provided a spark, hitting a three to extend the A/B team’s lead to 50-37 — the most it had led by all night.
With the lead at 55-46, the A/B team went on another 10-0 run. During that stretch, Kenner had a steal and a basket, which led to another turnover and a Sage basket. Sage had a team-high 14 points on the night.
The AA team still didn’t go away just yet. Led by 18 points from Fargo Davies’ Quinn Skari, including 11 in the second half, the AA All-Stars cut the gap as tight as six in the final minute of play.
Kenner came through again.
She hit four free throws down the stretch, assuring that the AA team’s comeback would be short-lived.
Kenner finished second on the A/B team with 11 points after scoring nine in the second half.
“I’m just really grateful for this opportunity to get to play with all of this amazing talent around the state,” she said.
Before this week, Kenner hadn’t played a competitive basketball game since taking third at the Division B state tournament in March. It had followed a disappointing state semifinal loss.
“This was a little less intense,” Kenner said. “It was so much fun, and I’m incredibly honored to have this opportunity.”
The school year at Mary starts on Sept. 8, and Kenner will be moving in about a week beforehand for basketball. She met her roommate, another incoming freshman on the basketball team, at the game on Wednesday in Bismarck. She’s also participated in various camps and activities with her new teammates.
“I genuinely love them all, and I know that it’s gonna be great,” Kenner said.
Now, her focus can shift into going full-steam-ahead on the college basketball experience.
“It’s gonna be different, and obviously I’m gonna have a completely different role than I had on my high school team,” Kenner said. “I’m gonna have to adapt and change, and probably go through some adversity, right? Like, I’m an incoming freshman. I haven’t been in the program like these other girls that are on the team. But I’m really excited.”