Devils Lake boys’ basketball provided a night of entertainment for the ages last Thursday. In front of a packed Devils Lake Sports Center gym, the No. 4 Firebirds won a dogfight over the No. 2 Spoilers, edging them out 68-66.
The victory established Devils Lake as not only one of the top teams in Division A, but a team to beat. Here are three things we learned from the Firebirds’ heroics.
They can beat anyone
Going into Thursday’s game, Devils Lake’s lone loss had come to conference opponent Four Winds/Minnewaukan. The Indians were ranked No. 3 in the latest polls, a spot ahead of the Firebirds and a spot below the Spoilers.
The rest of Devils Lake’s wins were all against unranked or non-conference opponents. Besides the victory over Grafton, the Firebirds’ other win in Division A, Region 2 — giving them a 2-1 conference record — was against Hillsboro/Central Valley, a 3-5 team. For a skeptic, it might be easy to say that the Firebirds hadn’t proven they could beat a legitimately tough team.
Now they have.
Devils Lake was ranked No. 1 earlier in the year, a position that head coach Dustin Brodina admitted he didn’t want the team to carry on its back. But with the team having slipped down to No. 4, it did exactly what it needed to do to return to the No. 1 conversation. Though the Firebirds fell just short against the No. 3 Indians, they proved they can beat the No. 2 team — and not just beat them, but outduel them in such relentless fashion.
Devils Lake senior guard Wylee Delorme said he thought his team was disrespected in the latest polls. That’s the attitude these Firebirds are going into the rest of the season with, but it’s not just for show; their actions backed up their words Thursday night.
If Devils Lake can beat Grafton, there’s no reason to think it wouldn’t fare well in a rematch with Four Winds, or in a battle with No. 1 Kindred. It gives the team, and its fans, a lot to be excited for as the season continues on.
They don’t let the occasional slump phase them
If there’s any trait that defines this team, it’s resiliency.
The loss to FW/M might have been deflating for some squads, but not for this one. Being that the loss came so early in conference play, a lot can change with the time that’s left — just look at how things have changed already. Delorme was the first to admit on Thursday that the loss stung, and that the win over Grafton boosted his team’s confidence.
And just look at the entire game against Grafton. The Spoilers are a good team, and they made sure Devils Lake was aware of it. Tony Villareal was a pesky three-point shooter for them, and anytime Devils Lake took a lead, Grafton would answer right back.
The Firebirds had all the momentum on their side after a Mason Palmer three at the buzzer of the first half, but a sluggish start to the second half threatened their prospect of victory. Grafton had a 9-2 run, overtaking the lead, 37-35.
It would have been tempting to give up right there. But they didn’t.
If anything, they started playing better. Delorme got back into the groove that has been so valuable for this team, and the two squads were neck and neck the rest of the way.
And finally, a discussion about resiliency wouldn’t be complete without mentioning Parker Brodina’s roller coaster of emotions at the end of the game. After missing two free throws with the game tied, there was a deflated essence in the gym, the worry suddenly creeping over the Firebirds faithful that they might have missed their chance. But Drew Hofstad made a steal, and Brodina came through with the game-winning layup.
This Devils Lake team doesn’t want to lose. And it’s going to be very, very hard for any team to beat them.
Wylee Delorme showing why he’s going to play at the next level
The 6-foot-5 senior is committed to play basketball at the University of Mary next season, and for good reason.
Even with just one point in the first quarter on Thursday, he ended up leading Devils Lake’s scoring with 27 points. The game before that, he led with 37 points.
At one point in the third quarter, he made 14 consecutive points for the Firebirds. Not only that, but he had three consecutive lead-chaning threes, four consecutive lead-changing shots and five lead-changing shots overall in that stretch.
Delorme embodies the resiliency trait as well, but he’s more than just resilient; he’s somebody who can carry an entire team on his back when needed. This Devils Lake team is deep, with numerous weapons and options, but it all starts at the top of the pyramid with Delorme. When stuck in a tight race with a good team, he’s somebody the Firebirds know they can pass the ball to, somebody who can make the big shot under pressure.
And it’s Delorme’s presence that’s going to be so vital going forward. Without him, it would have been a lot tougher to keep up with Grafton’s pace on Thursday.
Devils Lake continues region play with a 7:30 p.m. matchup against Thompson on the road on Monday.
