Ten games. Ten wins.
All the North Star Bearcats can do right now is win.
“I think we can go all the way, definitely,” senior guard Dane Hagler said. “We just gotta keep working.”
Playing their annual game at Starkweather High School, with whom Cando co-opts, No. 2 North Star handily beat Midway/Minto (5-5, 4-3, 1-3) by a score of 70-41 Thursday evening. A dominant second quarter and the lethal duo of Hagler and Parker Simon were more than enough to keep the Bearcats’ undefeated streak alive, bringing them to 2-0 thus far in district play.
“It was good to see us come out with lots of energy,” head coach Jesse Vote said. “And I thought our defense was really good. It produced a lot of layups at the other end.”
The Mustangs brought a style — especially early on — that saw them go for big, aggressive shots. It kept them in the game at first, with Riley and Elijah Robinson each swishing a three. Oftentimes, though, North Star was able to recover the ball and get it into the hoop.
Karsen Simon made a pair of baskets, then traded threes with his brother Parker at the end of the first quarter. North Star was edging Midway/Minto out, 19-13.
“If you play against a team that lives and dies by the three-pointer, there’s gonna be lots of long rebounds,” Vote said. “And I was extremely impressed with the way we rebounded, in the first half especially.”
A whopping 15-0 run by North Star turned a relatively close game into a blowout down the stretch of the second quarter. P. Simon had five points in that span, while Brett Dilley made back-to-back layups after a rebound that caught the Mustangs off guard.
“That was an energy series there for us,” Vote said. “Big momentum definitely going into the halftime.”
North Star outscored Midway/Minto 23-7 in the second quarter and took a 42-20 lead into the half.
The Mustangs came out more competitive in the second half, holding even at 6-6 through the first few minutes. But P. Simon and Hagler started to get back into a rhythm, combining to make 10 consecutive points for North Star. Hagler had a two-handed dunk that saw him hang on the rim for a split second, a modest smile warped across his face.
Hagler missed some time earlier in the season during the Ramsey County tournament, but returned in the championship game and is now back to full health.
“My physical therapist helped me a lot in getting back, getting my exercises in,” Hagler said. “And now we’re back dunkin’.”
North Star regained domination late in the third quarter, despite the slow start. Between P. Simon and Hagler, along with the contributions of K. Simon, the Bearcats overpowered Midway/Minto’s inconsistent shooting effort.
“We came out in the third quarter, and things weren’t tremendous. They threw a little full-court press on us. We’re always prepared for it, but we just lost our heads and lost our position there,” Vote said. “But we fought through it. We were able to figure things out there and hold off their little run that they threw at us.”
P. Simon finished with 20 points in the first three quarters before Vote sat his regulars. Simon was named tournament MVP when the Bearcats took home the championship less than two weeks ago.
“He’s playing at a high level right now for us,” Vote said. “You throw Parker and Dane on the court at the same time, and they’re pretty tough.”
It wound up being a 29-point victory for North Star. Ranked No. 2 in the recent polls, the Bearcats are 5-0 in Region 2 play. Every game is of paramount importance in keeping those high marks, but they hardly needed to crack a sweat in that regard on Thursday.
“You have to come and play day in and day out,” Vote said. “No matter how good you are, if you don’t bring your A game, everyone’s gonna come gunning for you. We’ve got the target on our back. So we just have to make sure we come ready to go every day, every practice, and get better.”
North Star’s next opponent is a Division A team, Carrington, on Saturday at North Star High School. Tip-off is scheduled for 1:30 p.m.
Joseph “Mojo” Hill is a reporter covering Lake Region sports for the Devils Lake Journal. Contact him on Twitter @mojohill22 or at jhill@devilslakejournal.com for any tips, questions or story ideas.
