No. 2 Devils Lake boys’ basketball won its 10th straight game on Tuesday, beating Turtle Mountain Community by a luxurious 73-52 score. Joel Nelson was the “Dirty Bird” player of the game.
The Firebirds are now 13-1 overall, with their only loss coming to No. 3 Four Winds/Minnewaukan. They’re 3-1 in region games. Their next three games are all against region opponents: Hillsboro/Central Valley on Thursday, FW/M next Tuesday and No. 4 Grafton the following Tuesday. It’ll be the most important games yet for Devils Lake this season, with a chance to solidify that No. 2 ranking and potentially even go up to No. 1.
Highlights
No. 4 Devils Lake girls’ basketball also played on the road Tuesday, but took home a loss. The Firebirds fell 70-54 to Valley City, a team that’s unranked despite its 13-5 overall record and 7-2 record in Division A, Region 1. Devils Lake is now 11-5 overall and 4-2 in Division A, Region 2. This loss could have negative implications on next week’s polls. The Firebirds will try to save face, in some respects, on Friday when they play region opponent Hillsboro/Central Valley (6-11, 0-4).
Devils Lake boys’ hockey lost 3-1 to Fargo South/Shanley on Senior Night at Burdick Arena. Logan Stokke scored his first goal of the year, but that was all the offense on the Firebirds’ side. Devils Lake has one home game remaining in the season and two games overall.
The girls’ hockey team played Tuesday as well and lost 3-2 to Fargo North/South. Its two goals came from its typical top two scorers, Ashlyn Abrahamson and Siri Olson. Delaney Parker had 29 saves at the net. The Firebirds are 7-10 and will next play at Fargo Davies on Friday.
FW/M girls’ basketball beat Grafton, 67-51. The Indians sit in fourth place in Region 2 with an 8-9, 3-5 record.
In Division B, No. 3 North Star boys’ basketball got back in the win column with a commanding 62-35 victory over North Prairie. The Bearcats had won their first 13 games of the season before recording a loss. They’re now 14-1 overall, 7-0 in their region and 5-0 in their district.
Other scores
Boys’ basketball
Carrington 40, Thompson 72
Hillsboro/Central Valley 64, May-Port-C-G 55
Benson County 29, Nelson County 56
Larimore 50, Drayton/Valley-Edinburg 58
New Rockford-Sheyenne 49, Griggs-Midkota 61
Cavalier 66, Park River/Fordville-Lankin 51
North Border 80, St. John 75
Midway/Minto 69, Langdon Area/Edmore/Munich 61
Girls’ basketball
Hillsboro/Central Valley 30, No. 1 May-Port-C-G 73
Midway/Minto 49, North Border 59
Warwick 33, New Rockford-Sheyenne 83
Boys’ hockey
West Fargo Sheyenne 0, Grand Forks Central 6
Fargo Davies 0, Grand Forks Red River 6
Grafton/Park River 0, Fargo North 6
Girls’ hockey
Minot 4, Bismarck Century 1
Fargo Davies 0, West Fargo United 3
What to watch
The Lake Region State College basketball teams are venturing into the mountains of Montana this week.
The third-place women’s team, which has won 11 of its last 12 games, faces Dawson Community College in Glendive, Mont. at 6:30 p.m. DCC beat LRSC last time the squads faced each other. Bizarrely, the Buccaneers are 6-6 in conference games and 0-9 in non-conference games.
The men’s teams will follow at 8:30 p.m. The Royals’ men are trying to break a five-game losing streak. DCC is in second place at 17-4 overall and 10-2 in conference matchups. The Royals fell into last place in the conference with their most recent loss.
Both teams will play again early Thursday afternoon against Miles Community College.
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.
