After No. 5 Devils Lake girls’ basketball handled Four Winds/Minnewaukan Monday night by a score of 58-38, the boys will look to follow suit on Tuesday.
This evening’s contest will bring the two best high school basketball teams in the Lake Region to Devils Lake Sports Center. No. 2 Devils Lake, which has won 11 in a row, will face No. 3 FW/M, which handed the Firebirds their only loss of the season back in December. It’ll be a revenge story for Devils Lake. And it’ll be a redemption story for the Indians, who were ranked ahead of the Firebirds before falling to No. 1 Kindred.
The gym was nearly packed to the brim on Monday night, and it should be even more stuffed on Tuesday. Make sure to arrive early if you want a good seat. Given the playoff seeding implications on the line, and the quality of teams playing, this is arguably the biggest basketball team to be played in the Lake Region so far this season.
The Firebirds are led by Wylee Delorme, a University of Mary basketball commit with a penchant for three-pointers and dunks. Delorme is tall, stringy and athletic, and can beat opponents in a variety of ways. Devils Lake is deep, too, and has been playing its best basketball of late. The Firebirds don’t just rely on Delorme, as shooters like Parker Brodina and Joel Nelson often carry them at times as well. Then there’s guys like Beau Brodina and Drew Hofstad, more under-the-radar players who make just as much of an impact on defense and the occasional spurt of offense.
The player to watch on FW/M is Deng Deng, a strong, muscular University of North Dakota football commit. Deng has combined for 77 points in his last two games, including a school record-tying 47 against No. 4 Grafton. Deng finds success by muscling and maneuvering his way through defensive pressure and finding his way to the rim, which often includes his signature thundering dunk. He’s arguably better and flashier than any player on Devils Lake. The Indians aren’t as deep overall, although Dalen Leftbear can be an under-the-radar pest for them.
The contest will commence at 7:15 p.m. at Devils Lake Sports Center.
Highlights
Cabryn Fritel led the Devils Lake girls with 16 points Monday night. The Indians played the Firebirds close in the first quarter, but Devils Lake settled in and ran away with it the rest of the night. It was a needed, comfortable victory for the Firebirds after dropping a spot in the latest polls. They have three games remaining in the regular season.
For more on this game, stay tuned to Thursday’s print edition of the Devils Lake Journal.
Devils Lake girls’ hockey lost a non-conference game on the road, falling 7-4 to East Grand Forks. Siri Olson and Ashlyn Abrahamson each had two goals. It was the first non-conference game the Firebirds have played this year; they still sit in seventh place out of 12 teams with a 7-11 conference record.
North Star boys’ basketball, fresh off its jump back to the No. 2 spot in Division B, beat St. John 71-45. The Bearcats are 16-1 overall, 9-0 in Region 2 and 7-0 in District 3.
Other scores
Boys’ basketball
Thompson 63, Dunseith 35
Lisbon 38, Carrington 60
Hatton/Northwood 24, Nelson County 67
Larimore 51, Park River/Fordville-Lankin 57
Napoleon/G-S 47, Griggs-Midkota 57
Cavalier 77, Midway/Minto 61
North Prairie 56, Langdon Area/Edmore/Munich 60
North Border 56, Drayton 74
Girls’ basketball
Hillsboro/Central Valley 53, Larimore 40
New Rockford-Sheyenne 55, Medina-Pingree/Buchanan 39
Boys’ hockey
Mayville-Portland-C-G 3, Crookston 1
Men’s basketball
Williston State College 107, Bismarck State College 97
North Dakota State College of Science 90, Dawson Community College 77
Women’s basketball
Williston State College 90, Bismarck State College 55
North Dakota State College of Science 66, Dawson Community College 46
What to watch
Besides the Devils Lake-FW/M boys’ basketball game, Devils Lake girls’ hockey will also be back at home on Tuesday. The Firebirds (7-12, 7-11) take on fourth-place Grand Forks (13-6, 12-5) at 7:15 p.m.
Devils Lake boys’ hockey (7-12-1, 4-11), meanwhile, plays on the road against Fargo North (15-5, 10-5) at 7:30 p.m. Last time these teams met, Devils Lake lost 2-1 in overtime.
