No. 4 Devils Lake boys’ basketball completed its regular season at home Monday evening. The Firebirds beat Carrington, the last-place team in Region 2, 71-30 while celebrating their seniors.
Devils Lake finished the regular season with an overall record of 19-2 overall, 6-2 in Region 2. It currently sits as the third seed in the region. No. 2 Grafton (8-2) and No. 3 Four Winds/Minnewaukan (7-2) each have one game remaining, so Devils Lake could still theoretically move up one or two spots. But it would require Grafton losing to Hillsboro/Central Valley and/or FW/M losing to Thompson — neither of which is a likely result.
In any case, it was a largely dominant season for the Firebirds. They handled most of their competition with no problem, and only ran into trouble when facing the incredibly talented Spoilers and Indians squads. It’s nearly a three-way tie among Region 2’s three best teams, who also happen to be three of the best teams in Division A.
The Region 2 tournament begins on Monday at Mayville State University. Only one team can win the tournament, but the second-place and third-place teams will go to state qualifier games. So it is very possible that all three of Devils Lake, Grafton and FW/M make it to state.
Highlights
No. 1 North Star boys’ basketball fended off an upset attempt by Langdon Area/Edmore/Munich in the District 3 semifinals on Monday. It was an important test for the Bearcats, with two of their best players not on their games. They fell into an early hole but battled their way back and pulled away in the fourth quarter. Dane and Hunter Hagler were the heroes for North Star. For more on this game, read here.
In the other District 3 semifinal game, Midway/Minto won a tight game over Cavalier, 62-61.
In the District 4 boys’ semifinals, Nelson County beat New Rockford-Sheyenne 63-55 while May-Port-C-G beat Griggs-Midkota 61-59. It’s been a surprising run for May-Port-C-G, which entered the tournament as the No. 7 seed. Nelson County is the No. 1 seed. The teams will face off in the district championship on Wednesday.
After finishing the season with a win, the Lake Region State College women’s basketball team’s first playoff opponent was announced. It’ll be Bismarck State College, which placed last in the Mon-Dak Athletic Conference during the regular season. The Royals came in third place. The teams will square off right here in Devils Lake at 7 p.m. on Wednesday.
Other scores
Boys’ basketball
North Border 65, Drayton/Valley-Edinburg 50
Benson County 55, Warwick 85
Hatton/Northwood 59, Larimore 49
North Prairie 50, Park River/Fordville-Lankin 56
Valley City 59, No. 1 Kindred 78
What to watch
North Star will now compete in the District 3 championship at approximately 7 p.m. against Midway/Minto. In their regular season matchup, the Bearcats won 70-41. They’ll try to shake off whatever jitters plagued them on Monday and get back to business as the team that went undefeated in region and district play.
Four Winds/Minnewaukan boys’ basketball will complete its regular season on the road at 7:30 p.m. against Thompson. The Indians are the favored team by a fairly large margin, but the Tommies are coming off a game where they gave Devils Lake a run for its money. A win would secure the No. 2 seed in Region 2, while a loss would give the Firebirds the slight edge.