Wylee Delorme had that look in his eyes.
Sprinting down the court, he nabbed the ball from an unsuspecting Thompson Tommie, took it to the rim himself and slammed the ball into the bucket.
Everyone cheered. Everyone was on their feet. Even head coach Dustin Brodina was roaring and pumping his fists. After trailing for most of the second and third quarter, Devils Lake had regained a 10-point lead during the final two minutes of Friday’s game.
It allowed Delorme a chance to unleash the stress — a weight off his back after reaching the milestone he’s been dreaming about since he was a young kid, and helping his team churn out a victory that was in serious jeopardy only minutes earlier.
“It feels great coming through adversity,” Delorme said. “I’m so happy to get this achievement.”
Delorme used to come to Devils Lake basketball games when he was younger, going all the way back to his days as a toddler, he said. He would watch and think about scoring 1,000 points one day. Somewhere among the crowd of Devils Lake locals was a young Delorme imagining himself on that basketball court.
Now, he’s a senior with 1,000 career points under his belt. He reached the mark in the penultimate game of the regular season against a tough region opponent, Thompson, at the same Devils Lake Sports Center gym where he grew up going to games. Delorme has led a Firebirds team that’s been top-five in Division A all season and is gearing up for a playoff run. His senior campaign hasn’t come without its peaks and valleys — his production had slowed down in recent games, including a loss to Grafton that ended a 13-game winning streak — but his time came on Friday with a 25-point performance.
“I think it’s been hanging over his head the last few games,” Brodina said. “This is good for him to get over that hump. And he deserves it. He’s a great player. He put in a lot of work, and it shows. Scoring 1,000 points is not easy, especially on our team, where we’re a big team.”
And Brodina’s right: This team isn’t just about Delorme. Parker Brodina and Joel Nelson mesh well with Delorme to form a trio that can be deadly when it’s going well. Beau Brodina can surprise too, like he did a couple games ago with a school-record nine three-pointers, in addition to the consistently solid defense he plays. Players like Drew Hofstad, Oliver Wirth and Mason Palmer all chip in as well, picking the team up when things go wrong.
What makes this team, which is already so deep, extra special is the bond these players have created with each other since long before their high school days.
“In the spring, we used to go on all these road trips together to California,” Delorme said of his teammates — particularly P. Brodina, Nelson and Wirth. “We have a good friendship, man. And it’s special. Very special. It translates to the court.”
Perhaps the truest test of this team’s talent comes in games like Friday’s, when the team wasn’t at its 100% best and needed to fight to come out with a win. Delorme scored eight points in the first quarter, but fell silent in the second quarter as Thompson overtook the lead. He got back to playing his game in the third quarter with nine points, keeping the Firebirds within a two-point deficit.
His fourth-quarter performance was the kind of statement he and the team needed.
His second basket of the quarter — giving him 21 so far on the night — was the one that got him to 1,000. It wasn’t one of his electric dunks, or one of his flashy threes from deep. It was a simple field goal that gave Devils Lake a 65-62 lead.
The PA announcer couldn’t even finish announcing Delorme’s achievement before Thompson tied it on a three-pointer. This game wasn’t over. Delorme wasn’t celebrating yet; he wasn’t even smiling. He was locked in on the game, one he was determined to win after coming so far.
The teams exchanged baskets, and Devils Lake went ahead on a pair of Delorme free throws. The Firebirds stretched their lead with shots by B. Brodina and Nelson, along with four more free throws by Delorme and Nelson.
Then Delorme got his moment.
Every part of the play — from the steal, to the run, to the dunk that sent Devils Lake Sports Center into a frenzy — was about Delorme, who was king of the court in that moment. He wasn’t able to celebrate his achievement right when it happened, given that he and the Firebirds still had a game to win. But right there, he got to, and it was as satisfying as he could have possibly imagined.
“The emotions were everywhere, man,” Delorme said. “Happy the gym was loud. It’s good to be on the floor with my teammates.”
The postgame celebration was all about Delorme, who earned the “Dirty Bird” player of the game. He also received a custom-made poster that read “1000 career points” and “Wylee Delorme #23,” with pictures of Delorme shooting the basketball. He posed with the poster for pictures with his teammates, his coaches and his family.
“To cap it off with that dunk, I was really excited for him,” Brodina said. “I’m happy for him.”
Postgame smiles were in abundance after the stress of a tight game. But the Firebirds will be back to work after this, especially with the Region 2 tournament coming up. This is a team that has hopes of winning the state tournament, and has enough talent to make a serious run at accomplishing that goal.
“There’s more to come,” Delorme said. “There’s more to build on. A lot more. And all of this, as good of an achievement it is to get, there’s a lot more to the season that I want.”
