Wimbledon, ND (NewsDakota.com) – The Barnes County Tournament was a little different this year, but that did not stop the teams from playing.  Rather than being held in tournament format at one location, teams scheduled and played games at the home court of one team, including the Barnes County North Bison hosting the Finley-Sharon/Hope-Page Spartans Thursday night, the last night of the tournament.

The Bison came out on top 59-50 in a game that was tight all the way until the fourth quarter.  The Bison led 14-12 after one quarter, and the teams went into halftime tied at 23.  Both teams struggled with turnovers and free throw shooting, which kept the score down in the first half.  The Bison shot 0-5 from the line in the first half, while the Spartans shot 2-8.

Scoring picked up in the second half, even as both teams struggled to take care of the ball.  The third quarter ended 41-37, and it looked like the game was going to come down to the final minutes.  The Bison found a groove in the fourth quarter, however, fueled by senior Max Fehr, who scored 20 second half points, 11 of which came in the final quarter.

The Spartans struggled to keep up as a mix of turnovers and missed shots let the Bison build a 14-point lead.  A Spartan attempt at a comeback was too little too late, as the Bison shot better in the second half from the line to help seal the game.  Overall, the Bison shot 7-19 from the line, while the Spartans finished 8-18.

Fehr led all scorers with 22 points, while fellow seniors Tucker Brown and Peter Bryn chipped in 16 and 11, respectively, for the Bison.  The Spartans were led in scoring by sophomore Landon Koenig, who had 17 points.  Senior Owen Zerface scored 10 for the Spartans, including two three-pointers.