BELCOURT (NewsDakota)- Coming into the 2025-26 season, the usual suspects were named as serious contenders in Class A girls basketball.  Perhaps after Friday night, the Turtle Mountain Braves should be considered as well.

Emberlyn Poitra led four players in double figures with 24 points and the fifth ranked Braves (3-0) defeated #2 Carrington 70-49 on Friday night in the Cardinals’ first game in eleven days.

The first quarter was pacy, and for the Cardinals (1-1), rather efficient from deep, as Carrington had four threes in the quarter, including three during a 14-2 run that gave them a 19-12 lead six minutes in.

But then, Turtle Mountain delivered the knockout blow, a 26-2 run that spanned the rest of the first half, thanks to the three point shooting of Aubree Jeanotte and the physicality of Poitra and Irelei Zerr as the Braves outscored the Cards 22-2 in the second quarter for a 38-21 halftime lead.

Carrington got ten points in a balanced effort from Harper Kollman, but never closed the margin narrower than 13 after halftime in dropping their first game since December 1st after the game at Hillsboro/Central Valley was postponed to December 22nd.

The Cardinals return home on Monday to face defending Class B champion and unbeaten Benson County with coverage on KDAK The Cardinal and KDAK on YouTube beginning at approximately 6:45PM.

CHS     19     2     13     15          49

TM       18    22    19     13          70

CARRINGTON (1-1): Harper Kollman 10; Aniston Hoornaert 9; Kodi Thiel 8; Marah Johnson 8; Maara Kutz 6; Sienna Topp 5

TURTLE MOUNTAIN (3-0): Emberlyn Poitra 24; Aubree Jeanotte 12; Irelei Zerr 10; Akaelyes Azure 10; Madison Patenaud 8; Harris Reid 4; Tiana Davis 2

FULL ARCHIVE: