From the opening tip, the Bottineau Braves were dominant against the Valley City Hi-Liners, rolling to a 73-53 win in the Devils Lake Shootout as Valley City’s losing streak reached five games.

The first quarter was a showcase of hustle and effort by Bottineau, which seemed to win nearly every second-chance opportunity. Valley City appeared sluggish early, while the Braves built a 21-12 lead. The lone bright spot for the Hi-Liners was Jack Dieterle, who scored six points in the opening frame.

Little changed in the second quarter, as Bottineau’s balanced attack continued to overwhelm Valley City. Seven different Braves scored in the first half, while Dieterle again contributed six points for the Hi-Liners. With minimal support around him, Valley City struggled to keep pace, and Bottineau extended its lead to 39-24 by halftime.

The third quarter proved to be the most lopsided stretch of the game. Although Valley City increased its intensity, Bottineau’s shot-making improved as well. Conner Guss led the way with eight points in the quarter as the Braves outscored the Hi-Liners 20-8, pushing the margin to 59-32 heading into the fourth.

Valley City finally found some offensive success in the final quarter, outscoring Bottineau behind double-figure performances from Miken Mattson, Finn Dockter and Dieterle. However, the rally came far too late to threaten the outcome. Dieterle finished with a team-high 16 points before fouling out, while Bottineau received scoring contributions from nine of its 11 players in the convincing win.

Valley City will look to snap its skid Tuesday, Jan. 27, with a road matchup against the Kindred Vikings. The game can be heard on 1490 AM and 96.3 FM KOVC and online at NewsDakota.com.