Game One: Central Cass 65, Valley City 59

The Central Cass Squirrels, coming off a loss of more than 30 points to Valley City in their previous meeting, delivered a shooting performance for the ages, knocking down 12 3-pointers en route to a stunning upset win.

The opening quarter saw the Valley City Hi-Liners establish a 10-point lead behind a dominant start from Skye Nielson, who poured in 11 points in the first frame. Central Cass erased much of that deficit late, however, closing the quarter on a 9-2 run to pull within three at the end of one.

Valley City again built a 10-point cushion midway through the second quarter, but the Squirrels caught fire from beyond the arc once more. Central Cass tied the game at 32-32 heading into halftime, having knocked down eight 3-pointers in the first half. Five different Squirrels connected from long range before the break.

The third quarter opened with Valley City briefly regaining momentum, as Katie Burchill scored on consecutive possessions to give the Hi-Liners a four-point edge. That would prove to be the high-water mark, as Olivia Siverson answered Burchill bucket for bucket, while Abby Kobbervig and Keelyn Flanagan sparked the rest of the offense. The surge helped Central Cass take a 51-45 lead into the fourth.

Valley City made it a one-possession game multiple times in the final quarter, but the Hi-Liners were unable to string together enough defensive stops. Struggles at the free-throw line proved costly, as Valley City finished just 8 of 18 at the stripe and could not keep pace with Central Cass’ perimeter shooting.

The loss marks the first time this season the Hi-Liners have dropped back-to-back games.

Central Cass advances to the championship game, while Valley City will play in the third-place game Thursday at 6 p.m.

 

Game Two: Kindred 69, Wahpeton 53

The formula worked to perfection for the Kindred Vikings, as Sierra Nipstad and Liza Trenbeath combined to score 62 of the team’s 67 points in a semifinal victory. Trenbeath led all scorers with 38 points.

Kindred set the tone early, applying full-court pressure against the Wahpeton Huskies and forcing multiple turnovers that led to easy transition baskets for Nipstad and Trenbeath. The Vikings raced out to a 23-14 lead after one quarter.

The defensive intensity continued in the second. Kindred held Wahpeton to just eight points in the frame, stretching the advantage to 39-22 at halftime.

Wahpeton responded in the third quarter behind its own standout performance. Claire Woods scored 12 points in the period, while seventh-grader Ashlynne Max added seven as the Huskies outscored the Vikings 21-16 to cut into the deficit and gain momentum heading into the fourth.

Any hopes of a comeback were short-lived.

Nipstad and Trenbeath answered every push in the final quarter, matching Wahpeton basket for basket while controlling the tempo and bleeding the clock. The Vikings closed out the semifinal win without allowing the Huskies to seriously threaten.

With the victory, Kindred advances to face the Central Cass Squirrels in the Region 1A championship. Wahpeton will meet the Valley City Hi-Liners in the third-place game at 6 p.m.

Both games will be broadcast on KOVC 1490 AM/96.3 FM and streamed online at NewsDakota.com.