Third Place Game: Valley City 57, Wahpeton 52

For three quarters, the Wahpeton Huskies had the defending state champion Valley City Hi-Liners on the ropes, frustrating them with disciplined team defense and balanced scoring.

Piper Nelson, Ashlynne Max and Claire Woods set the tone for Wahpeton early, as the Huskies executed efficiently on both ends of the floor. Meanwhile, Valley City struggled to find rhythm, committing unforced turnovers and misfiring from the field. Through three quarters, the only consistent offense for the Hi-Liners came from Katie Burchill and Skye Nielson, who combined to score 20 of Valley City’s 30 points.

Trailing 44-30 entering the fourth quarter, the Hi-Liners flipped the script.

Valley City turned up the defensive pressure with a full-court press that ignited both its defense and offense. Maddy Frieze found her groove in the final frame, scoring 10 points, which in turn opened space inside for Burchill and Nielson. The surge culminated in a 14-0 run that tied the game at 44-44 with 3:30 remaining.

After struggling at the free-throw line in the semifinal round, Valley City delivered when it mattered most. The Hi-Liners converted 13 of 15 attempts at the stripe in the fourth quarter.

Max drilled a clutch 3-pointer to cut the deficit to one with 16 seconds remaining, but free throws from Frieze and Kinslee Glandt sealed the comeback victory.

With the win, Valley City advances to the state play-in round Saturday at Mayville State University, keeping its postseason hopes alive.

 

Championship: Kindred 57, Central Cass 25

A stifling defensive performance sent the Kindred Vikings back to the state tournament for the first time since North Dakota adopted the three-class system, as Kindred rolled past the Central Cass Squirrels 57-25 in the Region 1A championship.

The teams opened with a physical, low-scoring first quarter, with Kindred holding a slim 7-4 advantage after one. The Vikings began to find their rhythm in the second quarter behind the tandem of Liza Trenbeath and Sierra Nipstad. The duo accounted for all 16 of Kindred’s points in the period.

Defensively, Kindred set the tone with relentless pressure and a suffocating half-court presence. The Vikings’ high press limited Central Cass’ perimeter looks and clogged driving lanes, holding the Squirrels to just eight first-half points.

The separation only grew after the break. Nipstad continued her dominant outing, finishing with 29 points to lead all scorers, while Trenbeath added 13. Kindred’s zone defense remained airtight, limiting Central Cass to just two 3-pointers — a stark contrast from the Squirrels’ 12 triples in their semifinal win.

When the final buzzer sounded, Kindred had secured a decisive 57-25 victory and a state tournament berth. Trenbeath was later named Region One Senior Athlete of the Year.

The Vikings join the Thompson Tommies, South Prairie-Max Royals and Hazen Bison as teams that have punched their tickets to the Class A State Tournament.

Tournament seeding will be announced Saturday following the conclusion of the Class A state qualifiers in Mayville and Bismarck.