CARRINGTON (NewsDakota)- It was the final regular season basketball game in North Dakota for the 2025-26 season after travel conditions postponed Grafton’s trip to Carrington.  And there was something on the line.

Brody Lillemoen and Reggie Rice combined for 40 points and the Spoilers (15-5, 11-3 Region 2A) defeated the Cardinals 59-40 to clinch the 2-seed and a rematch of the game on Monday in the Regional Tournament.

The game began as a rock fight, as neither team scored in the first three minutes before Grafton scored the first seven points, but the Cards (6-15, 2-12 Region 2A) responded with a 9-2 run to tie the game at nine.  From there, the first of two big runs occurred for the Spoilers, this one a 12-0 charge for a 21-9 lead in the second quarter and behind 15 points from Lillemoen, Grafton led 30-18 at the break.

Carrington came out firing after the half, going on an extended 13-7 spurt that brough the Cards to within 37-31 thanks to seven in the quarter from Taylen Mehring.  But that was followed by the decisive Spoilers run, a 10-1 spurt at the end of the third and beginning of the fourth, to put the game away.

The two teams will face off in the Region 2A Quarterfinal on Monday at the Lewy Lee Fieldhouse in Mayville with coverage on KDAK The Cardinal beginning at around 5:40pm.

GHS           11           19           14          15                     59

CHS            9            9            13            9                     40

GRAFTON (15-5, 11-3 Region 2A): Brody Lillemoen 23; Reggie Rice 17; Jack Green 5; Tyan Storey 5; Aidan McMillan 4; Treu Moberg 3; Bentley DeGeldere 2

CARRINGTON (6-15, 2-12 Region 2A): Alec Threadgold 11; Drew Matt 9; Taylen Mehring 9; Maddox McIlonie 6; Tate Wolsky 5

FULL ARCHIVE: