After a week of frustrating performances, the Valley City Hi-Liners finally put everything together in the Class A state quarterfinals against Devils Lake, rolling to a 64-44 victory.
The first quarter featured the expected rock fight between two of the more physical teams in the tournament, as both defenses were unyielding. Valley City was led early by Katie Burchill, who paved the way with eight points. The Hi-Liners closed the quarter on a 6-0 run to take a 12-9 lead into the second.
The second quarter unfolded much like the first, with little separation between the teams. Devils Lake stayed within striking distance as Presley Brown knocked down several midrange jumpers. Maddy Frieze and Dacota Potratz combined for seven of Valley City’s 10 points in the quarter, helping the Hi-Liners take a narrow 22-19 lead into halftime.
The third quarter proved decisive.
Valley City opened the half with a 17-0 run as its relentless defense was finally complemented by a strong offensive surge. Frieze knocked down a pair of 3-pointers while Burchill continued to control the paint. On the defensive end, Potratz and Skye Nielson stymied the Devils Lake offense, combining for eight blocks in the game. The explosive stretch allowed Valley City to outscore the Firebirds 21-6 in the quarter and build a commanding 43-25 advantage heading into the fourth.
The final quarter turned into a sloppy, fast-paced affair with both teams piling up fouls, turnovers and points. Devils Lake junior guard Tylie Brodina battled to score 12 points but struggled from the field, finishing 5-for-24 including 0-for-8 from 3-point range.
Frustration boiled over late when Presley Brown was assessed a technical foul after shoving Nielson into the basket stanchion with the game already well in hand. Nielson calmly converted both free throws before Hi-Liners head coach Jimmy Howard removed his starters to avoid further incidents.
Burchill finished with a dominant double-double, scoring 23 points and grabbing 18 rebounds. Frieze added 16 points on 7-of-11 shooting, while Nielson filled the stat sheet with 11 points, nine rebounds, two assists, five blocks and a steal as Valley City cruised to the 20-point win.
Next up, the Hi-Liners will face the Thompson Tommies in the state semifinals at 6:30 p.m. in a rematch of last year’s state championship game. The game can be heard on 1490 AM/96.3 FM KOVC and online at NewsDakota.com.