Strong start lifts Bison

It’s a heck of a lot easier to win basketball games when a team takes care of the ball and the shots it takes are quality ones.

This was the case for the girls of Barnes County North during BCN’s Coaches vs. Cancer Basketball Jamboree against Dakota Prairie, which was held at the Jamestown Civic Center on Saturday.

The Bison (3-9) converted 12 of 21 attempts from the field for close to 60 percent shooting in the first half, while also committing a modest 5 turnovers, as the host team built a 31-17 lead at the half and cruised by a final of 55-30.

“The reason for that 60 percent, I think is obviously our ball pressure,” BCN coach Brett Thielges said. “We got easy looks, and that was kind of a key coming in.

“(Friday) in practice, we didn’t work on any offense. It was purely aggressive defense and that was what we needed tonight.”

A total of 8 BCN players cracked the scoring column, led by freshman guard Sam Wieland with 13 points and junior guard Kayla Erker with 10. Erker drained a 3-pointer and scored 8 of her 10 points in the first 8 minutes of the game, helping the Bison to a 16-7 lead after period No. 1.

Wieland stepped things up offensively in the second, connecting for a 3-pointer of her own and scoring 7 of her 13 to help the Bison move ahead by 14 points in the spacious Civic Center at the half.

Dakota Prairie (0-10) was led in scoring by sophomore Carleigh Stein who scored 9 points.

This is the fourth year BCN has hosted a Coaches vs. Cancer event, but the first year it was held away from the school’s campus. Coaches vs. Cancer events are held nationwide from the high school level to the professional level during the month of January to bring awareness to the disease and to raise money for the American Cancer Society.

“We took advantage of the fact that South Border gave up this jamboree (at the Civic Center), and I took it over and this was the date we ended up finding that worked,” Thielges said, who is also the athletic director at BCN. “From experiencing cancer in my family itself, with my mother having breast cancer … and then knowing throughout college and seeing (Coaches vs. Cancer events) on TV all the time, I thought, ‘Well, this is a cool thing. I think I’m going to start it at whatever school I get to and use it as a fundraiser.’”

Event t-shirts are still being sold for $10 and private donations are welcome by contacting Thielges at 701-435-2494 or by email at brett.a.thielges.2@sendit.n-odak.edu.

Boys

South Border 54, BCN 53

In only his fourth full game back after missing the first part of the season due to a football injury suffered in the fall, South Border’s Michael Jacobson appears to finally be back to full steam.

The 6-foot-4 senior lit up the scoreboard with 26 of the Mustangs’ 54 points, helping South Border improve to 7-8 with a 1-point victory.

“Michael is a special player,” South Border coach Robbie Lukens said. “He went through a lot of things with injuring himself in football, and he’s really just starting to round into form. He can be really good when he has it going.”

The Mustangs needed every point from Jacobson, after the Bison erased an 11-point deficit in the final period of play behind a 15-4 run that tied the game at 50-50 with 49 seconds left in regulation. BCN’s Derek Fletcher and Jacoby Kramlich hit enormous 3-pointers during the run, as the Bison clawed back into contention.

But senior Daniel Sayler had the answer for South Border down the stretch. He converted a field goal and sank a pair of crucial bonus shots with 8 seconds left to put the Mustangs out front 54-50.

Kramlich buried his fourth 3-pointer of the game at the buzzer during the Bison’s final possession to produce the final score. He led BCN (3-11) with 22 points.

“(Sayler’s) one of those kids that all throughout his career, he’s had ice water in his veins in the clutch,” Lukens said. “When he’s had a chance to hit shots in big situations he’s done it.”

Sayler was starting in place of 6-1 junior point guard Adam Jacobson, who was out of the lineup due to injury. Adam Jacobson is the team’s leading assist man and second-leading rebounder.

Coaches vs. Cancer Basketball Jamboree

At Jamestown Civic Center

Saturday

Barnes County North 55, Dakota Prairie 30

Dakota Prairie 7 17 24 30

Barnes Co. North 16 31 45 55

Dakota Prairie – Carleigh Stein 9, Sam Bye 8, Jordyne Janke 7, Paige Dahl 4, Quinn Anderson 2. Totals: 12-47 FG, 2-3 FT, 11 fouls, 20 turnovers. 3-pointers: (4-14) Bye 2, Janke 1, Stein 1.

Barnes Co. North – Sam Wieland 13, Kayla Erker 10, Calby Hanson 8, Abby Undem 6, Taylor Everson 6, Kayla Scott 5, Hannah Wilson 5, Lexi Rose 2. Totals: 23-48 FG, 7-11 FT, 8 fouls, 14 turnovers. 3-pointers: (2-7) Erker 1, Wieland 1.

Records: BCN 3-9; Dakota Prairie 0-10.

Boys

South Border 54, Barnes County North 53

South Border 16 31 37 54

Barnes Co. North 14 24 34 53

South Border – Michael Jacobson 26, Hunter Pinke 13, Michael Rueb 7, Daniel Sayler 6, Matt Kretschmar 2. Totals: 22-51 FG, 10-12 FT, 17 fouls, 13 turnovers. 3-pointers: (0-8).

Barnes Co. North – Jacoby Kramlich 22, Brad Clemens 15, Kody Wagner 7, Derek Fletcher 5, T.J. Steckler 4. Totals: 17-44 FG, 14-26 FT, 12 fouls, 12 turnovers. 3-pointers: (5-10) Kramlich 4, Fletcher 1.

Records: South Border 7-8; BCN 3-11.

Sun sports writer Michael Savaloja can be reached at 701-952-8461 or by email at msavaloja@jamestownsun.com

Tags: sports, bison, hockey