KHRT ND News

K-Heart Sports – 01/14/24

K-HEART SPORTS – SUNDAY – 01/14/24
 

MINOT, ND – Saturday’s scores:
 
High School Boys Basketball
Class B
#4 Westhope-Newburg def. Bottineau (Class A), 70-57
 

High School Girls Basketball
Class A
#2 Bottineau def. Westhope-Newburg (Class B), 73-38

Devils Lake Shootout
Central Cass def. Rugby, 46-43
Shiloh Christian def. Valley City, 66-65
#5 Devils Lake def. Kindred, 57-45
Watford City def. Four Winds-Minnewaukan, 49-35
Devils Lake JV def. Beulah, 61-53
 

High School Boys Wrestling
Bismarck St. Mary’s def. Mandan, 54-12
—————————————————–
 
MSU MENS BASKETALL
 
MINOT, ND (MSU) -Khari Broadway scored 20 points to help lead the Minot State men’s basketball team over the Southwest Minnesota State Mustangs 72-60 at the MSU Dome on Saturday in NSIC action. Broadway added two steals to his 20-point game to lead the Beavers (13-3 overall, 8-2 NSIC). Connor Hollenbeck helped out with 14 points and five assists and Jaxon Gunville chipped in with 11 points and seven rebounds. The Minot State offense was very productive from downtown, knocking down eight threes on 26 attempts. Gunville was the most prolific shooter for the Beavers, draining three treys in the contest. The Minot State defense held Southwest Minnesota State shooters to only 36.4 percent from the field. The Mustangs did not get many second opportunities on the offensive end, as they grabbed only eight offensive rebounds and scored six second-chance points while Minot State pulled down 25 defensive rebounds. Kameron Givens also added five points in Saturday’s victory and with those five points he passed 1,000 points in his collegiate career (1.003).
After falling behind 12-10, Minot State went on an 11-0 run with 12:54 left in the first half, culminating in a bucket from Hollenbeck, to take a 21-12 lead. The Beavers then added one point to that lead by the end of the period and entered halftime with a 31-21 advantage. Minot State capitalized on eight Southwest Minnesota State turnovers in the period, turning them into nine points on the other end of the floor. Southwest Minnesota State proceeded to take a 49-45 lead before Minot State went on a 10-0 run, finished off by Gunville’s three, to seize a 55-49 lead with 5:01 to go in the contest. The Beavers kept expanding the margin and coasted the rest of the way for the 72-60 win. Minot State got a boost from its bench in the period, as non-starters accounted for 12 of its 41 total points.
——————————————————-
 
MSU WOMENS BASKETBALL
 
MINOT, N.D. (MSU) – The Minot State women’s basketball team got a 22-point performance from the bench, but fell 80-42 to the hot-shooting Southwest Minnesota State Mustangs at the MSU Dome on Saturday in NSIC action. Maya Aguilar led the Beavers (5-14 overall, 2-8 NSIC) with seven points. Jaime Skeggs also tacked on six points off of the bench and Lorelei McIver chipped in as well with six points and two steals. Southwest Minnesota State shot 44.4 percent from beyond the 3-point arc (16-of-36), powering their road win. Minot State struggled out of the gate, falling behind 20-14 at the end of the first quarter. The Beavers continued to lose ground in the second quarter and faced a 36-21 halftime deficit. Southwest Minnesota State continued to increase its lead after halftime, building a 52-27 advantage before Minot State went on a 6-0 run to trim its deficit to 52-33 with 1:20 to go in the third. Southwest Minnesota State countered and stretched its lead to 54-33 heading into the fourth. Minot State played well near the basket, scoring eight of its 12 points in the paint. Minot State could not pull any closer in the fourth, losing by a final of 80-42. Minot State took advantage of its opportunities in the post, scoring eight of its nine points in the paint.
——————————————————-
 
MSU MENS WRESTLING
 
KENOSHA, Wis. (MSU) – The Minot State men’s wrestling team put in a strong showing but in the end, the Beavers could not topple fourth-ranked Parkside on its home mat as the Rangers won an NSIC dual Saturday, 32-15. Brendan Barnes and Cannon Potts led the way for Minot State (6-5 duals, 2-2 NSIC) as both earned wins by pin on the night, while teammate Jake Swirple added a third victory for the Beavers. Barnes pinned Parkside’s Brady Schuh in 3 minutes, 33 seconds in their 165-pound match for the first win of the evening for the Beavers. Potts followed that up with a pin in 1:13 over the Rangers’ Crosby Schlosser at 197 pounds. Swirple then wrapped up the night for the Beavers with a 5-0 decision win over Parkside’s Lloyd Reynolds. The Beavers next compete a bit closer to home as they face in-state rival the University of Mary next Saturday night in Bismarck. The dual is an NSIC counter for both teams who squared off in a non-conference match-up at the MSU Dome back in December, a dual won by the Marauders, 29-12.
——————————————————–
 
MINOTAUROS
 
MINOT, ND – The Minotauros earned a split of their weekend series hosting St. Cloud with a 5-1 win on Saturday. The Norsemen scored first at the 4:29 mark of the first period and wouldn’t get another one in g oal the rest of the night. Adam Mahler and Cayden Casey scored for Minot in the first period. Will Dawson added a goal in the second and Jack O’Hanisain and Trevor Stachowiak added third period goals. Lukas Swedin stopped 22 shots for the Tauros who have won 10 of their last 11 games. Minot improves to 27-7-1 with 55 points. They remain 11 points ahead of Bismarck as the Tauros sit atop the NAHL Central Division standings.
——————————————————
 
UND HOCKEY
 
GRAND FORKS, N.D. (UND) – No. 4 North Dakota struck for a pair of goals in the third period to secure a 3-1 win over Omaha on Saturday night from Ralph Engelstad Arena in Grand Forks. With the UND (15-6-1, 6-4-0 NCHC) secures a series victory with four-of-six possible points in the league standings and move within two points of first place behind next week’s opponent St. Cloud State. Senior forward Griffin Ness returned to the lineup and made an immediate impact, scoring the game’s first goal on his first shift of the game just under seven minutes into the second period to give UND a 1-0 lead. The senior collected a loose puck in the slot and danced around goaltender Simon Latcoczy for his second goal of the season and helped the hosts skate into the second intermission with the one-goal advantage. The 1-0 advantage held for only 49 seconds into the third period before Tanner Ludtke finished off a 2-on-1 play to knot the game at 1-1 for the Mavericks (11-7-2, 4-5-1 NCHC), but the Fighting Hawks took control of play over the final 19 minutes of regulation. Less than three minutes later, Dylan James buried a rebound off a Jackson Blake shot for his fifth career goal against Omaha and a 2-1 lead for the hosts. Cameron Berg salted away the win against his former team with an empty netter in the final minute to notch his 10th goal of the season and polish off the 3-1 victory. Freshman goaltender Hobie Hedquist shined between the pipes in the win, finishing with 22 saves on 23 shots to improve to 3-0-0 this season. The Heron Lake, Minn., native also received some help from his skaters, as NoDak finished with 14 blocked shots led by Garrett Pyke’s three. North Dakota returns to action next weekend with a road series at St. Cloud State beginning on Friday night at 7:37 p.m. from the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center.
—————————————————-
 
UND MENS BASKETBALL
 
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (UND) – B.J. Omot scored a career high 30 points as the North Dakota men’s basketball team got its first Summit League win of the season on Saturday afternoon, defeating Kansas City 82-69 in the City of Fountains. Tyree Ihenacho scored 20 points, the first time that UND has had two scorers with 20+ since Omot and Ihenacho did it at Nebraska last month. Amar Kuljuhovic also reached double-figures with 11 points and led the team with eight rebounds. Ihenacho dished out five assists, and Eli King tied a career high with four steals. Early in the first half Omot spearheaded the attack for the Fighting Hawks, scoring 12 of the first 14 points for NoDak. Eaglestaff made two foul shots to put UND up 16-14, the first lead for the green and white since 2-0. As the half went on Ihenacho emerged for the Fighting Hawks, finishing with ten points in the half. He knotted it up at 31 with 2:06 remaining and then Kuljuhovic got a layup and a free throw to give UND a three-point lead at 34-31, but the Roos knotted it up before intermission and the teams went to the lock room tied at 34. Coming out in the second half, Kansas City took the early lead but an 8-0 run by the Fighting Hawks starting at the 15:37 mark put them ahead for good. Kuljuhovic got it started with a hook shot, then after a miss on the other end Brady Danielson found Omot with a bullet pass from the backcourt to hit Omot in stride who slammed it home ti tie the game. Ihenacho drove the ball in for a layup to put UND back up and then intercepted the inbound pass to make it 46-42. Overall, NoDak closed the game on a 44-27 run over the last 16 minutes to finish off the game. North Dakota will return home next week for games against Oral Roberts on Thursday night, followed by a visit from Denver on Saturday afternoon.
—————————————————–
 
UND WOMENS BASKETBALL
 
GRAND FORKS, N.D. (UND) – A career-high 27 points from Kiera Pemberton powered the North Dakota women’s basketball team to a 76-62 win over Kansas City Saturday in the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center. Pemberton found the bottom of the net efficiently and in a variety of ways, on the fast break, in the paint and from deep as she knocked down her first three-point basket in the green and white. She finished her day going 8-for-13 on field goal attempts and 10-for-11 from the free throw line. Pemberton poured in nine of the Fighting Hawks’ first 11 points of the second quarter, as they extended their lead to 28-23 following an and-one from Pemberton. UND was red-hot to begin the quarter, going 8-for-9 from the field in the first five minutes of the frame. UND shot .647 percent from the field, without a three-point attempt, in the second with 20 points in the paint. The Roos tied the game at 36-36 with 2:23 left in the half, but the Hawks closed out the first 20 minutes strong with a 6-0 run to take a 42-36 edge at the intermission. After a slow start from both teams in the third quarter, the Hawks’ offense started to roll. NoDak grabbed its first double-digit lead of the game after a 7-3 run with 1:14 left in the third quarter. Mikayla Aumer capped off the run, and gave UND a 56-45 lead, after an and-one bucket. After giving up 10 offensive rebounds in the first half and 12 second chance points, the Fighting Hawks dug in on the boards and allowed just one offensive rebound in the second half. Kansas City’s work in the paint and on the offensive glass helped stay within single digits of the Hawks during their second quarter run. Kansas City corralled 19 rebounds in the first half, with 10 off the offensive glass for 12 second chance points. The Roos defensive pressure turned the Hawks over 13 times for 10 points off turnovers in the first half. However, the Hawks cleaned up the offensive in the final two quarters by committing just six turnovers. The Hawks grabbed their largest lead of the night, 73-54, on seven straight points from Pemberton, who capped off her run with her first career trey. UND lead dipped into single-digits briefly at the start of the fourth quarter, but four points from Pemberton and Kiyah Hurst brought the score back to double-figures. After a 2-0 week at the Betty, the Hawks will hit the road for games against Oral Roberts on Thursday and Denver on Saturday.
——————————————————
 
NDSU MENS BASKETBALL
 
OMAHA, Neb. (NDSU) – The North Dakota State men’s basketball team played its second straight overtime contest on Saturday night, this time falling 96-92 at Omaha in Summit League play. The Bison dropped to 8-10 overall and 1-2 in the league. Omaha improved to 10-9 overall and 3-1 in the Summit League. Sophomore Damari Wheeler-Thomas led the Bison with a career-high 30 points. Andrew Morgan added 24 points, and Boden Skunberg finished with 18 for NDSU. NDSU junior Jacari White put up 15 points, six rebounds, and a career-high six assists. NDSU led by nine at 66-57 with just over 11 minutes remaining, but Omaha scored the next eight points to cut into the margin. When the Bison pushed the lead back to 75-68, the Mavericks answered with a 10-2 run to take the lead with 3:30 left. The game went to overtime tied at 82-82. Omaha drained a pair of three-pointers and went 6-for-6 at the free throw line in overtime to win the game. NDSU shot 57 percent for the game and made 11-of-24 (46 percent) from beyond the arc. Omaha shot 53 percent overall and went 8-of-17 (47 percent) from three-point range. NDSU led for 24 minutes in a contest that featured 10 lead changes and eight ties. The Bison will return home to host Denver on Thursday, Jan. 18, and Oral Roberts on Saturday, Jan. 20.
—————————————————-
 
NDSU WOMENS BASKETBALL
 
FARGO, N.D. (NDSU) – Five Bison reached double figures in scoring as the North Dakota State women’s basketball team earned its third straight win after topping Omaha, 87-69, on Saturday afternoon at Scheels Center. Elle Evans led the way for NDSU (9-7, 3-0 Summit) with a team-best 17 points to go along with a game-high five assists and three rebounds. Heaven Hamling added in 16 points with six rebounds and three assists, while Abby Graham chipped in 12 points with a career-high seven rebounds off the bench. Abbie Draper contributed 11 points with eight rebounds and Abby Krzewinski netted 10 points to round out the top performers. As a team, NDSU shot 43.1 percent (31-72) from the field and 29.4 percent (10-34) from three. The Bison shot 75.0 percent (15-20) from the free throw line and connected on nine free throws on 11 attempts in the fourth quarter. NDSU also tied a season-high 21 assists with seven different players contributing at least one. NDSU got off to fast start putting together a 12-0 run in the opening frame to build a 17-6 advantage by the 3:54 mark following a jumper from Draper. The Bison continued to surge into the second quarter pushing their lead to 40-22 with 2:10 to play in the half after Graham capped a 7-0 run with a triple. Omaha (4-13, 0-4 Summit) pushed back in the third quarter after shooting 56.3 percent from the field in the frame to trim the deficit into single digits, 48-40, following a fastbreak layup from Deanay Watson at the 4:00 mark. The Bison responded with an 8-2 run to begin the fourth quarter after hitting on six free throws on six attempts to make the score 68-49 following a pair of free throws from Krzewinski with 7:57 to play. NDSU went on to hold off Omaha for the 87-69 victory. NDSU will be back in action at Denver on Thursday night. Tip-off is set for 7:00 p.m. CT
—————————————————-
 
WILD-COYOTES
 
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Nick Bjugstad had his second career hat trick, Connor Ingram made 38 saves for his fifth shutout of the season and the Arizona Coyotes routed the Minnesota Wild 6-0 on Saturday night. Bjugstad, the Minneapolis native who starred at the University of Minnesota, snapped a 16-game goal drought. He had two goals in the first period and completed the hat trick in the second with his ninth goal of the season. Clayton Keller had two goals and an assist, and Alexander Kerfoot also scored for Arizona. Keller has goals in three straight games and has 19 points in 24 career games against the Wild. The Coyotes had lost four of five, all at home.Forward Kirill Kaprizov and goalie Filip Gustavsson returned from injuries for Minnesota, but the Wild lost for the eighth time in nine games. They have been outscored 21-5 in losing four straight. As a result, the players held a lengthy closed-door meeting before letting in reporters after the game. Kaprizov, the team’s scoring leader with 34 points, missed seven games because of an upper-body injury and Gustavsson, the top netminder, missed seven games with a lower-body injury. Gustavsson struggled in his return as did a defense still missing its top two defensemen in Jared Spurgeon and Jonas Brodin. Gustavsson allowed five goals on 18 shots before being pulled midway through the second period for Marc-Andre Fleury. Fleury stopped 14 of 15 shots faced. The Wild host the New York Islanders on Monday night.
 
 
 

Read more...

K-Heart Sports – 01/13/24

K-HEART SPORTS – SATURDAY – 01/13/24
 

MINOT, ND – The arctic weather caused several cancellations or postponements on Friday. Other games were held.
 
High School Boys Basketball
 
Class AA
Mandan def. Bismarck Legacy, 69-62
 
Class B
#10 Garrison def. New Salem-Almont, 67-42
 

High School Girls Basketball
 
Class AA
Mandan def. #2 Bismarck Legacy, 68-53
 
Class A
#2 Bottineau def. Hazen, 61-42
Nedrose def. Stanley, 52-19
 
Devils Lake Shootout
#5 Devils Lake def. Shiloh Christian, 72-43
Central Cass def. Turtle Mountain, 68-67
Kindred def. Rugby, 48-38
Four Winds-Minnewaukan def. Beulah, 49-32
Valley City def. Watford City, 48-46
 
Class B
Our Redeemer’s def. #7 T-G-U, 53-47
Surrey def. Glenburn, 56-32
Harvey-Wells County def. Mohall-Lansford-Sherwood, 44-40
Velva def. Bishop Ryan, 37-34
St. John def. Dunseith (Class A), 82-43
 

High School Girls Hockey
Mandan def. Bismarck Century, 2-0
—————————————————–
 
MSU MENS BASKETALL
 
MINOT, ND (MSU) – Five Beavers put up double-digit points as Minot State knocked off the Sioux Falls Cougars 78-60 at home Friday night in NSIC action as more than 1,000 fans helped the Beavers “Defend the Dome.” The Beavers (12-3 overall, 7-2 NSIC) had five players score in double figures, led by Connor Hollenbeck, who had 17 points. Khari Broadway tacked on 14 points and Caleb Van De Griend chipped in as well with 11 points off the bench. The Minot State defense held Sioux Falls shooters to only 31.9 percent from the field, including 21.9 percent from three-point range. The Beavers also kept Creighton Morisch to 3-of-12 shooting in the game.
 
After jumping out to a 35-24 advantage, Minot State went on a 9-0 run with 4:29 left in the first half, culminating in a bucket from Broadway, to increase its lead to 44-24. The Beavers then lost some of that lead, but still entered halftime with a 46-27 advantage. Minot State got a great contribution from its bench in the period, as non-starters accounted for 16 of its 46 total points. Minot State kept its lead intact before going on a 6-0 run, finished off by Van De Griend’s layup, to grow the lead to 73-49 with 6:21 to go in the contest. The Cougars narrowed the margin somewhat before the game was over, but the Beavers still cruised the rest of the way for the 78-60 win. Minot State took care of business in the paint, recording 20 of its 32 points in the lane. The Beaver host Southwest Minnesota State today at 3:30 pm.
——————————————————-
 
MSU WOMENS BASKETBALL
 
MINOT, N.D. (MSU) – Sydney Gustavsson hit a buzzer-beating shot to lead the Minot State women’s basketball team over the Sioux Falls Cougars 62-60 at home Friday in NSIC action to complete a sweep for the Beavers on “Defend the Dome” night. The Minot State men’s basketball team started the night with a 78-60 win over Sioux Falls. The Beavers (5-13 overall, 2-7 NSIC) had three players score in double figures, led by Emily Srejma, who had 19 points. Gustavsson added 12 points from the bench and Maya Aguilar chipped in as well with 10 points and eight rebounds off of the bench. Minot State grabbed 31 rebounds in Friday’s game compared to Sioux Falls’ 23, led by Aguilar’s eight boards. Minot State’s defense held Sioux Falls to only 37.9 percent shooting from the field. The Cougars did not have much luck cleaning up their misses on the offensive glass either, as they finished with six offensive rebounds and managed five second-chance points while Minot State cleared 27 defensive rebounds.
 
Minot State started off strong, putting together a 19-14 lead heading into the second quarter. Minot State did most of its first-quarter damage in the paint, scoring 10 of its 19 points close to the basket. Minot State kept its first quarter lead intact before going on a 12-0 run starting at the 7:41 mark in the second period, highlighted by a bucket from Srejma, to increase its lead to 35-19. The Beavers kept that lead for the remainder of the period and enjoyed a 41-25 advantage heading into halftime. Minot State was strong from deep in the period, knocking down four three-point shots to account for 12 of its 22 points. After intermission, Minot State held on to its advantage and owned a 49-38 lead heading into the fourth quarter. Minot State played well near the basket, scoring six of its eight points in the paint. The Beavers then held on for the victory in the fourth quarter. Minot State got a boost from its bench in the period, with non-starters scoring 10 of its 13 total points. Minot State will host Southwest Minnesota State today at 5:30 pm.
——————————————————-
 
MSU MENS WRESTLING
 
MANKATO, Minn. (MSU) – For the second straight year, the Minot State men’s wrestling team went on the road and beat the Minnesota State, Mankato Mavericks on their home mat. Cannon Potts earned a win by pin in just 1 minute, 34 seconds in his 197-pound match while Wayne Joint added an 8-0 major decision victory at 133 pounds to lead the Beavers who won six of the night’s 10 matches to claim the team win, 22-14, in the NSIC battle. Minot State took control early in the dual as Logen Fischer gutted out a 10-9 decision over Lucas Ryan in their 125-pound bout to put the Beavers in front, 3-0. Joint pushed that lead to 7-0 as he dominated in his match for the major decision win over Andrew Weiss. After the Mavericks battled back with a pair of wins to take the lead in the dual, the Beavers answered as Kelby Armstrong won a 9-5 decision over Caleb Meunier at 157 pounds, then Brendan Barnes scored a 4-1 decision win over Kole Marko, putting Minot State back on top, 13-8. The Mavericks then battled back in the see-saw dual with two more victories, their final two wins of the night for a brief 14-13 lead before Potts’ pin put the Beavers on top for good. Minot State heavyweight Jake Swirple then wrapped up the team win with a 5-1 decision victory of his own over Tanner Gaffey for the 22-14 final. Next up, Minot State (6-4 duals, 2-1 NSIC) heads to Wisconsin to face No. 4-ranked Parkside today.
——————————————————–
 
MINOTAUROS
 
MINOT, ND – Last weekend in St. Cloud the Minot Minotauros tied a franchise record for consecutive wins as they tallied their ninth in a row. Last night at Maysa Arena here in Minot, St. Cloud snapped that winning streak with a 3-2 victory over the Tauros. The Norsemen took a 1-0 lead in the first period on a goal by Hudson Blue. Minot tied the game at 1-1 just 25-seconds into the second on a goal by Cayden Casey. St. Cloud would respond with two goals in the period from Hagen Moe and Gavin Gunderson. Joel Lehtinen would find the back of the net late in the third period for the Tauros, but they couldn’t get the equalizer. Brady James made 33 saves for Minot, while Ryan Manzella tallied 31 saves for the Norsemen. The Tauros look for the split of the weekend series tonight at Maysa.
——————————————————
 
UND HOCKEY
 
GRAND FORKS, N.D. (UND) – For the fourth straight conference game, No. 4 North Dakota dropped an overtime contest – this time to Omaha, 5-4, on Friday night at Ralph Engelstad Arena in Grand Forks. Omaha’s (11-6-2, 4-4-1 NCHC) Jack Randl pounced on a rebound just 34 seconds into the extra session and the goal stood after a North Dakota (14-6-1, 5-4-0 NCHC) challenge for goaltender interference to give the Mavericks the extra point in the NCHC standings. Four-different Fighting Hawks found the back of the net, with Jackson Blake (12), Owen McLaughlin (8), Riese Gaber (12) and Ben Strinden (4) all notching goals for the hosts while Garrett Pyke, Louis Jamernik V, Gaber and McLaughlin each recorded multi-point outings. Goaltender Ludvig Persson returned to the nets for the first time since Dec. 9 after missing the previous series with an illness, as the senior finished with 19 saves on 24 shots to fall to 12-6-1 on the season. North Dakota will look to win the weekend series on tonight at 6:07 p.m. from the Ralph.
—————————————————-
 
WILD-FLYERS
 
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Joel Farabee scored his second goal of the night at 3:36 of overtime to give the Philadelphia Flyers a 4-3 victory over the Minnesota Wild on Friday night. Tyson Forester and Owen Tippett also scored for the Flyers, who have won three of four. Carter Hart made 26 saves. Marcus Johansson, Ryan Hartman and Matt Boldy scored for the Wild, who are 1-7 since losing star forward Kirill Kaprizov to an injury on Dec. 30. Minnesota’s Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 31 shots as he remained tied with Patrick Roy for second place on the NHL’s career victories list. The Wild host Arizona tonight.
—————————————————-
 
WOLVES-BLAZERS
 
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Rudy Gobert had 24 points and 17 rebounds, Karl-Anthony Towns scored 23 points and the Minnesota Timberwolves cruised to a 116-93 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday night. Gobert returned after missing one game with left hip soreness. The twin tower duo of Gobert and Towns dominated an undermanned and young Portland squad that was on the second game of a back-to-back after losing 139-77 in Oklahoma City a night earlier, matching the fifth-biggest loss in NBA history. Gobert and Towns combined to shoot 16 of 19 from the field and Towns was 3 of 3 from 3-point territory. Minnesota shot 55% as a team, while holding the Trail Blazers to 39%. Mike Conley returned to the lineup after missing a game to rest and had nine points and 10 assists. Anthony Edwards finished with nine points for the Timberwolves, who ran their record to 14-3 at home this season. Gobert, Edwards and Conley didn’t play in the fourth quarter. Duop Reath had 14 points for Portland, which lost six of seven in finishing a seven-game road trip. Jerami Grant added 13 points for the Trail Blazers. The Timberwolves host the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday.
 
 

Read more...

K-Heart Sports – 01/12/24

K-HEART SPORTS – FRIDAY – 01/12/24
 

MINOT, ND – Stanley led from the beginning and by as many as 30 points in defeating Nedrose 61-38 last night in a game we broadcast on K-Heart. Josh Hetzel scored a game-high 19 points for the Blue Jays, including making five 3’s. Drake Schlosser added 14 and Bennet Larson 13 for Stanley as they extend their winning streak to six with 7-1 record. Nedrose was led by Caleb Eggen with 13 points, including three made 3’s. The Cardinals drop to 1-9 on the year.
 
Other scores from the area:
 
High School Boys Basketball
 
Class A
#4 Devils Lake def. #2 Grafton, 68-66
#3 Four Winds-Minnewaukan def. Carrington, 87-41
Stanley def. Nedrose, 61-38
Killdeer def. New Town, 61-39
 
Class B
#3 Bishop Ryan def. Velva, 62-55
#4 Westhope-Newburg def. Berthold, 79-24
Harvey-Wells County def. #8 Mohall-Lansford-Sherwood, 62-60
Our Redeemer’s def. T-G-U, 51-41
Surrey def. Glenburn, 51-31
Parshall/North Shore-Plaza def. Drake-Anamoose, 62-58
Williston Trinity Christian def. Alexander, 61-53
White Shield def. Mandaree, 85-25
Washburn def. Central McLean, 56-45
 

High School Girls Basketball
 
Class A
Killdeer def. New Town, 62-42
 
Class B
#4 Central McLean def. Des Lacs-Burlington (Class A), 60-43
Garrison def. New Salem-Almont, 62-47
Tioga def. Divide County, 58-35
Trenton def. Powers Lake-Burke Central, 49-33
Parshall def. Drake-Anamoose, 54-49
Mandaree def. White Shield, 63-11
 

High School Boys Hockey
Bismarck Legacy def. Bottineau-Rugby, 6-2
Dickinson def. Mandan, 2-1 SO
Bismarck Century JV def. Hazen-Beulah, 5-3
 

High School Girls Hockey
Williston def. Minot High, 2-1
Devils Lake def. West Fargo United, 2-1
Fargo-North/South def. Jamestown, 2-1 SO
 

High School Boys Wrestling
Bismarck High def. Minot High, 51-11
Bismarck Century def. Bismarck St. Mary’s, 38-31
 

High School Girls Wrestling
Minot High def. Bismarck High, 40-33
Dickinson def. Mandan, 54-18
Jamestown def. Mandan, 36-30
——————————————————–
 
UND WOMENS BASKETBALL
 
GRAND FORKS, N.D. (UND) – Behind a triple-double from Kacie Borowicz and a double-double from Kiyah Hurst, the North Dakota women’s basketball team earned its first Summit League win of the season 100-75 over Omaha at the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center Thursday night. Borowicz joins two North Dakota greats in the record book, Katie Richards and Jenny Crouse, as the third player in program history to record a triple-double. Borowicz scored 20 points, dished out 10 assists and pulled down 11 rebounds in the Fighting Hawk win. Her rebounding total was also a career-high, while her 10 assists is a new season best. Hurst notched her second double-double of the season with 22 points and 10 boards. Hurst was lights out from deep, setting a new career-high by connecting on all four of her three-point attempts. The Fighting Hawks return to the Betty on Saturday for a matchup with Kansas City at 1:00 p.m.
——————————————————
 
UND MENS BASKETBALL
 
OMAHA, Neb. (UND) – The North Dakota men’s basketball team fell 79-61 at Omaha Thursday night, falling to 0-3 in the Summit League. Treysen Eaglestaff led the Fighting Hawks with 15 points, hitting four times from downtown. Amar Kuljuhovic led the team with 11 rebounds, notching his third double-double of the season with ten points. B.J. Omot also scored in double figures with 12. Tyree Ihenacho got the scoring started, but UND could not hold the lead as the Mavericks pulled ahead. Down 20-8, the Fighting Hawks reeled off 12 straight points to tie the game. Tsotne Tsartsidze got the run started with a three and with 7:37 left two foul shots from B.J. Omot tie the game at 20. Later a three from Eaglestaff at 5:57 gave UND a 25-24 lead, their first since 6-5 at the 16:06 mark. From a 33-33 tie, NoDak gave up eight of the last nine points of the first half and trailed 41-34 at intermission. Out of the break Kuljuhovic went 1-2 from the line to pull UND within six at 41-35, which was the closest the Fighting Hawks would come at any point in the second half. At 13:23 a layup by Tsartsidze made it 47-41, but from there the green and white would not get any closer. North Dakota will travel to Kansas City for a matchup with the Roos on Saturday at 2 p.m., looking for a third straight win in the series.
———————————————————
 
NDSU WOMENS BASKETBALL
 
FARGO, N.D. (NDSU) – After trailing by as many as 16 points in the first half, the North Dakota State women’s basketball team battled back to earn a 63-60 win over Kansas City on Thursday night at Scheels Center. Abbie Draper led the way for NDSU (8-7, 2-0 Summit) netting a game-high 18 points with six rebounds and three assists. Elle Evans poured in 17 points of her own on 3-of-5 shooting from three and 8-of-8 from the free throw line. Heaven Hamling closed out the group with 16 points and tied a career-high six steals. As a team, NDSU shot 33.3 percent (18-54) from the field and 65.7 percent (23-35) from the free throw line. The Bison also scored 24 points in the paint and 14 points off of turnovers. Kansas City (9-9, 0-3 Summit) was able to run out to a 16-point edge, 23-7, by the 6:23 mark of the second quarter before the Bison responded with 10 straight points to close the first half, including five points from Hamling to make the score 31-26 at the intermission. Both teams then battled throughout the third frame that featured three tie scores. The Bison stole their first lead of the night after Hamling created a steal and finished with a fastbreak layup, 43-41, with 24 seconds to play in the quarter. The two teams entered the fourth frame locked, 43-43, before NDSU assembled six straight points capped off by a jumper from Abby Schulte to stretch the lead to six, 51-45, with 5:54 to play. The Bison went on to hold off the Roos the rest of way to stay unbeaten at home, 63-60. NDSU will wrap its homestand hosting Omaha on Saturday. Tip-off is set for 1:00 p.m., at Scheels Center.
——————————————————
 
NDSU MENS BASKETBALL
 
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (NDSU) – The North Dakota State University men’s basketball team came out with a 92-91 double-overtime victory over Kansas City on Thursday night at the Swinney Center. NDSU senior Boden Skunberg finished with 23 points, six rebounds and five assists. Redshirt freshman Noah Feddersen scored a career-high 18 points, and Andrew Morgan added 17 points on 7-of-8 shooting. NDSU opened up an 11-point lead in the first half and held a 36-31 advantage at halftime. Kansas City took its first lead at 52-50 with 9:10 remaining in regulation. The Roos led 70-66 with under two minutes left, but Jacari White drained a clutch three-pointer, Damari Wheeler-Thomas hit a driving layup, and Morgan made a pair of free throws to tie the game. The game went to overtime tied at 73-73 and proceeded to double overtime at 79-79. The Bison put up 13 points in the final OT period, sparked by back-to-back three-pointers from Feddersen. After a Kansas City three-point play pulled the Roos within one at 92-91, the Roos missed a three-point attempt with two seconds on the clock to end the game. NDSU shot 53 percent for the game and connected on 8-of-17 (47 percent) from three-point range. The Bison improved to 8-9 overall and 1-1 in The Summit League. The Bison will play at Omaha on Saturday at 7 p.m.
—————————————————–
 
VIKINGS-SCHEDULE
 
LONDON (AP) — The Chicago Bears and Minnesota Vikings will both host a game in London next season and the Carolina Panthers will play in Germany as part of the NFL’s international swing, the league said Thursday. The two NFC North rivals will host a game each at Premier League team Tottenham’s stadium, while the Jacksonville Jaguars return to London for one game at Wembley, the NFL said in a statement. The Panthers will host a game in Munich as the NFL returns to Germany for a third straight year. Their opponents and the dates of the games will be announced at a later date. The Jaguars have been regular visitors to London since 2013 and played two games in the British capital in consecutive weeks in 2023. The Vikings last came to London in 2022 as the away team, beating the New Orleans Saints. The Bears’ last trip to Britain was a loss to the Oakland Raiders in 2019, also as the away team. The Panthers will play at Bayern Munich’s Allianz Arena, which also hosted the NFL’s first regular-season game in Germany in 2022. The league staged two games in Frankfurt this season. The NFL is also set to stage its first regular-season game in South America next season in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The host team for that game has yet to be announced.
 
 

Read more...

K-Heart Sports – 01/11/24

K-HEART SPORTS – THURSDAY – 01/11/24
 

MINOT, ND – Minot High is atop both Class AA high school basketball polls for a second week. The polls are voted on by the North Dakota Associated Press Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association (NDAPSSA).
 
Class AA Girls Basketball Poll
 
Team (1st Place Votes)    Record   Polling Points   Last Week
1. Minot High (15)               9-2              89             1
2. Bismarck Legacy (2)       8-1              62             3
3. Bismarck Century            8-1              51             2
4. West Fargo Horace (2)   9-0              49             4
5. Fargo Davies                  6-1              22             5
 
Others receiving votes: Grand Forks Red River (8-2), Bismarck High (8-3)
 
 
Class AA Boys Basketball Poll
 
Team (1st Place Votes)   Record   Polling Points   Last Week
1. Minot High (19)              10-0            95             1
2. Bismarck Century            9-0             76             2
3. Fargo Davies                   6-2             48             4
4. Grand Forks Central        6-2             23             5
5. West Fargo Sheyenne     6-2             19            RV
 
Other receiving votes: Fargo North (6-3), Bismarck Legacy (6-3), Bismarck High (6-5)
—————————————————-
 
MSU MENS HOCKEY
 
MINOT, N.D. (MSU) – Goaltending and special teams were on point for the Minot State men’s hockey team as they welcomed in-state rival University of Mary for the first home game of 2024. On top of getting all three goals on the power play, Riley Wallace backstopped the No. 1 Beavers (20-4-0) for the second shutout in a row as the team picked up the 3-0 win over the Marauders (17-8-0). Minot State scored a goal in each period, with the ice breaker occurring just over halfway in the first. Both teams will meet again in two weeks when the Beavers head to Mandan for another midweek match on January 24 at 7:00 p.m.
 
Troy Hamilton hit his 12th goal of the season on a nice setup that went cross ice from Carter Barley for the one-timer. Speaking of Barley, it was one of three assists on a night where he was dishing the puck in the right spots. Those three assists also tie Christian Kadolph for most points on the team this season, as both guys sit at 30 each. Kadolph added a helper on the night to reach that number. Reece Henry notched his seventh goal and a primary assist on Hamilton’s first period tally. Reid Arnold capped the scoring with his team-leading 14th marker. Even more important on the team front: the Beavers were perfect on the power play, going three for three. Despite a valiant effort from Mary’s goaltending and defensive game, Minot State held control for most of the game while limiting the Marauders chances at countering. Up next for the Beavers will be a weekend series on the road versus Midland University on January 19 and 20, with puck drop scheduled for 7:30 p.m. (CT) on both nights.
—————————————————
 
MSU WOMENS WRESTLING
 
DICKINSON, N.D. (MSU) – The Beavers picked up three wins Wednesday night but it wasn’t enough against in-state foe Dickinson State as the Minot State women’s wrestling team fell 35-14 to the Blue Hawks. Minot State’s Bella Hernandez earned a win by pin in 6 minutes, 10 seconds in her 130-pound match over Mikayla Jardine, leading the way for the Beavers. Haleigh Lematta added an 8-2 decision win at 143 pounds over Mariah Wahl, and Skye Shelmerdine picked up a victory by forfeit at 116 pounds, rounding out the three Minot State victories. The Beavers also got a team point from Madison Parson for her efforts in scoring in her 191-pound loss to Rylee Kogolshak. Minot State (5-6 duals) now heads home where the Beavers will host the Blue Hawks and the Jamestown Jimmies on Sunday in the inaugural Minot State Women’s Open tournament on Sunday starting at 9 a.m. at the MSU Dome.
————————————————
 
WOLVES-CELTICS
 
BOSTON (AP) — Jayson Tatum scored 45 points — 14 of them in the fourth quarter and another 12 in overtime — as the Boston Celtics beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 127-120 in a matchup of the two conference leaders Wednesday night to remain perfect at home. Jaylen Brown had 35 points and 11 rebounds for the Celtics, who are 18-0 at home for the first time in franchise history. Jrue Holiday scored 12, including a corner 3-pointer off an offensive rebound by Derrick White to cap a 14-3 run that gave Boston a 111-109 lead with 26 seconds left in regulation. With Timberwolves co-owner — and Boston nemesis — Alex Rodriguez sitting courtside, Anthony Edwards hit a pair of free throws to tie it. Tatum missed an off-balance shot at the buzzer that could have won the game in regulation. Edwards had 29 points and Karl Anthony-Towns scored 25 with 13 rebounds for Minnesota (26-11), which has the best record in the Western Conference and trails only Boston (29-8) overall. Minnesota beat the Celtics in overtime in their previous matchup, in November. The Timberwolves host the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday night.
———————————————-
 
WILD-STARS
 
DALLAS (AP) — Roope Hintz, Joe Pavelski, Tyler Seguin and Jason Robertson — Dallas’ four top goal producers — scored and the Dallas Stars beat the Minnesota Wild 7-2 on Wednesday night to sweep a home-and-home set and the season series. Hintz leads the Stars with 17 goals, followed by Pavelski and Seguin at 16 and Robertson with 15. Nils Lundqvist had a goal and an assist and Matt Duchene and Sam Steel also scored to help the Stars spoil Minnesota goalie Jesper Wallstedt’s NHL debut. The 21-year-old Wallstedt made 24 saves. The Wild are 1-6-0 in their last seven games. Scott Wedgewood stopped 21 shots for Dallas, which is 7-0-3 in its last 10 games against Minnesota. Esa Lindell had three assists and Mason Marchment had two. Matt Boldy had a goal and an assist and Ryan Hartman also scored for the Wild. Dallas swept the three games against Minnesota, outscoring the Wild 19-5. The Wild host Philadelphia on Friday night to begin a three-game homestand.
 
 

Read more...

K-Heart Sports – 01/10/24

K-HEART SPORTS – WEDNESDAY – 01/10/24
 

MINOT, ND – Mohall-Lansford-Sherwood swept a girl/boy basketball doubleheading in Glenburn last night. The pair of games we broadcast on K-Heart saw the Mavericks win the girls game 44-40, behind 21 points from Jamie Thompson and 13 from Rilynn Beck. The Panthers were led by Emma Jones with 19 points. The #8 -ranked MLS boys team finished the sweep with a 73-31 victory. Riley Morlock tallied 18 points while Reid Morlock added 15 and Carson Nett 12, all on 3’s. Aidyn Derr and Jayden Nelson each scored 13 for Glenburn.
 
Other scores:
 
High School Boys Basketball
 
Class AA
#1 Minot High def. Dickinson, 71-53
#2 Bismarck Century def. Mandan, 79-60
Bismarck Legacy def. Jamestown, 87-76
Bismarck High def. Williston, 101-58
 
Class A
Des Lacs-Burlington def. Bishop Ryan (Class B), 67-47
South Prairie-Max def. Nedrose, 60-41
Hazen def. Bottineau, 63-62
 
Class B
#4 Westhope-Newburg def. Velva, 70-38
#8 Mohall-Lansford-Sherwood def. Glenburn, 73-31
T-G-U def. Berthold, 75-22
Our Redeemer’s def. Harvey-Wells County, 68-55
Surrey def. Parshall-North Shore-Plaza, 57-51
Kenmare-Bowbells def. Ray, 86-77
Central McLean def. White Shield, 53-49
Trenton def. Tioga, 49-46
Williston Trinity Christian def. Divide County, 77-30
Alexander def. Belfield, 52-48
 

High School Girls Basketball
 
Class AA
#1 Minot High def. Dickinson, 119-40
#2 Bismarck Century def. Mandan, 48-43
#3 Bismarck Legacy def. Jamestown, 69-43
Bismarck High def. Williston, 74-44
Bismarck St. Mary’s def. Shiloh Christian (Class A), 42-40
 
Class A
#3 South Prairie-Max def. Beulah, 49-36
Des Lacs-Burlington def. Bishop Ryan (Class B), 50-31
New Town def. North Shore-Plaza (Class B), 60-28
Watford City def. Sidney MT, 51-42
 
Class B
#4 Central McLean def. White Shield, 79-10
#7 T-G-U def. Berthold, 70-50
Our Redeemer’s def. Powers Lake-Burke Central, 59-42
Mohall-Lansford-Sherwood def. Glenburn, 44-40
Divide County def. Williston Trinity Christian, 45-25
North Prairie def. North Star, 56-28
 
 
High School Boys Hockey
Minot High def. Williston, 7-0
Bismarck Legacy def. Dickinson, 3-0
Mandan def. Jamestown, 5-2
Hazen-Beulah def. Minot Junior Gold, 7-3
Bismarck Century def. Bismarck High, 9-2
 

High School Girls Hockey
West Fargo United def. Jamestown, 3-2 SO
Mandan def. Dickinson, 2-0
——————————————————–
 
UND HOCKEY-HONOR
 
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (UND) – North Dakota senior forward Riese Gaber was named NCHC Forward of the Week after a six-point weekend in a sweep over Alaska, league officials announced on Tuesday afternoon. Gaber earned the honor for the fourth time during his career. Gaber put together his best weekend of the season in a sweep of Alaska, racking up an NCHC-best and tying for the most in the nation with six points in the two games. The UND captain tallied three points both nights against the Nanooks. In Friday’s 6-4 victory, Gaber scored two goals while assisting on the Fighting Hawks’ first goal of the night. His first goal Friday put UND up for good at 2-1, while a power play strike helped seal the victory in the third period. A night later, the Gilbert Plains, Manitoba, native had a hand in each of North Dakota’s first three goals with a marker and two primary assists. He opened the scoring Saturday with an unassisted power play tally, while his second primary assist of the game helped break a 2-2 tie and put UND up for good in an eventual 6-2 win. The senior was named the game’s first star both nights in the sweep of the Nanooks. He finished the series with three goals and three assists, while firing 10 shots on goal in the two games. He also ended with a +4 plus/minus on the weekend. These were Gaber’s first three-point games of the season, while he now ranks 10th in the NCHC with 20 points in 20 games this season. His 11 goals on the year tie for seventh in the NCHC.
——————————————————–
 
WOLVES-MAGIC
 
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Karl-Anthony Towns scored 23 of his 28 points in the first half and the Minnesota Timberwolves led from start to finish Tuesday night in a 113-92 win over the Orlando Magic. Rudy Gobert had 21 points and 12 rebounds and the Western Conference-leading Timberwolves (26-10) won easily despite getting only six points and three assists from leading scorer Anthony Edwards.Moritz Wagner led the Magic (21-16) with 21 points and seven rebounds. Jalen Suggs had 20 points and five rebounds and Paolo Banchero had 18 points on 8 for 22 shooting. The Timberwolves visit Boston tonight.
———————————————————
 
VIKINGS-OFF SEASON
 
EAGAN, Minn. (AP) — Kirk Cousins and the Minnesota Vikings have entered another pivotal offseason, revolving around the club’s still-uncertain plans at quarterback. Will a mutual desire to maintain the relationship weigh heavier in this complicated equation than the constricting ramifications of the salary cap? Clarity remains at least a couple of months away. What’s certain is that both sides are carrying feelings of unfulfillment into 2024. Cousins and his teammates packed up equipment and memorabilia and exchanged autographs and hugs in the locker room on Monday after finishing 7-10 and relinquishing the NFC North title they won handily last season with a 13-4 record.
 
Cousins’ contract is set to void in March, making him a free agent. His absence from a torn Achilles tendon reinforced the reality that there’s no other viable option on the roster for the long term. Even if there were no questions about his return, he’ll be 36 before next season. “I don’t think you do can your job as a leader of an organization without saying, ‘What’s our succession plan? What do we have down the pipeline?’” Cousins said. Cousins, who had enough qualifying attempts to finish third in the NFL in passer rating (103.8) despite playing in only eight games, didn’t directly answer a question on Monday about whether he would sign with the Vikings for less money than what he could get in a new deal on the open market. But his confidence in the offense under coach Kevin O’Connell and his family’s comfort in Minnesota — not to mention throwing to Justin Jefferson — have made obvious the preferred place to finish his career. “God has blessed me financially beyond my wildest dreams, so at this stage of my career the dollars are really not what it’s about,” Cousins said, before referencing a profound perspective one of his previous coaches shared with him: “It’s not about the dollars, but it is about what the dollars represent.”
 
The uncertainty of this offseason reminded Cousins of his last high school game in Holland, Michigan, when he had no college scholarship offers. His career will work out the way it’s supposed to work out, Cousins has long believed in conjunction with his devout Christian faith. “Nothing has taught me more than this injury of the importance of just letting go and trusting and seeing where things go,” Cousins said. Cousins has been ahead of the projected recovery timeline. He’s not worried about having to sell himself. “The league needs quarterbacks, and if you’re trying to talk yourself out of a quarterback, then I can’t help you much,” he said, smiling. “The Achilles is going to heal, and it’s on track, and I’m a pocket passer, and there’s a lot of time before next season. So for a lot of reasons it doesn’t concern me.”
 
DRAFT POSITION
The Vikings have the 11th overall pick, likely in range for one of the top quarterback prospects or at least close enough to move up a few spots for one. This is the same position they were in 25 years ago when they drafted Daunte Culpepper. The Vikings don’t currently have a pick in the third round. That’s owed to Detroit for the 2022 trade for tight end T.J. Hockenson.
 
STAT WATCH
Jefferson finished 19th in receiving yards in the league (1,074) despite playing in only eight full games and parts of two others because of injuries. Hockenson missed the last two games with a knee injury but still ranked 14th in the NFL with 95 receptions. Danielle Hunter finished fifth in the league with a career-high 16 1/2 sacks and tied for fifth with teammate Josh Metellus with four forced fumbles. The Vikings had a minus-12 turnover ratio that was second-worst in the NFL. The completion percentage (70.3%) by opponents was the highest allowed in the league. Special teams took a step back, too. Ryan Wright slumped, ranking 30th in punts inside the 20-yard line (28.8%). Greg Joseph was 28th in the NFL in field goal rate (80%) among kickers who averaged one or more makes per game.
 
SCHEDULE SET
In addition to their usual home-and-away set of games against the three other NFC North foes, the Vikings in 2024 will face the AFC South (hosting Houston and Indianapolis and visiting Jacksonville and Tennessee) and the NFC West (hosting Arizona and San Francisco and visiting the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle) next season. The games determined by their third-place finish are at home against Atlanta and the New York Jets and on the road against the New York Giants.
 
NEXT STEPS
The quarterback decision will shape the plan for every other position on the roster, with resources limited under the salary cap and in the draft, but cornerback continues to be a position lacking depth. The defensive line could use help, too. Hunter is another critical player poised for a megadeal in free agency. The next two best edge rushers on the roster when healthy — D.J. Wonnum and Marcus Davenport — are unsigned as well. Dalton Risner, the only offensive lineman who didn’t miss any games due to injury, gave the Vikings a boost at left guard. He’ll be a free agent, along with linebacker Jordan Hicks and wide receiver K.J. Osborn. Signing Cousins would take away the ability to bring back several of those others.
 
 

Read more...

K-Heart Sports – 01/09/24

K-HEART SPORTS – TUESDAY – 01/09/24
 

MINOT, ND – #1 teams remain the same in this weeks Class A and B Basketball polls. The polls are voted on by the North Dakota Associated Press Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association (NDAPSSA).
 
Class A Girls Basketball Poll
 
Team (1st Place Votes)   Record   Polling Points   Last Week
1. Thompson (19)               9-0             95             1
2. Bottineau                         9-1             69             2
3. South Prairie-Max           9-1             52             3
4. Northern Cass                 9-1             42             4
5. Devils Lake                     6-3              11            RV
 
Others receiving votes: Nedrose (10-1), Shiloh Christian (7-2), Kindred (6-3)
 

Class A Boys Basketball Poll
 
Team (1st Place Votes)             Record   Polling Points   Last Week
1. Kindred (14)                             7-0             87           1
2. Grafton (3)                                7-0            71            2
3. Four Winds-Minnewaukan (2)  6-2             60           3
4. Devils Lake                               5-1            46            4
5. Beulah                                      5-1             12          RV
 
Others receiving votes: Shiloh Christian (6-2), Wahpeton (4-1), Stanley (6-1)
 

Class B Girls Basketball Poll
 
Team (1st Place Votes)                      Record   Polling Points   Last Week
1. May-Port-CG (10)                              8-0              175          1
2. Langdon Area-Edmore-Munich (6)   10-1             167          2
3. Sargent County (2)                             9-0             151          3
4. Central McLean (1)                             9-0             141          4
5. Bowman County                                 7-1             125          5
6. Edgeley-Kulm-Montpelier                   8-2               86          6
7. T-G-U                                                 10-2              70         T7
8. Oakes                                                 8-1               53         10
9. Kenmare-Bowbells                             9-4                31         RV
10. Maple River                                       6-3               12         RV
 
Other receiving votes: Trenton (9-2), Garrison (7-2), Grant County-Mott-Regent (9-3), Linton-HMB (7-3), Our Redeemer’s (6-4), Hatton-Northwood (5-3), Tioga (7-2)
 

Class B Boys Basketball Poll
 
Team (1st Place Votes)          Record   Polling Points   Last Week
1. Bowman County (14)              7-0             184          1
2. North Star (3)                          8-0             165          2
3. Bishop Ryan (2)                       7-0             144         3
4. Westhhope-Newburg               7-0             141         4
5. Linton-HMB                              7-0             118         6
6. Hankinson                                5-1               54         7
7. Glen Ullin-Hebron                     8-1              52         RV
8. Mohall-Lansford-Sherwood      5-0              51         RV
9. Sargent County                        5-3              43          5
10. Garrison                                  7-2             21         RV
 
Other receiving votes: Alexander (7-0), Wilton-Wing (6-1), Ellendale (6-2), North Border (5-1), Williston Trinity Christian (4-1), Cavalier (6-2), Edgeley-Kulm-Montpelier (5-3), T-G-U (6-1)
—————————————————-
 
MINOT, ND – Scores from Monday:
 
High School Boys Basketball
 
Class A
#4 Devils Lake def. Rugby, 80-32
#5 Beulah def. New Town, 80-44
 
Class B
#3 Bishop Ryan def. Drake-Anamoose, 81-32
#10 Garrison def. Hazen (Class A), 72-58
Powers Lake-Burke Central def. White Shield, 70-59
 

High School Girls Basketball
 
Class A
#3 South Prairie-Max def. Stanley, 68-36

Class B
Bishop Ryan def. Drake-Anamoose, 68-35
Our Redeemer’s def. Harvey-Wells County, 40-37
Velva def. Westhope-Newburg, 52-49
Parshall def. White Shield, 64-15
Tioga def. Alexander, 71-17
North Prairie def. Dunseith (Class A), 66-32
———————————————————
 
UND HOCKEY-POLLS
 
GRAND FORKS, N.D. (UND) – North Dakota remained fourth in the USCHO.com and USA Hockey/The Rink Live polls that were released on Monday. It marks the third straight week at the No. 4 spot for the Fighting Hawks and the 12th straight week inside the top-5. UND is coming off a weekend sweep over Alaska for the first time since 1991, striking for a combined 12 goals in the pair of victories. NoDak rode a five-goal second period in Friday’s 6-4 win over the Nanooks before the top line of Hunter Johannes (2g), Riese Gaber (1g) and Cameron Berg (1g) combined for four goals in a 6-2 triumph in the finale. Forward Riese Gaber finished the weekend with six points (3g, 3a) for his first and second three-point nights of the season while freshman goaltender Hobie Hedquist picked up a pair of wins in his first two starts of his collegiate career. The weekend also closed out the nonconference slate for the green and white, who finished with a 9-2-1 mark against non-league foes. The nine victories are the most during nonconference play since 2019-20 (9-1-1) and has helped the Hawks sit sixth in the Pairwise Rankings. North Dakota jumps back into NCHC play with a home series against Omaha beginning on Friday night at 7:07 p.m. from the Ralph.
———————————————————
 
FCS POLLS
 
GRAND FORKS, N.D. (UND) – Following the FCS Championship Game that saw South Dakota State defeat Montana, 23-3, the final Top 25 Polls of the 2023 season were released on Monday morning. The Fighting Hawks finished the year ranked No. 16 in both the Stats Perform Poll and the AFCA FCS Coaches’ Top 25. Six teams from the MVFC are ranked in the final Stats Perform Poll. South Dakota State went wire-to-wire as the No. 1 team, while North Dakota State finished No. 3 and South Dakota came in at No. 4. Southern Illinois concluded the season just outside the top-10 at No. 12, followed by North Dakota at No. 16. Youngstown State rounded out the MVFC in the poll at No. 19. Northern Iowa was also receiving votes in the final poll. The same six teams from the conference also ended the year ranked in the AFCA FCS Coaches’ Top 25 Poll. The Jackrabbits are No. 1, trailed by the Bison at No. 3 and the Coyotes tied with the Vandals of Idaho for the No. 4-spot. The Salukis sit No. 13, followed by the Fighting Hawks at No. 16 and the Penguins at No. 21. The Redbirds were also receiving votes in the poll.
 
STATS PERFORM FCS TOP 25 (Jan. 8)
 
1. South Dakota State (15-0, 8-0 MVFC), 1,400 points (56 of 56 first-place votes)
2. Montana (13-2, 7-1 Big Sky), 1,343
3. North Dakota State (11-4, 5-3 MVFC), 1,252
4. South Dakota (10-3, 7-1 MVFC), 1,140
5. UAlbany (11-4, 7-1 CAA), 1,125
6. Villanova (10-3, 7-1 CAA), 1,105
7. Furman (10-3, 7-1 SoCon), 1,085
8. Idaho (9-4, 6-2 Big Sky), 1,067
9. Montana State (8-4, 6-2 Big Sky), 992
10. Delaware (9-4, 6-2 CAA), 790
11. Florida A&M (12-1, 8-0 SWAC), 777
12. Southern Illinois (8-5, 4-4 MVFC), 754
13. Sacramento State (8-5, 4-4 Big Sky), 748
14. Chattanooga (8-5, 6-2 Southern), 594
15. Richmond (9-4, 7-1 CAA), 573
16. North Dakota (7-5, 5-3 MVFC), 542
17. Mercer (9-4, 6-2 SoCon), 525
18. Austin Peay (9-3, 6-0 UAC), 458
19. Youngstown State (8-5, 5-3 MVFC), 454
20. North Carolina Central (9-3, 4-1 MEAC), 339
21. Lafayette (9-3, 5-1 Patriot), 280
22. Incarnate Word (8-2, 6-1 Southland), 210
23. Western Carolina (7-4, 5-3 SoCon), 117
24. UC Davis (7-4, 5-3 Big Sky), 107
25. UT Martin (8-3, 5-1 Big South-OVC), 103
 
Others Receiving Votes: Gardner-Webb, 60; Tarleton, 52; Nicholls, 45; Northern Iowa, 41; Holy Cross, 35; Drake, 21; Harvard, 18; Central Arkansas, 17; Eastern Illinois, 16; Duquesne, 10; Yale, 4.
 
 
AFCA FCS Coaches TOP 25 (Jan. 8)
 
1. South Dakota State (23)
2. Montana
3. North Dakota State
4t. Idaho
4t. South Dakota
6. Furman
7. UAlbany
8. Montana State
9. Villanova
10. Florida A&M
11. Delaware
12. Austin Peay
13. Southern Illinois
14. Incarnate Word
15. Sacramento State
16. North Dakota
17. Chattanooga
18. North Carolina Central
19. Lafayette
20. Mercer
21. Youngstown State
22. Richmond
23. UT Martin
24. Eastern Illinois
25. Holy Cross
 
Others Receiving Votes: UC Davis, 28; Harvard, 14; Gardner-Webb, 11; Tarleton, 8; Central Arkansas, 7; Nicholls, 7; Western Carolina, 7; Illinois St., 6; Yale, 4; William & Mary, 3; Rhode Island, 2; Samford, 2; Bryant, 1.
———————————————————-
 
NDSU FOOTBALL
 
FARGO, N.D. (NDSU) – North Dakota State head football coach Tim Polasek announced Monday, Jan. 8, that offensive coordinator Tyler Roehl has been elevated to associate head coach of the Bison. Roehl, the tight ends and fullbacks coach since 2014, has been NDSU’s offensive coordinator since 2019. He has spent 11 years on the Bison staff including one season as an offensive graduate assistant in 2011. Roehl directed one of the most prolific offenses in the FCS during the 2023 season. The Bison ranked first in rushing yards, rushing touchdowns and offensive touchdowns; second in completion percentage, passing efficiency and red-zone scoring; third in scoring offense and third-down conversion percentage; and fourth in rushing offense. NDSU has led the nation in rushing touchdowns three straight seasons and ranked first or second in rushing yards four of Roehl’s five seasons as offensive coordinator. An All-America running back and four-year letterman at North Dakota State from 2004 to 2008, Roehl was a fullback on NDSU’s 2006 Great West Football Conference championship team and has been part of seven FCS national championships and eight Missouri Valley Football Conference titles with the Bison. A graduate of West Fargo High School, Roehl earned a bachelor’s degree in physical education from NDSU in 2009 and a master’s degree in health, nutrition and exercise science from NDSU in 2014. He and his wife, Mary, have a son, Maxwell, and two daughters, Evelyn and Gabrielle.
———————————————————-
 
WILD-STARS
 
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Matt Murray stopped 23 shots for his first career NHL shutout, and Dallas scored two short-handed goals to snap a three-game losing streak with a 4-0 win at Minnesota on Monday night. Murray earned his second NHL victory in his fourth career game. The undrafted 25-year-old from Alberta played five years of college hockey at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, winning a national championship in 2021. Tyler Seguin and Roope Hintz each had a goal and an assist for Dallas. The Stars’ fourth-best in the NHL penalty kill (85%) was perfect on six Wild power-play opportunities. Including an 8-3 victory on Nov. 12, Dallas (23-11-5) has scored nine special-teams goals in two contests against Minnesota (17-18-4) this season. Marc-Andre Fleury made 16 saves but missed in his first chance to pass Patrick Roy for sole possession of second place on the NHL’s career wins list. Fleury had tied Roy with his 551st victory Saturday at Columbus. The Wild play at Dallas on Wednesday night.
 
 

Read more...

K-Heart Sports – 01/06/24

K-HEART SPORTS – SATURDAY – 01/06/24
 
 
MINOT, ND – Friday scoreboard:
 
High School Boys Basketball
 
Class AA
#2 Bismarck Century def. Bismarck Legacy, 82-78
Bismarck High def. Jamestown, 91-60
Williston def. Bismarck St. Mary’s, 69-59
Dickinson def. Mandan, 79-75
 
Class A
#2 Grafton def. Bottineau, 76-48
South Prairie-Max def. Glenburn (Class B), 71-42
Standing Rock def. Dunseith, 72-62
 
Class B
#3 Bishop Ryan def. Harvey-Wells County, 52-36
#4 Westhope-Newburg def. Our Redeemer’s, 76-49
Mohall-Lansford-Sherwood def. Velva, 73-66
Garrison def. Mandaree, 74-37
T-G-U def. Drake-Anamoose, 69-37
Powers Lake-Burke Central def. Ray, 72-44
Alexander def. Trenton, 59-28
 

High School Girls Basketball
 
Class AA
#3 Bismarck Legacy def. #2 Bismarck Century, 62-47
Bismarck High def. Jamestown, 63-38
Bismarck St. Mary’s def. Williston, 62-22
Mandan def. Dickinson, 71-42
 
Class A
#2 Bottineau def. Beulah, 71-37
#3 South Prairie-Max def. Glenburn (Class B), 76-35
 
Class B
#7 T-G-U def. Drake-Anamoose, 70-37
Kenmare-Bowbells def. Divide County, 49-19
 

High School Boys Hockey
Mandan def. Williston, 6-0
Jamestown def. Bottineau-Rugby, 8-3
 

High School Girls Hockey
West Fargo United def. Minot High, 2-1
Fargo North-South def. Williston, 3-2
————————————————–
 
MSU MENS BASKETBALL
 
SAINT PAUL, Minn. (MSU) – The Minot State men’s basketball team shot 55.6 percent from deep on the way to a 103-65 victory against the Concordia, Saint Paul Golden Bears on the road Friday in NSIC play. The Beavers (10-3 overall, 5-2 NSIC) had five players score in double figures, led by Ben Bohl, who had 19 points. Caleb Van De Griend added 16 points off of the bench and Khari Broadway helped out with 14 points and six rebounds. The Minot State offense was strong from downtown, pouring in 10 threes on 18 attempts. Jaxon Gunville hit two treys for the Beavers in the contest. Minot State’s defense held Concordia, Saint Paul to only 36.5 percent shooting from the field, including 27.6 percent from beyond the arc. The Golden Bears did not have much luck cleaning up their misses on the offensive glass either, as they finished with eight offensive rebounds and managed six second-chance points while Minot State cleared 37 defensive rebounds.
 
After falling behind 12-10, Minot State went on a 17-0 run with 16:24 left in the first half, culminating in a three from Jalen Cook, to take a 27-12 lead. The Beavers then added six points to that lead by the end of the period and entered halftime with a 56-35 advantage. Minot State did most of its first-half damage in the paint, scoring 28 of its 56 points close to the basket. Following intermission, Minot State kept widening that lead, expanding it to 63-41 before going on a 9-0 run, finished off by Van De Griend’s jumper, to grow the lead to 72-41 with 14:39 to go in the contest. The Beavers kept expanding the margin and coasted the rest of the way for the 103-65 win. Minot State took care of business in the paint, recording 24 of its 47 points in the lane. The Beavers play today at Duluth.
—————————————————–
 
MSU WOMENS BASKETBALL
 
SAINT PAUL, Minn. (MSU) – The Minot State women’s basketball team got an 18-point showing from the bench, but fell 58-39 to the Concordia, Saint Paul Golden Bears on the road Friday in NSIC play. Lorelei McIver led the Beavers (4-12 overall,1-6 NSIC) with four points, nine rebounds, two steals and four blocks. Sydney Gustavsson also tacked on eight points and two steals and Vilborg Jonsdottir helped out with nine points and two steals off of the bench. Led by McIver’s three offensive rebounds, Minot State did a great job crashing the offensive glass, pulling down 11 boards that resulted in seven second-chance points. Minot State did a great job disrupting Concordia, Saint Paul shots in the contest, coming away with eight blocks. McIver’s four rejections led the way individually for the Beavers.
 
Minot State kept it close in the first quarter, but entered the second frame down 16-13. The Beavers continued to lose ground in the second quarter and faced a 29-22 halftime deficit. Minot State’s deficit continued to grow after halftime, and the Beavers faced a 41-29 disadvantage heading to the fourth quarter. Minot State knocked down one three-pointer in the quarter to score three of its seven total points. Concordia, Saint Paul kept widening its lead in the fourth, constructing a 58-34 advantage before Minot State went on a 5-0 run, finished off by Peyton Breidenbach’s jumper, to shrink the deficit to 58-39 with four seconds to go in the contest, a score which would hold for the rest of the game. Minot State took advantage of its opportunities in the post, scoring six of its 10 points in the paint. The Beavers play today at Duluth.
—————————————————-
 
MSU MENS HOCKEY
 
MINOT, N.D. (MSU) – It does not get crazier than what happened tonight at City National Arena in Vegas. The Minot State men’s hockey team battled in a high-scoring affair with the 5th-ranked University of Nevada-Las Vegas Rebels. One that went the distance and needed not overtime, but a shootout to decide the winner in the first game of the weekend slate. The No. 1 Beavers (18-4-0) and UNLV Rebels (15-4-1) combined for nine goals, including the shootout goal as both teams kicked off the weekend with fireworks on ice. UNLV got things going with two goals within the first nine minutes of period one, meaning the Beavers had to play catch up. Minot State was able to get back in it with a redirected shot from the blue line to cut the lead in half at 2-1 just over five minutes before intermission. The second frame was a better turnout for the Beavers, as a power-play goal not even two minutes into the period became an early equalizer. Nearly 15 minutes would pass by until the Rebels retook the lead 3-2. Minot State showed their grit and championship prowess by responding 45 seconds to tie the game again and head into the locker room with a barn burner in progress. In the third, the Beavers took their first lead of the game at 4-3 nearing the halfway mark of the period. UNLV would not go down easy however, as the Rebels would go on to tally the game-tying goal with under two minutes to go in regulation. After 60 minutes, both teams sat at four goals apiece. The score would remain the same after overtime, despite multiple grade A opportunities from each side. A shootout would determine the winner, as Minot State scored on their first two attempts and UNLV had their chances denied for the 5-4 victory by the Beavers. Both teams will meet again today at City National Arena for an 8:00 p.m. (PT) puck drop.
 
Joey Moffatt was big for the Beavers, recording a goal and assist and a goal in the shootout. Sheldin Howard is starting to find a groove as he registers a power-play marker in the second period. Jay Buchholz made his opportunity count when he scored all alone on the breakaway. Troy Hamilton also found the back of the net to wrap up the Beaver scoring in regulation. Christian Kadolph added an assist and became the other goal scorer in the shootout that helped Minot State secure the win. Jake Anthony made some stellar saves late in the game for the Beavers when called upon, with 24 saves on 28 shots and two stops in the shootout. The Beavers found a way after being down 2-0 and 3-2 to get the shootout win over UNLV. They split the season series with the Rebels. Along with that, their first win against UNLV under affiliation of Minot State Athletics.
——————————————————–
 
MSU MENS WRESTLING
 
GUNNISON, Colo. (MSU) – For the second time this season, Minot State’s Ryan Hrcka brought home a wrestling title. Hrcka won all four of his matches on Friday at the Western Colorado Open, bringing home the championship at 157 pounds for the Beavers, who opened a busy weekend at the tournament. Hrcka was one of four Minot State wrestlers to place in the tournament as Marcus Allen was third at 184 pounds, Dylan McDonald was sixth at 125 pounds, and Daniel Bendiks was sixth at 174 pounds. The Beavers are back in action today competing in the Tracy Borah Duals hosted by Western Colorado as they’ll compete against the host school, Adam State, New Mexico Highlands, and Colorado State Pueblo.
 
Friday in the Western Colorado Open, Hrcka battled through the 157-pound weight class opening with a 6-3 decision over Greg Coy of Adams State, then a 16-0 technical fall win over Chase Engelhardt of Western Colorado. Hrcka next won by pin in the semifinals in 3 minutes, 50 seconds over William Moneypenny of Colorado Mesa, then won a thriller in the title match with a sudden-victory, 6-3 win over AJ Van Matre of Adams State. Hrcka adds the Western Colorado Open title to his strong season that includes winning the title at the Dragon Open hosted by Minnesota State Moorhead in early December. Allen picked up three wins by pin at 184 pounds to finish third, opening with a pin in 19 seconds over Kai Saito of Western Colorado before a setback in the semifinals sent Allen to the consolation bracket. There he pinned Logan Noble of Colorado Mesa in 42 seconds, then pinned Remington Winmill of Colorado State Pueblo in 34 seconds to finish third. As for Bendiks, he won his opening two matches of the day with a 12-5 decision over teammate Kale Farrington and a pin in 4:52 over Trevor Pettit of Western Colorado, he finished sixth after three losses ended his day.
————————————————–
 
MINOTAUROS
 
MINOT, ND – The Minot Minotauros increased their winning streak to 8 games on Friday with a 7-1 road victory at St. Cloud. The Norsemen scored first at 7:49 of the first period. From there the Tauros would respond with seven straight goals including tallies by Colby Bear, Will Dawson and Colby Woogk in the first period. They would add three more in the second from Chad Muller, Jack O-Hanisain, and another by Woogk. Joel Lehtinen light the lamp just seconds into the third period as the Tauros improve to 25-6-1. Brady James tallied 15 saves for Minot which increases it’s lead atop the NAHL Central division to 13 points over Bismarck. The Tauros and Norsemen play again tonight in St. Cloud at 7 pm.
———————————————–
 
TIMBERWOLVES-ROCKETS
 
HOUSTON (AP) — Anthony Edwards scored 24 points, Karl-Anthony Towns had 22 and the Western Conference-leading Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Houston Rockets 122-95 on Friday night. Edwards had a relatively quiet game considering he entered the night averaging 36.3 points in his previous four games. He had scored at least 25 points in 10 straight games but went 8 for 17 from the field in 32 minutes Friday. Towns added eight rebounds and six assists. Jalen Green led Houston with 20 points, Alperen Sengun had 19 points and Jabari Smith Jr. added 16. The Rockets are 2-4 on a seven-game homestand. Houston has lost eight of the last nine meetings with Minnesota. The outsized Rockets were outscored 60-46 in the paint and outrebounded 51-39. Minnesota improved to 25-9. The Timberwolves led by 33 and entered the fourth quarter up 84-72. The Timberwolves play at Dallas on Sunday night.
 
 
 

Read more...

K-Heart Sports – 01/05/24

K-HEART SPORTS – FRIDAY – 01/05/24
 
 
MINOT, ND – Surrey swept a girl-boy basketball doubleheader last night in a pair of games that we broadcast on K-Heart. The Surrey girls defeated Berthold 56-52 and were led in scoring by Laney Will and McKya Gerding with 15 points each while CC Klimpel added 12. Mya Neshem scored a game-high 19 points for Berthold, but was held to just two points after halftime. Kasey Simons added 17 for the Bombers who fall to 8-3 overall, 3-2 in Class B District 8. The Mustangs improve to 7-3 overall, 5-0 in District 8.
 
The Surrey boys completed the sweep with a 41-24 win over the Bombers, led by Lucas Vollmer with 10 points. Logan Thompson also scored 10 for the Bombers who drop to 1-5 overall, 0-1 in District 8. The Mustangs improve to 5-2 overall, 1-0 in District 8.
 
Other scores from the area:
 
High School Boys Basketball
Class A
#3 Four Winds-Minnewaukan def. Rugby, 88-37
Beulah def. Des Lacs-Burlington, 53-50
Stanley def. New Town, 53-33
 
Class B
Kenmare-Bowbells def. Glenburn, 80-27
Surrey def. Berthold, 41-24
North Prairie def. St. John, 48-42
 
 
High School Girls Basketball
Class A
#3 South Prairie-Max def. Nedrose, 52-34
Devils Lake def. Turtle Mountain, 72-42
Hazen def. Dunseith, 47-42
 
Class B
#4 Central McLean def. Washburn, 65-31
#7 Our Redeemer’s def. Westhope-Newburg, 66-46
Mohall-Lansford-Sherwood def. Velva, 49-45
Bishop Ryan def. Harvey-Wells County, 50-38
Surrey def. Berthold, 56-52
Ray def. Alexander, 50-10
Divide County def. Powers Lake-Burke Central, 52-39
Tioga def. Parshall, 55-37
 
 
High School Boys Hockey
Minot High JV def. Hazen-Beulah, 4-1
 
 
High School Girls Hockey
Mandan def. Jamestown, 1-0
 
 
High School Boys Swimming & Diving
Dickinson def. Mandan, 108-75
 
 
High School Boys Wrestling
Minot High def. Jamestown, 54-18
Bismarck High def. Turtle Mountain, 57-15
Bismarck High def. Bismarck St. Mary’s, 46-13
Bismarck St. Mary’s def. Turtle Mountain, 48-24
Williston def. Mandan, 48-27
 
 
High School Girls Wrestling
Minot High def. Jamestown, 56-18
Fargo def. Mandan, 36-32
Bismarck High def. Turtle Mountain, 72-0
———————————————————
 
WILD-LIGHTNING
 
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Defenseman Darren Raddysh scored his first two goals of the season and Victor Hedman had a power-play goal in the Tampa Bay Lightning’s 4-1 victory over the injury-ravaged Minnesota Wild on Thursday. Andrei Vasilevskiy made 22 saves to end a three-start losing streak and Brandon Hagel added an empty-net goal to help the Lightning hand the Wild their fourth consecutive loss. Vasilevskiy’s bid for his 34th career shutout lasted until there was 4:25 left, when Zach Bogosian snapped a shot past him. Marc-Andre Fleury made 26 saves for the Wild, missing for the third straight game the chance to match Patrick Roy for second place on the NHL victory list with 551. The Wild might as well have hosted this game in Iowa, where their AHL affiliate plays, given how many minor-leaguers they needed to fill out their lineup with their recent rash of injuries. Goalie Filip Gustavsson, defensemen Jonas Brodin and Jared Spurgeon, and forwards Marcus Foligno, Kirill Kaprizov, Vinni Lettieri and Mats Zuccarello were all unavailable. The Wild fell to 3-15-1 when their opponent scores first. The Wild play at Columbus on Saturday night.
 
—————————————————-
 
VIKINGS-QUARTERBACK
 
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Vikings will start quarterback Nick Mullens in their final regular-season game, with their bid for the playoffs nearly exhausted by persistent problems at the vital position. Coach Kevin O’Connell announced his decision before practice on Wednesday. The Vikings play at Detroit on Sunday, needing a win and three other NFC games to go their way to convert a postseason long shot. “With all of the quarterback changes, everyone that stepped up into that position did a great job of handling that position, because it’s not an easy road. We have one of the most difficult offenses in the league,” wide receiver Justin Jefferson said, adding: “It’s even difficult for me just listening to the play call, and I’m only listening for one or two things.”
 
Mullens replaced rookie Jaren Hall after halftime in last week’s loss to Green Bay, after an interception and a fumble by Hall each set up a Packers touchdown. That was the fifth quarterback switch in nine games for the Vikings, starting with the torn Achilles tendon for Kirk Cousins that uprooted everything. “They’re really important decisions,” O’Connell said. “You want to make sure you’re communicating. You want to make sure you’re doing everything you can to try to help the guys that we put in the game, but at the same time the decision is about what’s best for the team and trying to move the football and seeing if we can go out and have a quality performance on offense.”
 
Hall was the first sub for Cousins, but a concussion forced him out of his first start. Joshua Dobbs gave the Vikings a brief spark, but he threw four interceptions in a loss to Chicago on Nov. 27 and was pulled from a scoreless game in his next appearance. Mullens took it from there, but he was picked off four times by Detroit on Dec. 24. That prompted O’Connell to pick Hall for the crucial game against Green Bay. “When we’re in that throw mode, he’s got to be a great decision-maker, trusting the other 10 guys to do their jobs at a really high level,” O’Connell said. Vikings quarterbacks have accounted for 26 turnovers this season, tied for the most in the NFL. The recent struggles have laid bare the conundrum they face for the future, with Cousins set to become a free agent in the spring.
 
Jefferson, for one, has stumped often for Cousins, but the team’s ability to upgrade other positions would be significantly diminished by a new contract for their 35-year-old quarterback. “I’m confident they’re going to make the right decision up there to bring whoever they need to bring in the building to throw us the ball each year,” Jefferson said. “If it’s Kirk, perfect. If it’s whoever they choose, that’s not my decision. I’m always going to just continue to be myself, regardless, and just play my best ball when I’m out there on the field.”
 
 

Read more...

K-Heart Sports – 01/04/24

K-HEART SPORTS – THURSDAY – 01/04/24
 

MINOT, ND – Minot High is atop both Class AA high school basketball polls this week. The polls are voted on by the North Dakota Associated Press Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association (NDAPSSA).
 
Class AA Girls Basketball Poll
 
Team (1st Place Votes)   Record   Polling Points   Last Week
1. Minot High (11)               7-2              81             1
2. Bismarck Century (7)      7-0              79             2
3. Bismarck Legacy            6-1              43             RV
4. West Fargo Horace        7-0              31              5
5. Fargo Davies                  4-1              23              4
 
Others receiving votes: Grand Forks Red River (6-2)
 
 
Class AA Boys Basketball Poll
 
Team (1st Place Votes)   Record   Polling Points   Last Week
1. Minot High (15)               8-0             87              3
2. Bismarck Century            7-0             64             4
3. Fargo North (3)                6-2             58             1
4. Fargo Davies                   5-1             41             2
5. Grand Forks Central        5-2             11              5
 
Other receiving votes: West Fargo Sheyenne (5-2), Bismarck Legacy (5-2), Bismarck High (4-5)
—————————————————-
 
NDSU MENS BASKETBALL
 
FARGO, N.D. (NDSU) – Montana led from wire-to-wire to claim a 96-86 victory over the North Dakota State men’s basketball team on Wednesday night inside the Scheels Center. The contest was part of the Big Sky – Summit League Challenge. NDSU fell to 7-8 on the season, while the Grizzlies improved to 9-5. The Bison shot 56 percent for the game but allowed Montana to shoot 57 percent. The Griz converted 20-of-21 attempts at the foul line. NDSU scored 55 points in the second half, but it wasn’t enough to erase a 12-point halftime deficit. Sophomore Tajavis Miller led five Bison scoring in double figures with 19 points. Andrew Morgan and Noah Feddersen both added 15 points for NDSU. Feddersen grabbed eight rebounds. Senior Aanen Moody led Montana with 36 points. NDSU freshman, and former Minot High standout, Darik Dissette made the first start of his college career and finished with nine points. The Bison will travel to Cheney, Wash., to take on Eastern Washington on Saturday for the final round of the Big Sky – Summit League Challenge.
—————————————————–
 
NDSU WOMENS BASKETBALL
 
BOZEMAN, Mont. (NDSU) – Montana State took advantage of six NDSU turnovers and outscored the Bison, 21-7, in the first quarter to pick up a 65-45 win at Brick Breeden Fieldhouse in the Big Sky-Summit Challenge on Wednesday night. Abbie Draper paced NDSU (6-7, 1-0 Summit) with a team-best 13 points on 5-of-8 shooting from the field. The Waverly, Iowa native also added three rebounds, two blocks and one steal to her stat line. Abby Graham chipped in a season-best 12 points to go along with three rebounds, while Avery Koenen hauled in a game-high 10 rebounds with five points to round out the top performers. As a team, NDSU shot 26.0 percent (13-50) from the field and 76.2 percent (16-21) from the free throw line. The Bison also created eight steals, including a team-best three from Abby Schulte. NDSU will wrap up play in the Big Sky-Summit Challenge hosting Northern Arizona on Saturday. Tip-off is set for 1:00 p.m., at Scheels Center.
——————————————————
 
UND MENS BASKETBALL
 
GRAND FORKS, N.D. (UND) – The North Dakota men’s basketball team played a thrilling game Wednesday night against Northern Colorado as part of the Big Sky-Summit League challenge, but despite 24 from Treysen Eaglestaff and a career high 23 points from Tyree Ihenacho; the Fighting Hawks fell 97-87 at the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center. Ihenacho also led the team with six assists, while B.J. Omot led with seven rebounds and poured in 19 points. Omot blocked two shots while Ihenacho picked up two steals.
 
Early on both offenses were clicking, the NoDak offense setting the pace. The green and white started 6-7 from the field, taking a 13-6 lead shortly after the first media timeout. Over the next four plus minutes both teams shot north of 66% from the field, with UND still holding a narrow lead at 21-17. Omot provided offense early for the Fighting Hawks as he made his first four shots from the field—including two threes. Eaglestaff came on strong as the half went on as he made all four of his threes in the first frame, finishing with 17 points at half. But it was the Bears who went into halftime with the lead, up 51-49. Brady Danielson made a basket to start the second half, knotting the game up at 51. Later the game would be tied at 55, but the Fighting Hawks could not take the lead at any point during the second half. A layup from Ihenacho made it a three point game at 65-62, but from there UNC expanded their lead. The Fighting Hawks closed the game on a 10-6 run, but could not close the gap as the Bears were solid from the line and prevented the Fighting Hawks from coming back. North Dakota will travel to Flagstaff, Ariz. to take on former Big Sky foe Northern Arizona in the second game of the Big Sky-Summit League challenge this Saturday. Tip off is at 2 p.m.
——————————————————–
 
UND WOMENS BASKETBALL
 
POCATELLO, Idaho (UND) – The North Dakota women’s basketball team led nearly wire-to-wire as they earned a 78-72 win over Idaho State in its first game of the Summit League – Big Sky Challenge Wednesday. Miranda VanderWal did a little bit of everything for the Fighting Hawks, totaling a career-high 18 points to go with seven rebounds, four assists and two blocks. The 6-7 center’s first career three-pointer could not have come at a better time, as it sparked a 10-2 UND run to go up by 11 points with 6:01 left in the fourth quarter. Between the end of the third quarter and the beginning of the fourth, the Bengals cut the UND lead from 10 down to one point before VanderWal’s three-point basket ignited the UND run. Back-to-back layups from VanderWal gave NoDak its largest lead of the fourth quarter, 74-61, with 2:00 minutes remaining. ISU pulled within six in the final minute, but UND iced the game by going 4-for-4 from the free throw line to close out the win.
 
The Fighting Hawks earned 32 trips to the free throw line in the contest and took advantage of the freebies by converting 26 of their attempts. Kiyah Hurst and Sammiyah Hoskin combined to shoot a perfect 11-for-11, while Kacie Borowicz went 9-for-10. UND extended their advantage to double-digits for the first time in the second quarter behind a strong defensive performance. The Hawks held ISU to 4-of-14 from the field and forced six turnovers in the frame. On the other end of the floor, UND scored 20 points on 6-of-17 shooting and took advantage of their trips to the charity stripe going 8-for-10 on free throws. After connecting on four treys in the first quarter, the Hawks went to work down low in the second with 12 of their points coming from the paint. The Fighting Hawks had a 1-0 lead before the ball was even tipped, as the Bengals were called for a technical foul pregame. Idaho State scored the first basket of the game, but the Hawks jumped out to a 10-4 lead behind three straight three-pointers to begin the game. Hurst connected on two triples, while Borowicz made the other trey. With the Hawks leading by seven late in the period, it was the Bengals who closed out the quarter strong with a 7-0 run to cut the NoDak lead to 21-20 after 10 minutes. Borowicz paced the Fighting Hawks in the first half with 12 points, while VanderWal led the team in the final 20 minutes with 12 points and four rebounds. North Dakota returns to the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center to host Eastern Washington at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday.
———————————————————
 
WOLVES-PELICANS
 
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Zion Williamson scored 27 points and the New Orleans Pelicans kept rolling with a 117-106 victory over the West-leading Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night. CJ McCollum added 24 points and Brandon Ingram had 19. The Pelicans pulled away in the second half for their fourth straight victory and ninth in 12 games. On the second night of a back-to-back after beating Brooklyn 112-85, a game that allowed Williamson and Ingram to both play under 30 minutes, New Orleans went on the road and shot 55.6% from the field. Williamson and Ingram combined to shoot 18 of 26. Anthony Edwards scored 35 points for Minnesota, and Karl-Anthony Towns had 22. Minnesota dropped to 14-2 at home and lost consecutive games for the first time this season. The Timberwolves were the last team in the NBA to lose two in a row. The Timberwolves shot just 38.7% through three quarters. They finished with 13 turnovers, leading to 16 points for the Pelicans. Edwards had six turnovers and Towns shot 8 of 19 from the field, including 0 of 4 from 3-point territory. The Timberwolves play at Houston on Friday night.
 
 
 

Read more...

K-Heart Sports – 01/03/24

K-HEART SPORTS – WEDNESDAY – 01/03/24
 

MINOT, ND – The first basketball polls of 2024 have been released. The polls are voted on by the North Dakota Associated Press Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association (NDAPSSA).
 
Class A Girls Basketball Poll
 
Team (1st Place Votes)   Record   Polling Points   Last Week
1. Thompson (21)               7-0            105            1
2. Bottineau                        8-1              78             2
3. South Prairie-Max           6-1              53            3
4. Northern Cass                 8-1              40           4
5. Nedrose                          9-0               15           RV
 
Others receiving votes: Devils Lake (5-2), Des Lacs-Burlington (8-1), Shiloh Christian (5-2), Kindred (6-2)
 

Class A Boys Basketball Poll
 
Team (1st Place Votes)             Record   Polling Points   Last Week
1. Kindred (15)                             5-0              94           1
2. Grafton (3)                                5-0              78           2
3. Four Winds-Minnewaukan (3)  4-2              63           4
4. Devils Lake                               4-1              52           3
5. Shiloh Christian                         5-1             14           RV
 
Others receiving votes: Wahpeton (3-0), Beulah (4-1), Des Lacs-Burlington (6-1), Stanley (5-1)
 

Class B Girls Basketball Poll
 
Team (1st Place Votes)                       Record   Polling Points   Last Week
1. May-Port-CG (9)                                 6-0             194          2
2. Langdon Area-Edmore-Munich (9)     7-1             179          1
3. Sargent County (2)                             7-0              173          3
4. Central McLean (1)                             7-0              156          4
5. Bowman County                                 6-1              138          5 
6. Edgeley-Kulm-Montpelier                   7-2                62          6
T7. Our Redeemer’s                               5-2                54         10
T7. T-G-U                                               8-2                54          9
9. Garrison                                             6-1                40          RV
10. Oakes                                               7-1               35           RV
 
Other receiving votes: Kenmare-Bowbells (7-4), Hatton-Northwood (5-2), Maple River (6-3), Linton-HMB (6-2), Midway-Minto (6-2), Washburn (6-2)
 

Class B Boys Basketball Poll
 
Team (1st Place Votes)                   Record   Polling Points   Last Week
1. Bowman County (18)                      6-0             207           1
2. North Star (2)                                  5-0             179           2
3. Bishop Ryan (1)                              6-0             149           4
4. Westhhope-Newburg                      6-0             143           6
5. Sargent County                               4-1             117           3
6. Linton-HMB                                     6-0             115           7
7. Hankinson                                       5-0               93           8
8. Edgeley-Kulm-Montpelier                5-1               42          5
9. Washburn                                       4-0                30         T9
10. Langdon Area-Edmore-Munich     3-1               29         T9
 
Other receiving votes: Mohall-Lansford-Sherwood (3-0), Glen Ullin-Hebron (6-1), Williston Trinity Christian (3-0), Cavalier (5-1), Garrison (4-2)
—————————————————-
 
MINOT, ND – Plenty of teams saw their first action of the new year on Tuesday.
 
High School Boys Basketball
 
Class AA
Dickinson def. Watford City (Class A), 86-34
 
Class A
Bottineau def. St. John (Class B), 86-62
Killdeer def. Nedrose, 65-58
 
Class B
Garrison def. Grant County-Mott-Regent, 81-58
Wilton-Wing def. Hazen (Class A), 71-65
Alexander def. Divide County, 64-25
Ray def. Tioga, 72-64
 

High School Girls Basketball
 
Class A
#3 South Prairie-Max def. (#7 Class B) Our Redeemer’s, 61-33
Watford City def. Dickinson (Class AA), 46-38
 
Class B
#7 T-G-U def. Harvey-Wells County, 66-28
Surrey def. Mohall-Lansford-Sherwood, 55-39
Berthold def. Bishop Ryan, 57-51
Glenburn def. Westhope-Newburg, 53-37
Velva def. Drake-Anamoose, 62-51
Garrison def. Mandaree, 57-38
 

High School Boys Hockey
Bismarck Century def. Minot High, 4-3
Bottineau-Rugby def. Williston, 4-2
Dickinson def. Bismarck High, 4-3
Bismarck Legacy def. Jamestown, 4-2
 

High School Girls Hockey
Bismarck High-Legacy def. Minot High, 2-1
Bismarck Century def. Jamestown, 5-0
—————————————————
 
WILD-FLAMES
 
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Andrew Mangiapane and Jonathan Huberdeau scored first-period goals for Calgary, and Blake Coleman added an empty-netter as the Flames held on to beat the short-handed Minnesota Wild 3-1 on Tuesday night. Jacob Markstrom made 28 saves in net to earn the win. Minnesota remains without leading scorer Kirill Kaprizov, who was injured Saturday against Winnipeg. Goalie Filip Gustavsson and forward Vinni Lettieri were both placed on injured reserve with lower-body injuries, meaning they’ll each miss at least a week. Wild forward Marcus Foligno missed his first game of the season Tuesday with a lower-body injury and was replaced in the lineup by Sammy Walker. Fleury stopped 30 shots in the loss, two days after playing in his 1,000th career NHL game. Minnesota has lost three straight. The Wild were outshot 13-7 in the first period. The Wild host Tampa Bay on Thursday.
 
 

Read more...

K-Heart Sports – 12/31/23

K-HEART SPORTS – SUNDAY – 12/31/23
 

MINOT, ND – A full week of holiday basketball finished with the Boys Hoopster Classic in Minot on Saturday.
 
High School Boys Basketball
 
Hoopster Classic – Minot Auditorium – Saturday
Westhope-Newburg def. Powers Lake-Burke Central, 82-37
Stanley def. Thompson, 62-34
Bishop Ryan def. North Prairie, 57-29
Dickinson Trinity def. Rugby, 55-35
Four Winds-Minnewaukan def. Beulah, 59-46
Velva def. St. John, 77-40
Our Redeemer’s def. Hazen, 63-59
 
Valley City Holiday Shootout
Killdeer def. Dunseith, 67-35
Kindred def. Turtle Mountain, 75-39
Shiloh Christian def. Valley City, 81-63
 

High School Girls Basketball
 
Valley City Holiday Shootout
Bottineau def. Four Winds-Minnewaukan, 68-49
Valley City def. Killdeer, 64-49
Shiloh Christian def. Dunseith, 59-32
Central Cass def. Turtle Mountain, 67-48
———————————————————
 
MINOTAUROS
 
MINOT, ND – The Minotauros scored a 4-3 shootout win over the Bismarck Bobcats last night at Maysa Arena. After Trent Anifinson scored for the Cats, John Small responded for the Tauros to even the score at 1-1 after the first period. Bismarck scored first in the second period on a tally by Tommy Conin, but Minot responded to light the lamp twice in the middle frame on goals by Cayden Casey and Jack O’Hanisain making it 3-2. The Cats would tie it at 3-3 less than a minute into the third period on a goal by Patrick Johnson. No one scored in overtime, leading to the shootout. Tamas Toth scored for Bismarck in the shootout, while Tauros got tallies from Niklas Ketonen and Jack O’Hanisain to get the win, 4-3. Brady James made 33 saves for Minot as they extended their winning streak to six in a row. The Tauros now lead the NAHL Central Division by 10 points over the Bobcats. The final game in the series is tonight in Bismarck.
——————————————————
 
MSU MENS BASKETBALL
 
MINOT, N.D. (MSU) – The Minot State men’s basketball team got a 32-point showing from the bench on the way to a 76-61 win over the Minnesota Crookston Golden Eagles in a non-conference game at the MSU Dome on Saturday. The Beavers (9-3 overall, 4-2 NSIC) had three players score in double figures, led by Jalen Cook, who had 15 points. Khari Broadway tacked on 15 points and Michael Jok helped out with 14 points, six rebounds and five steals. Minot State took advantage of fantastic ball movement in Saturday’s game, piling up 17 assists on 33 made field goals. Individually, Jaxon Gunville was on top of the distribution list for the Beavers with four assists and Broadway also added three assists of his own. Minot State’s defense held Minnesota Crookston to only 39 percent shooting from the field. The Golden Eagles did not have much luck cleaning up their misses on the offensive glass either, as they finished with seven offensive rebounds and managed four second-chance points while Minot State cleared 30 defensive rebounds.
 
After jumping out to a 3-2 advantage, Minot State went on an 8-0 run with 18:16 left in the first half, culminating in a bucket from Caleb Van De Griend, to increase its lead to 11-2. The Beavers then added five points to that lead by the end of the period and entered halftime with a 41-27 advantage. Minot State did most of its first-half damage in the paint, scoring 24 of its 41 points close to the basket. Minot State kept its lead intact before going on a 9-0 run, finished off by Gunville’s three, to grow the lead to 70-49 with 4:13 to go in the contest. The Golden Eagles narrowed the margin somewhat before the game was over, but the Beavers still cruised the rest of the way for the 76-61 win. Minot State took care of business in the paint, recording 18 of its 35 points in the lane.
——————————————————
 
MSU WOMENS BASKETBALL
 
MINOT, N.D. (MSU) – The Minot State women’s basketball team started strong and never let up, holding South Dakota Mines to just 11.8 percent from beyond the arc in a 2-for-17 shooting performance on the way to an 81-51 win against the Hardrockers in non-conference basketball at the MSU Dome on Saturday. The Beavers (4-11 overall, 1-5 NSIC) had five players score in double figures, led by Sydney Gustavsson, who had 18 points and four steals. Maya Aguilar tacked on 16 points and three steals off of the bench and Lorelei McIver helped out with 12 points, nine rebounds and three steals. Minot State utilized fantastic ball movement in Saturday’s game, piling up 17 assists on 26 made field goals. Individually, Vilborg Jonsdottir was on top of the distribution list for the Beavers with five assists and Taylor Goss also added four assists of her own. The Minot State defense held South Dakota Mines shooters to only 34.8 percent from the field, including 11.8 percent from three-point range.
 
After jumping out to a 13-4 advantage, Minot State went on an 8-0 run with 3:32 left in the first quarter, culminating in a three from Aguilar, to increase its lead to 21-4. The Beavers then added two points to that lead by the end of the period and entered the quarter-break with a 25-6 advantage. Minot State capitalized on five South Dakota Mines turnovers in the period, turning them into seven points on the other end of the floor. Minot State kept its first-quarter lead intact before going on an 8-0 run starting at the 8:31 mark in the second period, highlighted by a three from Gustavsson, to increase its lead to 33-12. The Beavers kept that lead for the remainder of the period and enjoyed a 46-25 advantage heading into halftime. Minot State was strong from deep in the period, knocking down three three-point shots to account for nine of its 21 points. Following intermission, Minot State continued to expand its advantage, pushing it to 55-30 before going on an 8-0 run to expand its lead further to 63-30 with 6:34 to go in the third. Before the third period was over, the Beavers added two points to that lead and entered the fourth quarter with a 71-36 edge. Minot State played well near the basket, scoring 14 of its 25 points in the paint. The Beavers then held on for the victory in the fourth quarter. Minot State got a boost from its bench in the period, with non-starters scoring three of its 10 total points.
——————————————————
 
MSU MENS HOCKEY
 
DENVER, CO. (MSU) – The Minot State men’s hockey team wrapped up their first ever weekend of NCAA DI exhibition action after facing off with the University of Denver Pioneers at Magness Arena. The Beavers (17-4-0) had some good moments, but ultimately fell to the Pioneers (12-5-1) by a final score of 9-3. It was another opportunity for Minot State to get an extended look against some of college hockey’s best at the NCAA level. Despite the sizable shot differential, the Beavers held their own against Denver on the scoreboard early. The Pioneers opened the game by filling the net twice. It was only a 2-1 deficit for Minot heading into the second period after the Beavers got on the board with 37 seconds left in the first. That remained until the Pioneers scored two quick goals in the first three minutes of the middle frame. The Pios added two more halfway through the period before the Beavers tallied one of their own. Moving into the third period, it was a pleasant start for Minot State as they cut the lead in half just 59 seconds into the final period of regulation. That would be all the Beavers could gather as Denver finished the game off with three more goals to close it out for the home team. Nonetheless, to get three against top-level competition is impressive for the program to come away with. Sheldin Howard was in the right place at the right time as he made himself noticeable tonight, scoring twice for the Beavers including one on the power play. Ryan Monias became the other goal scorer for Minot after he stuffed home a loose puck past the pad of Freddie Halyk. Both Jake Anthony and Riley Wallace made appearances in the net for Minot State. Anthony started the game, making 28 saves on 35 shots. For Wallace, he had 9 saves on 11 shots. The Beavers made history this weekend marking their first sample size against NCAA competition. They will be back on the road to kick off the 2024 portion of the season when they visit UNLV on January 5 and 6.
———————————————————–
 
UND HOCKEY
 
GRAND FORKS, N.D. (UND) – No. 4 North Dakota returned to action following a break of three weeks for the holidays and dropped a 4-3 overtime decision to the U.S. Under-18 Team on Saturday night from Ralph Engelstad Arena in Grand Forks. UND, who was missing four regulars in its lineup due to injuries including starting goaltender Ludvig Persson, dominated the contest from a possession and shot standpoint by finishing the game with a 39-23 shot advantage, but USTNDP netminder Nick Kempf finished with 36 saves and received a little help from his posts to help the U-18’s notch their second win over NoDak in 13 tries. Hobie Hedquist made his first unofficial start between the pipes for the Fighting Hawks, finishing with 19 saves in 62 minutes of action. Freshmen defenseman Nate Benoit and Tanner Komzak also played extended minutes in the lineup, with Bennett Zmolek and Jake Livanavage missing the game due to injury.
The Fighting Hawks jumped on the board first on the power play when Jackson Blake sniped home a shot from the slot just 3:50 into the contest to give the hosts the early advantage, but UND could not extend the lead in the opening stanza to hold a 1-0 lead after 20 minutes. It didn’t take long for NoDak to double its lead in the middle frame, however, as Logan Britt banked a shot off a NTDP defender and into the net at the 2:54 mark of the second to increase the advantage to 2-0. The Americans started to find their legs as the period wore on, with James Hagens and Lucas Van Vliet each potting a goal to tie the game at 2-2 heading to the final period of regulation. The U-18’s made it three straight goals early in the third, as Kamil Bednarik finished off a wraparound tuck to give the visitors a 3-2 lead, but Hunter Johannes brought the game level once again with a snipe off the rush just beyond the midway point of the period to send the game into overtime. After a couple of grade-A chances for both sides, Cole Hutson won the game for the NTDP at the 2:25 mark of the extra session to give the Americans the victory in exhibition play. North Dakota opens 2024 with a regular season series against Alaska beginning on Friday night at 7:07 p.m. from the Ralph.
——————————————————-
 
WOLVES-LAKERS
 
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — LeBron James woke up sick on his 39th birthday, unsure if he’d be able to help the Los Angeles Lakers in their road game Saturday night against the Western Conference-leading Minnesota Timberwolves. James played and, as he’s done throughout his career, hit a big shot in the closing seconds. Unfortunately for the Lakers, the NBA’s replay center ruled the long jumper with 3.3 seconds left was just a 2-pointer, leaving James to question the replay ruling on his birthday. Anthony Edwards scored 31 points, Naz Reid added 21 off the bench and Minnesota held on to beat Los Angeles 108-106 Saturday night. Rudy Gobert had 13 points and 13 rebounds as Minnesota overcame 19 turnovers to win for the fourth time in five games. Two of those wins have come against Los Angeles and the Timberwolves are now 14-1 at home this season. Los Angeles had a closing push led by James, whose long jumper with 3.3 seconds left was ruled a 2-pointer and confirmed by replay, leaving the Wolves up 107-106. “It’s obviously a 3,” James said. “My foot is behind the line. I mean, you can see the space between the front of my foot and the 3-point line. You can clearly see a white, the wood on the floor. There’s a space in between the front of my foot and the 3-point line. So, you know, Stevie Wonder can see that, champ.” Anthony Davis had 33 points, 17 rebounds and eight assists for Los Angeles, which has lost seven of 10 since winning the In-Season Tournament. James, who was questionable for the game with a non-COVID-19 illness, added 26 points. The Timberwolves play at New York on New Year’s Day.
—————————————————-
 
WILD-JETS
 
WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) — Nino Niederreiter scored two goals and the Winnipeg Jets beat the Minnesota Wild 4-2 on Saturday. Axel Jonsson-Fjallby and Alex Iafallo also scored for Winnipeg, which improved to 9-1-2 in its last 12 games. Connor Hellebuyck stopped 34 shots in front of a sold-out crowd of 15,325 at Canada Life Centre. Matt Boldy and Ryan Hartman scored for Minnesota, which had won four in a row. Wild goaltender Filip Gustavsson made 19 saves before being replaced by Marc-Andre Fleury to start the third period. Fleury stopped nine shots. The Jets and Wild play again on Sunday in Minnesota.
 
 
 

Read more...

K-Heart Sports – 12/30/23

K-HEART SPORTS – SATURDAY – 12/30/23
 

MINOT, ND – Lots of boys basketball in town yesterday with the Dale Brown Classic at the Minot State Dome.
 
High School Boys Basketball
 
Dale Brown Classic – Minot State Dome
T-G-U def. Powers Lake-Burke Central, 56-43
North Prairie def. Velva, 49-37
Westhope-Newburg def. Hazen, 70-52
North Star def. Our Redeemer’s, 43-42
Beulah def. Rugby, 62-49
Four Winds-Minnewaukan def. Dickinson Trinity, 56-31
Des Lacs-Burlington def. Thompson, 49-48
 
Berthold Shootout
Minot Sophomore B def. Berthold, 69-41
Drake-Anamoose def. Divide County, 59-24
 
Mandan Holiday Tournament
7th Place
Ray def. New Salem-Almont, 57-55
5th Place
Glen Ullin-Hebron def. Surrey, 64-38
3rd Place
Flasher def. Standing Rock, 61-57
Championship
Linton-HMB def. Bottineau, 65-54
 
Capital City Holiday Shootout – Bismarck State College
New Town def. Center-Stanton, 53-45
Medina-Pingree-Buchanan def. Richardton-Taylor, 65-35
Garrison def. Napoleon-Gackle-Streeter, 74-43
 
Carrington Shootout
Northern Cass def. Nedrose, 61-42
Stanley def. Carrington, 62-25
 
Valley City Holiday Shootout
Shiloh Christian def. Turtle Mountain, 74-66
Valley City def. Dunseith, 78-47
Kindred def. Killdeer, 60-31
 

High School Girls Basketball
 
Minot North def. Grant Forks Central, 49-48
Watford City def. Williston, 49-33
 
Berthold Shootout
Berthold def. Minot Sophomores, 54-37
Drake-Anamoose def. Ray, 55-45
Central McLean def. Tioga, 60-40
 
Capital City Holiday Shootout – Bismarck State College
Richardton-Taylor def. New Town, 46-32
Hettinger-Scranton def. Center-Stanton, 57-32
New England def. Medina-Pingree-Buchanan, 53-25
Kindred def. Kidder County, 78-42
Garrison def. Napoleon-Gackle-Streeter, 60-43
 
Carrington Shootout
Northern Cass def. Hazen, 56-41
Carrington def. Stanley, 64-28
 
Valley City Holiday Shootout
Killdeer def. Dunseith, 69-39
Valley City def. Fpur Winds-Minnewaukan, 61-57
Shiloh Christian def. Turtle Mountain, 76-55
Bottineau def. Central Cass, 72-48
————————————————————
 
HOOPSTER CLASSIC
 
MINOT, ND – More boys basketball today in the Magic City with the Hoopster Classic at the Minot Auditorium.
 
High School Boys Basketball
 
Hoopster Classic – Minot Auditorium – Saturday
Powers Lake-Burke Central vs Westhope-Newburg, 11 am
Thompson vs Stanley, 12:30 pm
Bishop Ryan vs North Prairie, 2 pm
Dickinson Trinity vs Rugby, 3:30 pm
Beulah vs Four Winds-Minnewaukan, 5 pm
Velva vs St. John, 6:30 pm
Our Redeemer’s vs Hazen, 8 pm
———————————————————
 
WRESTLING
 
MINOT, ND – The Rumble on the Red Wrestling Tournament was held in Fargo on Thursday and Friday. Bismarck High was the top North Dakota team finishing 8th. Bismarck Century was 14th, Bishop Ryan finished 22nd, Minot High and Bismarck Legacy were tied for 24th. On the girls side, Bismarck High wins with a 207 team total, while Minot was second at 192, Bismarck Legacy finished 3rd with a 186.
——————————————————-
 
MINOTAUROS
 
MINOT, ND – It was a battle of the team atop the NAHL Central Division standings at Maysa Arena as the Minot Minotauros hosted the 2nd place Bismarck Bobcats. Cayden Casey scored in the first period and added one in the second to go along with a goal by Chad Muller as the Tauros were ahead 3-0 after two periods. Adam Mahler would make it 4-0 midway through the third, before the Cats got goals from Tamas Toth and Chase Beacom to make the final 4-2. Brady James tallied 18 save for the Tauros who host game two of the series tonight before the teams travel to Bismarck to finish up on Sunday. Minot has now won five in a row and leads the Central with 45 points. Bismarck remains in 2nd place with 36 points.
——————————————————-
 
MSU MENS HOCKEY
 
COLORADO SPRINGS, CO. (MSU) – The Minot State men’s hockey team completed their first ever NCAA DI exhibition match after taking on the Colorado College Tigers at Ed Robson Arena. The Beavers (17-4-0) fell to the Tigers (9-6-1) by a final score of 7-1. Despite the loss, it was a night that gave Minot State exposure to the NCAA DI level while playing in front of a bigger audience. Kicking things off in period one, it was a less than ideal start for Minot State as Colorado College would fill the net three times in the opening frame. Down 3-0 heading into the second, the Beavers would make things interesting by tallying one of their own before the Tigers ran away with it to secure the win. Reid Arnold scored the only goal for the Beavers at 4:41 of the second period to continue his excellent season. It is the first such goal by Minot State against an NCAA DI program. Jake Anthony got the start in net for Minot and made 31 saves on 38 shots. The Beavers return to action today to wrap up the NCAA DI exhibition series in Denver when they take on the Pioneers. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. (CT).
——————————————————
 
UND WOMENS BASKETBALL
 
ST. PAUL, Minn. (UND) – The North Dakota women’s basketball team fell in its Summit League opener 95-76 to St. Thomas Friday at Schoenecker Arena. With an and-one midway through the second quarter, Kacie Borowicz cemented herself in North Dakota women’s basketball history by becoming the program’s all-time leading scorer in the Division I era. Borowicz passed Lexi Klabo’s mark of 1,633 points with a season-high 32 points and now sits seventh all-time on the UND scoring list. Alongside her 32 points, Borowicz grabbed a team-high five rebounds, had three steals and three assists. North Dakota returns to the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center Sunday to host South Dakota State at 12:00 p.m.
—————————————————
 
UND MENS BASKETBALL
 
GRAND FORKS, N.D. (UND) – The North Dakota men’s basketball team returned to the Betty Friday night, hosting the St. Thomas Tommies in a matchup of 8-5 teams. The Fighting Hawks were unable to find a rhythm offensively, shooting 30.6% from the floor in the game and losing 70-45. B.J. Omot led UND with 11 points, while Tsotne Tsartsidze led with eight rebounds and Eli King led with four assists. NoDak got on the board first with a free throw from Amar Kuljuhovic at 16:39, then the first field goal was a three from Tyree Ihenacho at 10:37—the start of a 13-7 run that made it a 14 point game at 28-14. But the Fighting Hawks could not get the shots to fall consistently in the half and trailed 41-14 at the intermission. Treysen Eaglestaff came out of the intermission with a three pointer, and UND outscored UST in the second half 31-29. But the hole was too big for the green and white to dig out of as UST took their Summit League opener for both teams. North Dakota will be back on the court on Sunday in Brookings, S.D.; taking on South Dakota State at 2 p.m.
—————————————————
 
NDSU WOMENS BASKETBALL
 
VERMILLION, S.D. (NDSU) – The North Dakota State women’s basketball team opened up a double-digit lead in the first quarter and never looked back to earn an 84-69 win over South Dakota to begin Summit League play at Sanford Coyote Sports Center on Friday night. Heaven Hamling led the way with a season-high 24 points on 9-of-15 shooting from the field to go along with three rebounds and three assists. Elle Evans registered her first double-double of the season with 14 points and a season-high 10 rebounds. Abby Krzewinski closed out the top performers tying a season-high 14 points with six rebounds. With the win, the Bison improve to 6-6 (1-0 Summit) overall and start Summit League play 1-0 for the third straight season. It also marks the third consecutive win over South Dakota (10-4, 0-1 Summit) after the Bison swept the regular season series last season.
————————————————
 
NDSU MENS BASKETBALL
 
FARGO, N.D. (NDSU) – South Dakota’s Kaleb Stewart scored 33 points to lead the Coyotes to a 75-66 victory over the North Dakota State men’s basketball team on Friday night. It was the Summit League opener for both schools. The Coyotes shot 49 percent for the game, and NDSU made just 40 percent of its shots. The Bison were 9-of-30 from three-point range and only 3-of-3 at the free throw line. NDSU junior Andrew Morgan scored a season-high 19 points on 9-of-12 shooting to lead the Bison. Redshirt freshman Noah Feddersen added 13 points, and senior Boden Skunberg finished with 12 points and seven rebounds. The Bison went up by 10 early at 19-9 just over five minutes into the contest. South Dakota countered with a 20-7 run to go ahead 29-26, and the Coyotes led 40-34 at halftime. NDSU (7-7 overall, 0-1 Summit) battled back to tie the game at 46-46 following back-to-back three-pointers by Feddersen and Skunberg. Stewart strung together a personal 8-0 run to give the Coyotes the next eight points, and USD maintained a lead of at least three points for the rest of the game. Junior Jacari White recorded a career-high four steals for NDSU. NDSU will step out of conference play for the Big Sky – Summit League Challenge next week, hosting Montana on Wednesday, Jan. 3, and traveling to Eastern Washington on Saturday, Jan. 6.
———————————————
 
NDSU FOOTBALL-HONOR
 
FARGO, N.D. (NDSU) – North Dakota State safety Cole Wisniewski was named to the 2023 Walter Camp FCS All-America Team on Friday. The team is selected by a vote of sports information directors and administered by the Walter Camp Football Foundation. Wisniewski, a senior from Sparta, Wis., leads the FCS with eight interceptions, which tied the NDSU and Missouri Valley Football Conference single-season records. He also led NDSU with 92 total tackles and five pass breakups. The Walter Camp All-America Team has 27 players representing 21 schools and eight FCS conferences.
——————————————-
 
VIKINGS
 
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Vikings were enjoying the rarity of a dominant afternoon in Green Bay two months ago, continuing their ascent from an early hole while Packers quarterback Jordan Love’s struggles persisted. Then came the step gone wrong by Kirk Cousins on the Lambeau Field grass. Neither team has been the same since. The Vikings have switched quarterbacks four times — this week back to rookie Jaren Hall — and been stuck in a constant mode of plugging in new starters for injured players all over the field. “We’ve worked through it as a staff, trying to kind of adjust and adapt to what we think is going to give us the best chance to win games, based on the personnel we do have for that particular week, and it’s been different at different times,” Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell said. “That’s our job as coaches, to continue to find ways to be competitive and find ways to win football games.”
 
While Love has given the Packers new life with his performance over the last eight games after the 24-10 loss to the Vikings on Oct. 29 dropped their record to 2-5, the injuries have piled around him. The defense has faltered badly, too. “Who knows how long it’s going to take, but I think the exciting part about it is some of those mistakes we were making early on in the season, now we’ve corrected those things and we’re turning them into big-time plays,” Love said. These late-season games between the longtime border-state rivals have frequently meant a division title was on the line, but the Detroit Lions took care of that by clinching the NFC North with their 30-24 win over the Vikings last week. The Packers and Vikings are both 7-8, one game out of a wild-card spot, but the loser Sunday night at U.S. Bank Stadium can likely forget about making the playoffs. This is just the third season in 17 years that the division won’t go to either the Packers or the Vikings. “It’s always a rollercoaster when you have different quarterbacks like this and the injuries we’ve had on this football team, but I’m still very proud to be a Minnesota Viking, and it’s still really awesome to be in December playing an important football game,” left guard Dalton Risner said.
 
Love completed just 58.5% of his passes for 229 yards with one touchdown and one interception against the Vikings earlier this year. He has 16 touchdown passes and three interceptions in eight games since. “They do a good job of just mixing everything up, keeping you on your toes,” Love said. “That was our first time seeing it, and we’ll have a better plan going into it.” The Vikings have allowed 57 points in the last two games after giving up just 49 points over the four games before that. Their latest blow was a season-ending quadriceps tear for outside linebacker D.J. Wonnum, who matched his career high this year with eight sacks — including two on Love on Oct. 29. With Marcus Davenport sidelined for the last nine games and counting with an ankle injury, the Vikings are down two of their top three pass rushers. “It’s going to be a big loss. We’ve got to try to find a way to overcome,” O’Connell said. “D.J.’s been one of those guys that his improvement and his impact has been critical.”
 
The Packers have given up an average of nearly 30 points per game over their last three games. After Tommy DeVito (New York Giants) and Baker Mayfield (Tampa Bay) were each named NFC Offensive Player of the Week for their successive performances against them, the Packers allowed Carolina rookie Bryce Young to pass for a career-high 312 yards. They must play the Vikings without top cornerback Jaire Alexander, who’ll serve a one-game suspension for what the Packers termed as conduct detrimental to the team. Alexander played a big role in limiting Justin Jefferson to a career-low one catch for 15 yards last season in a 41-17 win, frequently taunting the 2022 NFL Offensive Player of the Year that day in Green Bay the last time they matched up. Jefferson missed the first game this season with a hamstring injury.
 
Packers running back Aaron Jones has struggled through hamstring and knee injuries that caused him to miss six games this season, but he’s been coming on strong down the stretch. Jones had 21 carries for 127 yards against Carolina last week to set season highs in both categories. Jones has gained 100-plus scrimmage yards against the Vikings four different times since 2019. The only player with more games of 100-plus scrimmage yards against the Vikings during that stretch is former Packers wide receiver Davante Adams, who’s now with Las Vegas.
 
Hall, who was the first sub summoned for Cousins, has another audition after the Vikings benched Nick Mullens following six interceptions over the last two games. He was forced out of his first start on Nov. 5 at Atlanta because of a concussion. Hall will have Jefferson to throw to but not tight end T.J. Hockenson, who suffered a season-ending knee injury last week. “We’ve got to go out there and play with a lot of physicality, hold guys up and get off the field on third downs. That’s one thing we can do — and capitalize and get turnovers,” Packers linebacker Quay Walker said. “It’s easy for me to say that, but we’ve actually got to do that.”
 
 
 

Read more...

K-Heart Sports – 12/29/23

K-HEART SPORTS – FRIDAY – 12/29/23
 

MINOT, ND – Day two of the Girl’s Hoopster Classic finished up at the Minot Auditorium on Thursday.
 
High School Girls Basketball
 
Hoopster Classic – Minot Auditorium
T-G-U def. LaMoure-Litchville-Marion, 64-36
Velva def. New Rockford-Sheyenne, 47-42
Rugby def. Beulah, 42-26
Langdon Area-Edmore-Munich def. Our Redeemer’s, 63-59
St. John def. Bishop Ryan, 70-51
 
Berthold Shootout
Drake-Anamoose def. Alexander, 69-11
Berthold def. Divide County, 53-28
 
Capital City Holiday Shootout – Bismarck State College
Richardton-Taylor def. Medina-Pingree-Buchanan, 51-41
New Town def. Wilton-Wing, 44-39
Kenmare-Bowbells def. Edgeley-Kulm-Montpelier, 53-49
Kindred def. Standing Rock, 79-31
Napoleon-Gackle-Streeter def. Trenton, 52-48
 
Carrington Shootout
Northern Cass def. Stanley, 67-34
Carrington def. Hazen, 71-38
 
Valley City Holiday Shootout
Valley City def. Turtle Mountain, 60-40
Bottineau def. Shiloh Christian, 60-56
Four Winds-Minnewaukan def. Killdeer, 74-27
Central Cass def. Dunseith, 69-22
 
Class AA
Bismarck Legacy def. #3 Grand Forks Red River, 57-36
 
Class B
Washburn def. Grant County-Mott-Regent, 64-54
 

High School Boys Basketball
 
Class AA
#3 Minot High def. #2 Fargo Davies, 72-60
 
Berthold Shootout
Alexander def. Drake-Anamoose, 63-32
Parshall-North Shore-Plaza def. Berthold 66-36
 
Mandan Holiday Tournament
Consolation
Surrey def. New Salem-Almont, 61-49
Glen Ullin-Hebron def. Ray, 72-42
Semifinal
Linton-HMB def. Standing Rock, 63-56
Bottineau def. Flasher, 73-44
 
Capital City Holiday Shootout – Bismarck State College
Richardton-Taylor def. Kidder County, 45-40
Wilton-Wing def. Trenton, 80-45
Medina-Pingree-Buchanan def. New Town, 65-49
 
Carrington Shootout
Stanley def. Northern Cass, 63-54
Nedrose def. Carrington, 66-63 OT
 
Valley City Holiday Shootout
Killdeer def. Turtle Mountain, 64-40
Shiloh Christian def. Dunseith, 81-43
 
Class B
#9 Washburn def. Grant County-Mott-Regent, 67-37
Central McLean def. Glenburn, 83-27
New Rockford-Sheyenne def. Harvey-Wells County, 51-50
 

High School Boys Hockey
Bismarck Legacy def. Bottineau-Rugby, 4-2
Williston def. Hazen-Beulah, 3-1
Roseau Holiday Hockey Classic – Roseau, MN
Roseau MN def. Minot High, 7-1
 

High School Boys Swimming & Diving
Mandan Pentathalon – Mandan Aquatic Center
1. Bismarck High, 299.5
2. Minot High, 264
3. Bismarck Century, 242
4. Mandan, 103.5
———————————————————-
 
MINOT, ND – There’s more high school basketball in Minot today with the Dale Brown Classic at the Minot State Dome.
 
High School Boys Basketball
 
Dale Brown Classic – MSU Dome
Powers Lake-Burke Central vs T-G-U, 11 am
North Prairie vs Velva, 12:30 pm
Hazen vs Westhope-Newburg, 2 pm
Our Redeemer’s vs North Star, 3:30 pm
Rugby vs Beulah, 5 pm
Four Winds-Minnewaukan vs Dickinson Trinity, 6:30 pm
Des Lacs-Burlington vs Thompson, 8 pm
———————————————————
 
WOLVES-MAVERICKS
 
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Anthony Edwards scored a season-high 44 points and Rudy Gobert had 20 points and 11 rebounds as the Minnesota Timberwolves held on for a 118-110 win over the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday night. The Mavericks were without Luka Doncic on the second night of back-to-back games. Dallas fell at Cleveland 113-110 on Wednesday. Karl-Anthony Towns added 10 points for Minnesota, which improved to 13-1 at home this season and has not lost back-to-back games all season. The Timberwolves trailed by one point midway through the third period before going on a 15-3 run to gain control and lead the rest of the way. Doncic missed his third game of the season with left quadriceps soreness, while Kyrie Irving missed his 11th straight with a right heel contusion. Dallas coach Jason Kidd said Doncic aggravated a quadriceps injury during the Christmas Day win against Phoenix. Without its two leading scorers, Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 32 off the bench and Jaden Hardy added 17 for Dallas. The Mavericks have lost five of seven. The Timberwolves host the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday.
——————————————————-
 
VIKINGS-QUARTERBACK
 
EAGAN, Minn. (AP) — The Minnesota Vikings have switched starting quarterbacks for the fourth time in nine weeks, handing the offense again to rookie Jaren Hall with two must-win games left for making the playoffs. Coach Kevin O’Connell announced Thursday that Hall will start Sunday against Green Bay, benching Nick Mullens after his six interceptions in two games doomed the Vikings (7-8) to defeat despite passing for 714 yards. Mullens was picked off four times last week against Detroit in a 30-24 loss. Hall was the first sub summoned for Kirk Cousins, who tore his Achilles tendon on Oct. 29 in the fourth quarter of a 24-10 win at Green Bay. Hall, a fifth-round draft pick from BYU, started the following week at Atlanta with Mullens sidelined by a back injury. Hall suffered a concussion in the first quarter that put Joshua Dobbs into action. Dobbs made four starts before a healthy Mullens took over. Hall, who is 8 for 10 for 101 yards passing and one sack plus four rushes for 10 yards this season, took about two weeks to be cleared for full activity after taking that hit to the head. Dobbs, who arrived in an emergency trade with Arizona after Cousins was hurt, had given the Vikings a clear spark in his first two appearances so there was reason to believe Hall wouldn’t get another chance. The Vikings need to win their last two games and have either the Rams or the Seahawks lose once to get the last wild-card spot in the NFC. In part to further Hall’s development with more practice time and meaningful preparation, O’Connell made the rookie the backup to Mullens the past two weeks and had Dobbs as the emergency third quarterback. Hall had two concussions in college, both in games in 2019, and he missed the entire 2020 season for BYU because of a hip injury. His mobility and awareness help make him a threat to run, but as evidenced by his first NFL start that can also make him vulnerable.
 
 

Read more...

K-Heart Sports – 12/28/23

K-HEART SPORTS – THURSDAY – 12/28/23
 
 
MINOT, ND – Yesterday was day one of the Girl’s Hoopster Classic at the Minot Auditorium.
 
High School Girls Basketball
Girl’s Hoopster Classic – Minot Auditorium
Des Lacs-Burlington def. T-G-U, 58-52
Our Redeemer’s def. Rugby, 42-41
Stanley def. Kidder County, 53-48
Nedrose def. Beulah, 58-35
LaMoure-Litchville-Marion def. North Prairie, 47-32
 
Berthold Shootout – Berthold High School
Ray def. White Shield, 52-21
Garrison def. Divide County, 59-33
Tioga def. Minot North Sophomores, 64-48
Central McLean def. Kenmare-Bowbells, 39-33
 
 
 
High School Boys Basketball
Berthold Shootout – Berthold High School
White Shield def. Divide County, 67-27
Kenmare-Bowbells def. Minot North JV, 63-50
 
Mandan Holiday Tournament
First Round
Linton-HMB def. New Salem-Almont, 66-43
Standing Rock def. Surrey, 71-38
Bottineau def. Glen Ullin-Hebron, 71-55
Flasher def. Ray, 83-61
 
 
High School Boys Hockey
Roseau Holiday Hockey Classic – Roseau, MN
Spring Lake Park MN def. Minot High, 4-3 OT
(Magicians play Roseau today at 12:30 pm)
————————————————–
 
UND MENS BASKETBALL-HONOR
 
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (UND) – North Dakota sophomore forward B.J. Omot captured his first Summit League Men’s Basketball Peak Performer of the Week honor of the season and his career, as announced by the league office on Wednesday afternoon. Omot stood out in the game at Nebraska on Dec. 20 with 21 points, second only to Tyree Ihenacho’s 22, and a team-high eight rebounds. He remains the top scorer for the Fighting Hawks with 16.5 points per game, which is the fifth most in the Summit League. Additionally, Omot came up with a steal, a blocked shot and an assist as UND gave the Cornhuskers all they could handle in Lincoln against a Nebraska team that came into the game 9-2. North Dakota will open its Summit League slate on Friday at the Betty with a 7 p.m. tip off against St. Thomas.
 
——————————————————
 
WILD-RED WINGS
 
ST. PAUL, Minn. — Marcus Johansson had two goals and an assist, and the Minnesota Wild scored four goals in the third period of a 6-3 win against the Detroit Red Wings at Xcel Energy Center on Wednesday. Kirill Kaprizov extended his goal streak to four games and had an assist, and Matt Boldy scored for the Wild (16-13-4), who have won four in a row and seven of their past eight (7-1-0). Filip Gustavsson made 25 saves. Minnesota has won seven straight at home. Alex DeBrincat had a goal and an assist, and Patrick Kane pushed his goal streak to four games for the Red Wings (16-15-4) who are 1-6-0 in their past seven games. James Reimer made 25 saves. The Wild play at Winnepeg on Saturday.
 
—————————————————-
 
TWINS-SIGNING
 
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Twins agreed to terms with right-handed reliever Josh Staumont on a one-year contract on Wednesday, the team’s first major league free agency move of the offseason. Staumont, 30, pitched five seasons for the Kansas City Royals, saving eight games with a 4.01 ERA. The hard-throwing righty has 191 strikeouts in 168 1/3 innings. He had a 5.40 ERA in 21 games for Kansas City last season before landing on the injured list on June 7 and missing the rest of the season. He later underwent surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome. It’s the first major league addition for Minnesota, which won the American League Central last season and advanced to the Division Series. The team signed right-hander A.J. Alexy and utility man Niko Goodrum, both former major leaguers, to minor league deals. Meanwhile, the Twins have seen right-handed starters Sonny Gray — who was second in the Cy Young voting to Gerrit Cole — Kenta Maeda and Tyler Mahle sign contracts elsewhere this offseason. Gray agreed to a three-year contract with the St. Louis Cardinals, Mahle signed with World Series champion Texas and Maeda moved to division rival Detroit. Right-handed reliever Emilio Pagan also elected for free agency and agreed to a two-year deal with Cincinnati.
 
 

Read more...

K-Heart Sports – 12/27/23

K-HEART SPORTS – WEDNESDAY – 12/27/23
 

MINOT, ND – There is a new #1 in this weeks Class A Boys Basketball poll. The polls are voted on by the North Dakota Associated Press Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association (NDAPSSA).
 
Class A Girls Basketball Poll
Team (1st Place Votes)   Record   Polling Points   Last Week
1. Thompson (20)              5-0              100            1
2. Bottineau                       5-1                60            4
3. South Prairie-Max          6-1               57             3
4. Northern Cass                6-1               32             2
5. Devils Lake                     5-1               31           RV
 
Others receiving votes: Nedrose (8-0), Des Lacs-Burlington (7-1), Kindred (4-2), Shiloh Christian (3-1)
 

Class A Boys Basketball Poll
Team (1st Place Votes)           Record   Polling Points   Last Week
1. Kindred (12)                            3-0             86              2
2. Grafton (3)                               5-0             68              3
3. Devils Lake (1)                         4-1            56              1
4. Four Winds-Minnewaukan (3)  2-2            43             NR
5. Beulah (1)                                3-0             35              5
 
Others receiving votes: Central Cass (4-1), Shiloh Christian (2-1), Des Lacs-Burlington (5-1), Thompson (2-1)
 

Class B Girls Basketball Poll
Team (1st Place Votes)                      Record   Polling Points   Last Week
1. Langdon Area-Edmore-Munich (17) 6-0               193           1
2. May-Port-CG (2)                               6-0               162           3
3. Sargent County                                 7-0               153           4
4. Central McLean                                 5-0               142           5
5. Bowman County (1)                          5-1                131          2
6. Edgeley-Kulm-Montpelier                  7-1               103           6
7. Hatton-Northwood                             4-1                 73           7
8. Trenton                                              8-0                 61           8
9. T-G-U                                                 7-1                 41           9
10. Our Redeemer’s                               4-1                12           RV
 
Other receiving votes: Linton-HMB (6-1), Garrison (4-1), Maple River (6-3), Oakes (6-1), Kenmare-Bowbells (6-3), Grant County-Mott-Regent (7-2)
 

Class B Boys Basketball Poll
Team (1st Place Votes)                   Record  Polling Points   Last Week
1. Bowman County (13)                      4-0             193            1
2. North Star (4)                                  4-0              174           2
3. Sargent County (2)                          4-0             164            3
4. Bishop Ryan (1)                               5-0             127            4
5. Edgeley-Kulm-Montpelier                4-0             121            5
6. Westhhope-Newburg                       4-0             108            6
7. Linton-HMB                                      3-0               78            7
8. Hankinson                                        4-0               48            9
T9. Langdon Area-Edmore-Munich      2-1              24            8
T9. Washburn                                       3-0              24           RV
T9. Mohall-Lansford-Sherwood            3-0              24           RV
 
Other receiving votes: Williston Trinity Christian (3-0), Cavalier (4-1), Garrison (3-2), Glen Ullin-Hebron, (4-0)
—————————————————-
 
MINOT, ND – Lot of high school holiday basketball is taking place this week, including here in Minot.
 
High School Girls Basketball
 
Girl’s Hoopster Classic – Minot Auditorium – today
T-G-U vs Des Lacs-Burlington, 1:30 pm
Rugby vs Our Redeemer’s, 3 pm
Stanley vs Kidder County, 4:30 pm
Beulah vs Nerose, 6 pm
LaMoure-Litchville-Marion vs North Prairie, 7:30 pm
 
Girl’s Hoopster Classic – Minot Auditorium – Thursday
T-G-U vs LaMoure-Litchville-Marion, 1:30 pm
Velva vs New Rockford-Sheyenne, 3 pm
Rugby vs Beulah, 4:30 pm
Our Redeemer’s vs Langdon Area-Edmore-Munich, 6 pm
Bishop Ryan vs St. John, 7:30 pm
 

High School Boys Basketball
 
Mandan Holiday Tournament – Mandan HS – today
First Round
Linton-HMB vs New Salem-Almont 3 pm
Standing Rock vs Surrey, 4:30 pm
Glen Ullin-Hebron vs Bottineau, 6 pm
Flasher vs Ray, 7:30 pm
 
Dale Brown Classic – MSU Dome – Friday
Powers Lake-Burke Central vs T-G-U, 11 am
North Prairie vs Velva, 12:30 pm
Hazen vs Westhope-Newburg, 2 pm
Our Redeemer’s vs North Star, 3:30 pm
Rugby vs Beulah, 5 pm
Four Winds-Minnewaukan vs Dickinson Trinity, 6:30 pm
Des Lacs-Burlington vs Thompson, 8 pm
 
Boy’s Hoopster Classic – Minot Auditorium – Saturday
Powers Lake-Burke Central vs Westhope-Newburg, 11 am
Thompson vs Stanley, 12:30 pm
Bishop Ryan vs North Prairie, 2 pm
Dickinson Trinity vs Rugby, 3:30 pm
Beulah vs Four Winds-Minnewaukan, 5 pm
Velva vs St. John, 6:30 pm
Our Redeemer’s vs Hazen, 8 pm
 
 
Capital City Holiday Shootout – Bismarck State College – Thursday
Richardton-Taylor vs Medina-Pingree-Buchanan (girls), 9:30 am
New Town vs Wilton-Wing (girls), 11 am
Kidder County vs Richardton-Taylor (boys), 12:30 pm
Edgeley-Kulm-Montpelier vs Kenmare-Bowbells (girls), 2 pm
Standing Rock vs Kindred (girls), 3:30 pm
Trenton vs Wilton-Wing (boys), 5 pm
Napolion-Gackle-Streeter vs Trenton (girls), 6:30 pm
Medina-Pingree-Buchanan vs New Town (boys), 8 pm
 
Capital City Holiday Shootout – Bismarck State College – Friday
New Town vs Richardton-Taylor (girls), 9:30 pm
Center-Stanton vs Hettinger-Scranton (girls), 11 am
New Town vs Center-Stanton (boys), 12:30 pm
Medina-Pingree-Buchanan vs New England (girls), 2 pm
Kidder County vs Kindred (girls), 3:30 pm
Richardton-Taylor vs Medina-Pingree-Buchanan (boys), 5 pm
Garrison vs Napoleon-Gackle-Streeter (girls), 6:30 pm
Garrison vs Napoleon-Gackle-Streeter (boys), 8 pm
—————————————————
 
MINOT, ND – The Minot High boys hockey team began play at the Roseau Holiday Hockey Classic in Roseau, Minnesota yesterday. The Magicians defeated Mineapolis, 6-3. They will play Spring Lake Park, Minnesota this afternoon at 4:30 pm.
————————————————–
 
WOLVES-THUNDER
 
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 34 points, Jalen Williams added 21 and the Oklahoma City Thunder made 18 shots from 3-point range Tuesday night in a 129-106 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. Chet Holmgren and Lu Dort each added 20 points for the Thunder (19-9), who went 18 for 39 (46.2%) on 3s and forced 24 Minnesota turnovers that led to 23 points. Dort was 5 of 6 from beyond the arc. Oklahoma City shot 60.5% from the field and led by as many as 25 in the second half of its sixth victory in eight games. Anthony Edwards had 25 points to pace Minnesota (22-7). Mike Conley added 17 and Karl-Anthony Towns had 16. Towns missed Minnesota’s 110-98 win over Sacramento on Saturday with soreness in his left knee. He entered Tuesday night averaging 22.2 points and 9.5 rebounds per game. The Timberwolves host the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday.
 
 

Read more...

K-Heart Sports – 12/23/23

K-HEART SPORTS – SATURDAY – 12/23/23
 

MINOT, ND – It was a milestone victory last night for Minot High head boys basketball coach Dean Winczewski as he secured career coaching victory number 400. It came in Jamestown as the #3 Magi scored a 30 point win to keep their undefeated season intact at 7-0. Winczewski is a graduate of Bishop Ryan and Minot State. He spent 8 years in Dickinson before returning home to Minot to take over for Gene Manson in 2008.
 
Other scores from the area:
 
High School Boys Basketball
 
Class AA
#3 Minot High def. Jamestown, 81-51
Bismarck High def. Bismarck St. Mary’s, 80-56
Mandan def. Williston, 72-68
 
Class A
Bottineau def. North Prairie (Class B), 65-47
Standing Rock def. Garrison (Class B), 60-57
 
Class B
#6 Westhope-Newburg def. Turtle Mountain (Class A), 76-66
T-G-U def. Divide County, 86-20
 

High School Girls Basketball
 
Class AA
#1 Minot High def. Jamestown, 75-25
Bismarck High def. Bismarck St. Mary’s, 60-50
Mandan def. Williston, 80-43
 
Class A
Des Lacs-Burlington def. Dickinson Trinity, 46-45
 

High School Boys Hockey
Bottineau-Rugby def. May-Port-CG, 4-2
 

High School Boys Wrestling
 
Class A
Minot High def. Bismarck St. Mary’s, 35-28
Minot High def. Watford City, 52-17
Bismarck St. Mary’s def. Watford City, 60-17
 
Class B
Bucky & Linda Anderson Classic – Berthold
1. Des Lacs-Burlington, 163.5
2. Central Cass, 121.5
3. Williams County, 120.5
4. Kenmare-Bowbells-Burke Central, 94
5. Beulah-Hazen, 93
6. Northern Lights, 86.5
7. Stanley, 48
8. New Town, 26
9. Rugby, 23.5
T10. Standing Rock, 0
T10. White Shield, 0
 

High School Girls Wrestling
 
Class B
Bucky & Linda Anderson Classic – Berthold
1. Central Cass, 221.5
2. Des Lacs-Burlington/Lewis & Clark, 66
3. Stanley, 39
4. Kenmare-Bowbells-Burke Central, 24
5. Willliams County, 18.5
T6. Northern Lights, 16
T6. Rugby, 16
8. Standing Rock, 4
—————————————————-
 
VIKINGS-LIONS PREVIEW
 
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The games have been lurking at the end of Detroit’s schedule like a difficult end-of-semester final exam, two games against Minnesota in the last three weeks that ought to show just how far these on-the-rise Lions have progressed. Despite a three-game lead on the Vikings in the NFC North with three games to play, the franchise’s first division title in 30 years is far from secured. The biggest test for the Lions (10-4) this season will come Sunday at Minnesota, where they haven’t won in six years. The fact the Vikings (7-7) are still in contention to defend the NFC North they ran away with last season has been a testament to coaching and chemistry, having lost quarterback Kirk Cousins nearly two months ago to a torn Achilles tendon and turned to three other starters since. Nick Mullens has the reins now, with a finally healthy Justin Jefferson leading his receiver crew after a severe hamstring strain sidelined him for five games and a chest injury kept him out for most of a sixth. The Lions just need to win once more to take the division and get their first home playoff game at Ford Field, which opened in 2002. But sandwiched in between the two matchups with Minnesota is a daunting Dec. 30 game at Dallas (10-4), which is busy trying to win its own division. The Vikings host Green Bay (6-8) in between the games against the Lions. “We don’t carry the weight of the last 30 years here. We don’t. It’s the 2023 Lions, and we’re different than last year’s team and the year before and 30 years before that,” Jared Goff said. “So we’re trying to make our mark this year, and we have a chance to do it this week.”
 
 
 

Read more...

K-Heart Sports – 12/22/23

K-HEART SPORTS – FRIDAY – 12/22/23
 

MINOT, ND – Bishop Ryan held off South Prairie-Max 52-47 Thursday night, in a game we broadcast on K-Heart. The Lions lead throughout and by as many as 15 in the second quarter. Jett Lundeen led the way scoring 12 points. Lundeen made one field goal and connected on 10 of 16 freethrows. Hayden Seay and Mack Shean each added 11 while Jack Passa and Blake Kaylor added 9 points each. The Lions played without Ramsey Walz who was nursing a calf injury. Ethan Dobson tallied a game-high 13 for the Royals. Bishop Ryan stays undefeated at 5-0. The Royals drop to 3-3.
 
Other scores from the area:
 
High School Boys Basketball
 
Class AA
Bismarck Legacy def. Dickinson, 93-80
 
Class A
Four Winds-Minnewaukan def. #1 Devils Lake, 69-63
#5 Beulah def. Nedrose, 74-30
Des Lacs-Burlington def. Dickinson Trinity, 54-18
 
Class B
#4 Bishop Ryan def. South Prairie-Max (Class A), 52-47
Garrison def. #10 Flasher, 73-54
Kenmare-Bowbells def. Velva, 67-60
Trenton def. Beach, 61-46
Ray def. South Heart, 61-46
 

High School Girls Basketball
 
Class AA
Bismarck Legacy def. Dickinson, 73-34
 
Class A
#4 Bottineau def. North Prairie (Class B), 66-38
 
Class B
#8 Trenton def. Beach, 63-28
#9 T-G-U def. North Star, 60-42
Our Redeemer’s def. Drake-Anamoose, 70-33
Berthold def. Velva, 42-40
Mohall-Lansford-Sherwood def. Bishop Ryan, 56-51
Glenburn def. Harvey-Wells County, 62-54
Surrey def. Westhope-Newburg, 69-39
Garrison def. Flasher, 66-63
Tioga def. North Shore-Plaza, 69-22
South Heart def. Ray, 46-18
 

High School Boys Hockey
Williston def. Bottineau-Rugby, 4-2
Hazen-Beulah def. Bismarck Legacy JV, 3-2
Bismarck Century def. Dickinson, 7-1
 

High School Girls Hockey
Mandan def. Williston, 2-1
Bismarck Century def. Bismarck High-Legacy, 5-0
 

High School Boys Swimming & Diving
Minot High def. Bismarck Legacy, 109-77
Minot High def. Bismarck High, 118-68
 

High School Boys Wrestling
Williston def. Bismarck Legacy, 42-26
Williston def. Turtle Mountain, 66-6
Dickinson def. Bismarck St. Mary’s, 41-29
—————————————————
 
MSU FOOTBALL-SIGNING
 
MINOT, N.D. (MSU) – Taking advantage of the 3-day early signing period this week, head coach Ian Shields and his staff have added nine talented recruits to the Minot State football roster who will make up the core of the recruiting class of 2024. Signing their National Letter-of Intent in preparation to join the Beavers on the field in the fall of 2024 are transfers Matt Donovan from Bemidji State, Steven Earnest from Taylor University (Ind.), Canaan Boyd from Concordia College Moorhead, Aidan Lee from Garden City Community College (Calif.), Christopher Calhoun II from Hutchinson Community College (Kan.), and Jakob Guzman from College of the Sequoias (Calif.) along with true freshmen Robert Overton from Canada Prep in St. Catharines, Ontario, Kyle “KJ” Cherry from Etiwanda High School in Fontana, California, and local product William Mayo from Surrey/Des Lacs-Burlington High School. NCAA football schools were allowed to early-sign student-athletes for the class of 2024 from Wednesday, Dec. 20 through Friday, Dec. 22. After Friday, players must wait until the regular national signing day which will be February 7, 2024.
———————————————–
 
MSU WOMENS HOCKEY
 
MINOT, N.D. (MSU) – Six of Minot State’s best women’s hockey players will be on the ice representing the West All-Stars at the inaugural Women’s Midwest College Hockey (WMCH) All-Star game in late January hosted by Maryville University (Mo.). Minot State forwards Krissy Rink, Makena Welby, and Paige Kozak, along with defensemen Anna German and Paige Ackerman, and goalie Haylie Biever, all were selected to the team. The West All-Stars will be made up of players from Jamestown, Midland, Minnesota, and Minot State. The East All-Stars include players from Liberty, Lindenwood, host Maryville, and McKendree. The game will be held Sunday, January 28, at noon at the Maryville University Hockey Center. Tickets are $10 for adults, and free for kids under age 10. The game can be watched live online at https://www.youtube.com/@MaryvilleHockey
 
Ackerman and Kozak lead the Beavers in scoring with five goals and six assists each for 11 points apiece in 20 games. German and Welby have eight points each with two goals and six assists apiece this season with German playing in 18 games and Welby in 20. Rink has five goals and two assists for seven points in 20 games for the Beavers, while Biever has four wins in goal, a 2.36 goals against average, and a 92.3 save percentage for Minot State. The All-Star game wraps up a busy weekend for Minot State which plays at Maryville on Thursday, January 25, at McKendree on Friday, January 26, and at Lindenwood on Saturday, January 27. The Beavers are back in action following the Christmas break hosting Jamestown at the Maysa Arena on Saturday, January 13, and Sunday, January 14. Puck drops is at 3:45 p.m. on Saturday and at 4 p.m. on Sunday.
———————————————————
 
UND WOMENS BASKETBALL
 
GRAND FORKS, N.D. (UND) – The North Dakota women’s basketball team dropped a nonconference game to Drake, 108-60, Thursday in the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center. The Bulldogs set the pace right off the opening tip, knocking down their first of 14 three-pointers just six seconds into the game. Nevaeh Ferrara Horne opened the scoring for the Fighting Hawks, but the Bulldogs would race out to a 16-4 lead three and a half minutes into the first quarter. Back-to-back triples from Kacie Borowicz and Kiyah Hurst pulled the Hawks within six late in the period, but the Bulldogs would knock down a pair of treys to close the first with a 31-23 lead. UND shot .529 percent from the field in the opening 10 minutes, which was their best start from the floor in a first quarter this season. However, the Bulldogs were red-hot to start with a .632 shooting percentage with seven three-pointers. Borowicz poured in 10 points on 4-of-7 shooting with two treys.
The Hawks offense fell in a rut in the second quarter, as they shot 3-of-20 from the field to trail 51-34 at halftime. UND had second chance opportunities with five offensive rebounds but would score just two points off the extra possessions. Drake attempted just 10 shots in the second quarter but made the most out of their trips to the charity stripe by connecting on all 10 free throw attempts. The Hawks cut the Drake lead to five points, 28-33, following two free throws from Jayla Owen, but the Bulldogs built their lead back to double-digits following an 8-0 run. Looking to build momentum out of the intermission, Borowicz buried a three-pointer in the opening possession, but the Bulldogs answered with nine straight points to push their advantage back to double-digits. Drake held the Hawks at distance throughout the second half and took their largest lead of the night, 106-58, with 2:55 left in the fourth quarter. North Dakota begins Summit League play next Friday in St. Paul, Minn. against St. Thomas.
———————————————————
 
NDSU FOOTBALL-HONOR
 
FARGO, N.D. (NDSU) – North Dakota State safety Cole Wisniewski was named to the FCS Athletic Directors Association All-America Team on Thursday. In its 11th year, the FCS ADA All-America Team recognizes the the top student-athletes from FCS institutions at 11 different positions. From the 11 All-America Team honorees, an Offensive Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year will be announced Jan. 3 and the recipients will be recognized at the FCS national championship game on Jan. 7. Wisniewski leads the FCS with eight interceptions, which tied the NDSU and Missouri Valley Football Conference single-season records. He also led NDSU with 92 total tackles and five pass breakups. Wisniewski is the 13th NDSU player to be named the top performer in the FCS at their position, joining OL Billy Turner, OL Joe Haeg (twice), DL Kyle Emanuel, P Ben LeCompte, OL Zack W. Johnson, OL Austin Kuhnert, OL Tanner Volson, QB Trey Lance, OL Dillon Radunz, OL Cordell Volson, P Garret Wegner and OL Cody Mauch.
———————————————————–
 
NDSU FOOTBALL-COACHES
 
FARGO, N.D. (NDSU) – New North Dakota State head football coach Tim Polasek announced two changes on the NDSU defensive coaching staff Thursday. Linebackers coach Grant Olson has been named NDSU’s defensive coordinator, and defensive ends coach Nick Goeser has been named co-defensive coordinator.
 
Olson was the NDSU linebackers coach for five seasons under head coach Matt Entz, and he was also the Bison special teams coordinator in 2023. Olson started his coaching career as a student assistant at NDSU in 2014 during Entz’s first year as defensive coordinator. An All-America linebacker during his NDSU playing days from 2010 to 2013, Olson went on to coach as a graduate assistant at Wyoming in 2015 and 2016 under Craig Bohl, and he was the linebackers coach at Indiana State in 2017 and 2018 under Curt Mallory.
 
Goeser has been at NDSU since 2010 coaching the defensive tackles for 12 seasons before being named defensive line coach in 2022 and defensive ends coach in 2023. He has also spent time as NDSU’s recruiting coordinator and special teams coordinator. Goeser came to Fargo from Minnesota-Duluth, where he was the defensive line and outside linebackers coach from 2007 to 2009 and was part of a Division II national championship with the Bulldogs in 2008. He also coached defensive ends at Augustana College (Ill.) in 2005 and 2006 and defensive line at Marietta College (Ohio) in 2003 and 2004.
 
Jason Petrino, who was the safeties coach and defensive coordinator for one season in 2023, will not be retained on the Bison coaching staff.
—————————————————–
 
WOLVES-LAKERS
 
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Anthony Edwards had 27 points to lead the Minnesota Timberwolves past Los Angeles 118-111 on Thursday and hand the Lakers — with LeBron James sitting out on the second night of back-to-back games — their fourth straight loss. The Wolves — also playing for a second straight night — tied Boston at 21-6 for the NBA ‘s best record. Karl-Anthony Towns had 21 points for Minnesota before limping to the locker room for further examination on a lower-leg injury — Finch said Towns took a “bang” but had no update on his condition — with 5:07 left. By then, the Wolves were awake after a sleepy third quarter. Mike Conley finished with 16 points, eight assists and two of the team’s 13 steals and Rudy Gobert had 15 points, 13 rebounds and three blocks as the Wolves avoided consecutive losses for the first time this season and improved to 12-1 at home. Anthony Davis had 31 points and eight rebounds, and Rui Hachimura — in the starting lineup with James out to rest tendinitis in his ankle — scored 18 points as the Lakers fell to 1-5 since winning the NBA In-Season Tournament. They’re 15-14 overall and 5-11 on the road. The Timberwolves play at Sacramento on Saturday.
—————————————————-
 
WILD-CANADIENS

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Kirill Kaprizov scored with 4.9 seconds remaining in overtime, lifting the Minnesota Wild to a 4-3 win over the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday night. Kaprizov took a pass from Marcus Johansson and beat Canadiens goalie Sam Montembeault to help the Wild avoid a shootout. It was Kaprizov’s third goal in two games after scoring twice against Boston on Tuesday. Thursday was the fourth overtime game for the Wild in their last five contests. Defenseman Brock Faber scored his second career NHL goal, Matt Boldy also scored and Marco Rossi had a goal, two assists and a fight for a “Gordie Howe hat trick” to spark the Wild. Kaprizov was previously scoreless for six straight games before a two-goal night in Boston on Tuesday. He finished with three points for his 71st career multi-point game. Thursday’s tally with seconds left in overtime was the third game-winner for Kaprizov this season, and his second in as many games. Filip Gustavsson made 22 saves in the win. Montembeault stopped 20 shots in the loss. The Wild host the Boston Bruins on Saturday.
————————————————–
 
VIKINGS-STADIUM TURF
 
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority approved Thursday a $1.3 million project for new artificial turf at U.S. Bank Stadium before the 2024 season, putting the Vikings on track to play on a surface the NFL has assessed as less of an injury risk than the venue’s current field. The state agency finalized the cost at its regular meeting. The slit film turf that was installed in 2019 will be torn up early next year and replaced by a monofilament surface that league and union data have determined to be safer and the most like natural grass. The NFL Players Association has called for all stadiums to switch to grass. When Minnesota played Kansas City on Oct. 8, Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson (hamstring) and Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (ankle) — two of the league’s most prolific players — were each injured when they slipped on the turf. The Detroit Lions, New York Giants and New York Jets are teams whose stadiums have recently replaced the slit film turf. The Indianapolis Colts and Cincinnati Bengals are the only clubs left currently playing on that style. There’s certainly no guarantee of injury prevention, though. The Miami Dolphins recently criticized the new surface at MetLife Stadium after linebacker Jaelen Phillips tore an Achilles tendon.
 
 

Read more...

K-Heart Sports – 12/21/23

K-HEART SPORTS – THURSDAY – 12/21/23
 

MINOT, ND – Minot High remains ranked in both Class AA high school basketball polls this week. The polls are voted on by the North Dakota Associated Press Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association (NDAPSSA).
 
Class AA Girls Basketball Poll
 
Team (1st Place Votes)   Record   Polling Points   Last Week
1. Minot High (16)               6-0             88               1
2. Fargo Davies                  4-0             63               2
3. Bismarck Century (2)      7-0             51               4
4. Grand Forks Red River   4-1             45               3
5. West Fargo Horace         4-0               9              RV
 
Others receiving votes: Bismarck Legacy (4-1), Dickinson (5-1), Bismarck High (4-3)
 
 
Class AA Boys Basketball Poll
 
Team (1st Place Votes)   Record   Polling Points   Last Week
1. Fargo North (12)             6-0             83                1
2. Fargo Davies (3)             4-0             65                2
3. Minot High (1)                  6-0             61               3
4. Bismarck Century (2)       7-0            43                4
5. Grand Forks Central        4-2            13                5
 
Other receiving votes: West Fargo Sheyenne (4-2), Dickinson (4-2)
—————————————————-
 
UND MENS BASKETBALL
 
LINCOLN, Neb. (UND) – The North Dakota men’s basketball team closed its nonconference slate Wednesday night with a showdown in the capital of the Cornhusker State. Despite leading by ten at halftime, the Fighting Hawks fell to Nebraska 83-75. Tyree Ihenacho led the way for UND, scoring a career high 22 points. B.J. Omot scored 21 and Treysen Eaglestaff added 13. Omot led with eight rebounds, including seven in the first half. Eli King led with four assists, Eaglestaff and Ihenacho tied for the team lead with two steals each and Omot and Tsotne Tsartsidze each blocked a shot.
 
NoDak started the game on an 11-4 run, with Omot hitting from beyond the arc to start the scoring for the Fighting Hawks and Ihenacho scoring four in the stretch. Later in the first half, the green and white went up by double digits as Brady Danielson got back-to-back layups that put UND up 25-15. As the half went on, Nebraska climbed back in the game and with 4:15 left in the half the game was knotted at 31. UND closed the half on an 11-1 run to lead 42-32 at the break. Omot scored 13 points and grabbed seven rebounds in the frame, while Ihenacho scored 14. Eaglestaff came out of the intermission with a three pointer and Omot went 1-2 from the foul line to stretch the lead to 14 at 46-32, the largest lead of the game for the Fighting Hawks. From there, Nebraska chipped away and pulled within one at 49-48. Omot hit a jumper to push the lead back to three, but Nebraska tied it up on the next basket and from there the Huskers took the lead and held it the rest of the way. Danielson hit two foul shots with 2:17 left to bring UND within five at 74-69, but the Fighting Hawks were unable to pull any closer. North Dakota will be off for the next eight days before starting their Summit League slate at home against St. Thomas Dec. 29.
—————————————————-
 
NDSU WOMENS BASKETBALL
 
FARGO, N.D. (NDSU) – After nine days idle, the North Dakota State women’s basketball team ground out a 67-57 victory over Central Michigan on Wednesday night at Scheels Center. With the win, the Bison improve to 5-6 on the season, including a 4-0 mark at Scheels Center. Abbie Draper led the way for NDSU with a game-high 16 points on 5-of-8 shooting from the field and tying a career-high six free throws on six attempts. She also added five rebounds with one block and one assist to her stat line. Abby Krzewinski netted a season-high 14 points after shooting 6-of-6 from the field, while Elle Evans chipped in 11 points and a team-best six rebounds. Abby Schulte, who surpassed the 200-career assists mark, rounded out the top performers with a season-high five assists and tied a career-high four steals. As a team, the Bison shot 39.7 percent (25-63) from the field and 84.2 percent (16-19) from the free throw line. NDSU also posted 38 points in the paint and 17 points off of turnovers. NDSU got off to a quick start opening up a 10-2 lead at the 4:27 mark of the first quarter following a jumper from Evans. The Bison, who shot 44.4 percent from the field in the first half, stretched their lead to 14, 33-19, with 31 seconds to play in the second quarter after a Krzewinski drained a layup. NDSU went on to grow its largest lead of the contest, 56-32, by the 1:45 mark of the third quarter following a pair of free throws from Heaven Hamling. Central Michigan (1-8) made a late run in the fourth frame hitting three triples to cut the edge down to six, 61-55, after Tiana Timpe connected on a three-pointer. However, NDSU was able to hold off Central Michigan the rest of way to secure the 67-57 victory. NDSU will be back in action to begin Summit League play at South Dakota on Friday, Dec. 29. Tip-off is set for 7:00 p.m. CT
—————————————————–
 
NDSU FOOTBALL-SIGNING DAY
 
FARGO, N.D. (NDSU) – The North Dakota State University football program signed 20 high school student-athletes to letters of intent on Wednesday, the first day of the three-day early signing period for Division I football. The 2024 early signing class includes seven players from North Dakota, six from Minnesota, two from South Dakota, and one each from Nebraska, Colorado, Texas, Indiana and Virginia. On offense, the Bison added three offensive linemen, three wide receivers, two tight ends, one fullback, one running back and one long snapper. There are two defensive linemen, three linebackers, two cornerbacks and two safeties on defense.
 
North Dakota players include:
WR Logan Conklin of Minot High
OL Coy Okeson of Bishop Ryan
OL Nate Tastad of North Prairie
WR Isiah St. Romain of Williston
LB Peder Haugo of Fargo North
TE Reis Kessel of Fargo South
LS Grant Knodle of West Fargo Sheyenne
 
Following the three-day early signing period this week, the regular signing period for Division I football will run from February 7 to April 1. North Dakota State, coming off its 12th NCAA semifinal appearance in the past 13 seasons, will be under the direction of first-year head coach Tim Polasek, who spent 10 years at NDSU as an assistant coach from 2006 to 2012 and offensive coordinator 2014 to 2016. The Bison are scheduled to open the 2024 season at Colorado on Saturday, Aug. 31.
————————————————-
 
NDSU FOOTBALL-HONORS
 
FARGO, N.D. (NDSU) – North Dakota State had three players selected to the AFCA FCS All-America Team announced Wednesday, Dec. 20, by the American Football Coaches Association. Long snapper Hunter Brozio, left tackle Jalen Sundell and safety Cole Wisniewski were all named to the first team. NDSU was the only school with three first-team selections. North Dakota State went 11-4 overall and advanced to the semifinals of the NCAA Division I Football Championship for the 12th time in 13 seasons.
———————————————-
 
UND FOOTBALL-SIGNING DAY
 
GRAND FORKS, N.D. (UND) – University of North Dakota head football coach Bubba Schweigert announced 28 prospective student-athletes and incoming transfers have signed with the Fighting Hawks on Wednesday morning. 24 of the 28 signees will join UND after their high school careers, while four will also join the program as transfers.
 
Class Breakdown
By State: Minnesota (5), Iowa (4), Nebraska (4), North Dakota (4), Wisconsin (4), Kansas (3), Illinois (1), South Carolina (1), South Dakota (1), Virginia (1)
By Position: OL (8), DB (6), DL (4), LB (2), QB (2), TE (2), WR (2), K (1), RB (1)
 
Players from North Dakota
WR Deng Deng of Four Winds-Minnewaukan
TE Tray Kuntz of Grand Forks Central
OL Lawson Lotysz of Grand Forks Red River
DL Erick Paye of Grand Forks Central
—————————————————-
 
WOLVES-76ERS
 
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Joel Embiid scored a season-high 51 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, and the Philadelphia 76ers used a big fourth quarter to close out the Minnesota Timberwolves for a 127-113 win on Wednesday night. Tyrese Maxey scored 35 points as Philadelphia (19-8) won for the seventh time in eight games, bouncing back nicely after a 108-104 loss to Chicago on Monday night. Minnesota (20-6) got 27 points from Anthony Edwards, 23 points from Karl-Anthony Towns and 21 from Jaden McDaniels. The Timberwolves entered Wednesday night as winners of nine of its last 10 games and possessors of the league’s best record. Embiid recorded his 12th straight game with 30 or more points and 10-plus rebounds. It is the NBA’s longest such streak since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar did it in 16 straight games for the Milwaukee Bucks in the 1971-72 season.
 
 

Read more...

K-Heart Sports – 12/20/23

K-HEART SPORTS – WEDNESDAY – 12/20/23
 
 
MINOT, ND – Tuesday’s scores:
 
High School Boys Basketball
 
Class AA
#3 Minot High def. Williston, 86-50
#4 Bismarck Century def. Dickinson, 106-51
Bismarck High def. Bismarck Legacy, 71-62
Bismarck St. Mary’s def. Jamestown, 73-70
 
Class A
#1 Devils Lake def. Turtle Mountain, 71-37
Shiloh Christian def. Des Lacs-Burlington, 72-64
Hazen def. Dunseith, 72-70
 
Class B
Tioga def. Berthold, 58-37
Parshall/North Shore-Plaza def. Ray, 58-57
Powers Lake-Burke Central def. Trenton, 68-42
 

High School Girls Basketball
 
Class AA
Minot High JV def. Williston, 76-62
#4 Bismarck Century def. Dickinson, 59-32
Bismarck High def. #5 Bismarck Legacy, 64-55
Bismarck St. Mary’s def. Jamestown, 59-51

Class A
Shiloh Christian def. Des Lacs-Burlington, 67-33
Nedrose def. New Town, 54-32
Watford City def. Stanley, 72-47
 
Class B
#5 Central McLean def. #10 Grant County-Mott-Regent, 69-34
#9 T-G-U def. Mohall-Lansford-Sherwood, 61-24
Kenmare-Bowbells def. North Shore-Plaza, 66-18
Our Redeemer’s def. Berthold, 56-36
Bishop Ryan def. Westhope-Newburg, 64-59
Surrey def. Harvey-Wells County, 64-41
Parshall def. Ray, 45-27
 

High School Boys Hockey
Minot High def. Bismarck High, 7-0
Bismarck Legacy def. Bismarck Century, 4-1
 

High School Boys Wrestling
Bismarck Century def. Turtle Mountain, 63-11
——————————————————
 
NDSU MENS BASKETBALL
 
CARBONDALE, Ill. (NDSU) – The North Dakota State men’s basketball team lost 76-63 at Southern Illinois on Tuesday night in the final non-conference game before the holiday break. The game was tied 21-21 with just over seven minutes left in the first half before the Salukis rattled off a 10-0 run. SIU led 42-31 at halftime. NDSU cut the deficit to seven at 60-53 with eight minutes remaining, but SIU’s Trent Brown drained three-pointers on the next two possessions to extend the advantage for the Salukis. Senior Boden Skunberg led NDSU with 19 points. Redshirt freshman Noah Feddersen added 10 points for the Bison. SIU’s Xavier Johnson topped all players with 25 points. NDSU dropped to 7-6 on the season. SIU improved to 7-4. The Bison shot 49 percent for the game, but made just 1-of-13 from three-point range and allowed the Salukis to shoot just under 55 percent overall. The Bison will play next on Dec. 29, when they host South Dakota inside the Scheels Center to open Summit League play.
——————————————————-
 
WILD-BRUINS
 
BOSTON (AP) — Kirill Kaprizov scored his second goal of the game at 2:54 of overtime to lift the Minnesota Wild to a 4-3 win over the Boston Bruins. Ryan Hartman and Marcus Johansson also scored for the Wild, and Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 40 shots. Minnesota improved to 8-3 since John Hynes replaced the fired Dean Evason as coach on Nov. 27. David Pastrnak scored twice and Brad Marchand also had a goal for the Bruins, who are 5-1-3 in their last nine games. Linus Ullmark finished with 27 saves. Marchand tied it with 66 seconds left in regulation, sending the Bruins to their fourth consecutive overtime game. The Wild host the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday.
 
 

Read more...

K-Heart Sports – 12/19/23

K-HEART SPORTS – TUESDAY – 12/19/23
 

MINOT, ND – The same teams remain #1 in this weeks Class A and Class B basketball polls. The polls are voted on by the North Dakota Associated Press Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association (NDAPSSA).
 
Class A Girls Basketball Poll
 
Team (1st Place Votes)   Record   Polling Points   Last Week
1. Thompson (21)                4-0             105              1
2. Northern Cass                  5-0              78              2
3. South Prairie-Max            6-1               43              3
4. Bottineau                          4-1               34              4
5. Valley City                         3-0               23             NR
 
Others receiving votes: Des Lacs-Burlington (6-0), Kindred (4-1), Devils Lake (3-1)
 

Class A Boys Basketball Poll
 
Team (1st Place Votes)   Record   Polling Points   Last Week
1. Devils Lake (20)             2-0             104              1
2. Kindred (1)                     2-0               80              3
3. Grafton                           3-0               43              RV
4. Central Cass                  3-0               40               5
5. Beulah                           1-0                37              4
 
Others receiving votes: Thompson (2-0), Des Lacs-Burlington (4-0), Shiloh Christian (1-1)
 

Class B Girls Basketball Poll
 
Team (1st Place Votes)                      Record   Polling Points   Last Week
1. Langdon Area-Edmore-Munich (18)  6-0              202              1
2. Bowman County (1)                           4-0              176              2
3. May-Port-CG (2)                                5-0               172             3
4. Sargent County                                  5-0               152             4
5. Central McLean                                 4-0               133              5
6. Edgeley-Kulm-Montpelier                   5-1                95              7
7. Hatton-Northwood                              4-1                 72             6
8. Trenton                                               7-0                 60            10
9. T-G-U                                                  5-1                 29            RV
10. Grant County-Mott-Regent                6-1                 22            RV
 
Other receiving votes: Maple River (5-3), Linton-HMB (5-1), Our Redeemer’s (2-1), Kenmare-Bowbells (5-3), Garrison (3-1), LaMoure-Litchville-Marion (4-2), Oakes (5-1)
 

Class B Boys Basketball Poll
 
Team (1st Place Votes)               Record   Polling Points   Last Week
1. Bowman County (15)                   3-0             204              1
2. North Star (4)                               3-0              181              2
3. Sargent County (2)                       2-0             167              3
4. Bishop Ryan                                 4-0              139             4
5. Edgeley-Kulm-Montpelier             3-0              125             5
6. Westhhope-Newburg                    3-0              109             7
7. Linton-HMB                                   2-0               84              6
8. Langdon Area-Edmore-Munich     2-0               52              9
9. Hankinson                                     3-0                39            10
10. Flasher 1-1 23 8
 
Other receiving votes: South Border (2-0), Washburn (2-0), Cavalier (3-0), Garrison (2-1), Mohall-Lansford-Sherwood (2-0), Williston Trinity Christian (3-0)
—————————————————-
 
MINOT, ND – Scores from Monday:
 
High School Boys Basketball
 
Class A
#5 Beulah def. Wilton-Wing (Class B), 70-44
Stanley def. Watford City, 62-30
 
Class B
Central McLean def. #10 Flasher, 73-48
Mohall-Lansford-Sherwood def. Nedrose (Class A), 65-27
Surrey def. Tioga, 69-29
Harvey-Wells County def. St. John, 71-54
Alexander def. Souht Heart, 56-33
Washburn def. Kidder County, 60-47
 

High School Girls Basketball
 
Class A
Killdeer def. Divide County (Class B), 55-27
 
Class B
St. John def. Harvey-Wells County, 67-41
New Rockford-Sheyenne def. North Prairie, 51-46
————————————————–
 
UND MENS BASKETBALL-HONOR
 
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (UND) North Dakota sophomore guard Treysen Eaglestaff captured his second Summit League Men’s Basketball Peak Performer of the Week honor of the season, as announced by the league office on Monday afternoon. Eaglestaff scored a career-high 28 points in leading the Fighting Hawks to a 19-point road win at Utah Tech and helping UND notch a 2-0 week and improve to 8-4 overall. As a team, the Fighting Hawks have five wins over Division I programs, tied for the most among Summit League schools with St. Thomas. In the win over the Trailblazers, Eaglestaff buried a career-high six 3-pointers and went 9-for-17 from the field to go along with a pair of rebounds and two steals as he registered his fourth 20-plus point game of the campaign. The Bismarck, N.D. native had 13 points in the opening half that saw UND build a 40-21 lead at the break. Eaglestaff went 9-for-17 (52.9) from beyond the arc in a pair of UND wins last week that pushed their victory total to a Summit League-best eight in non-conference play. North Dakota will look to make it three straight wins on Wednesday with a showdown at Nebraska at 6:30 p.m.
—————————————————
 
WOLVES-HEAT
 
MIAMI (AP) — Anthony Edwards scored 32 points, Karl-Anthony Towns added 18 and the Minnesota Timberwolves clamped down in the second half to beat the Miami Heat 112-108 on Monday night. Naz Reid scored 15, Mike Conley added 12 and Rudy Gobert grabbed 16 rebounds for the Timberwolves. Minnesota improved to 20-5, tying idle Boston for the NBA’s best record. The Timberwolves gave up just 42 points in the second half, after trailing by as many as 17 points in the early going. Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo returned from long injury absences and combined for 47 points for the Heat; Herro scored 25, Adebayo had 22. Jimmy Butler scored 15, Duncan Robinson 14 and Josh Richardson 13 for the Heat. The 20-5 start is Minnesota’s best through 25 games in franchise history; the 2001-02 Timberwolves started 17-8. Most Minnesota seasons – 21 of the previous 34 in franchise history – saw the team under the .500 mark at this point. Timberwolves visit Philadelphia on Wednesday.
—————————————————
 
WILD-PENGUINS
 
PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Pittsburgh Penguins went a month between power-play goals, a funk that sent them plummeting toward the bottom of the Eastern Conference. They preached patience even as they searched for answers and more importantly, goals. The goals are finally starting to come. The wins, too. Pittsburgh’s star-laden power play scored twice, including Sidney Crosby’s flip from in close 6:20 into the third period to break a tie and the Penguins edged the Minnesota Wild 4-3 on Monday night. Crosby added an assist to move past Hall of Famer Mark Recchi and into 13th on the NHL’s all-time scoring list as Pittsburgh won for the third time in four games. All three wins have come in games in which the Penguins have scored at least one power-play goal following their 0-for-37 stretch. Ryan Hartman, Jake Middleton and Vinni Lettieri scored for the Wild, who scored three times in less than 10 minutes across the second and third periods to rally from a 3-0 deficit and briefly pull even. Filip Gustavsson, given the nod over former Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury in perhaps his final visit to Pittsburgh, made 26 saves. However, he couldn’t stop Crosby’s eventual game-winner as the Penguins beat Minnesota for the ninth time in their last 10 meetings. The Wild visit Boston on Tuesday.
 
 
 

Read more...

K-Hear Sports – 12/18/23

K-HEART SPORTS – SUNDAY – 12/17/23
 

MINOT, ND – Velva and Garrison split their doubleheader on Saturday that we broadcast on K-Heart. Kaylee Tomlinson made a pair of freethrows with 0.3 seconds remaining as Aggies won the girls game 55-53. Olivia Miller tallied 13 points to lead Velva to the upset of #8 Garrison. Cara Schlehr scored a game high 21 for the Lady Troopers. Velva improves to 3-4 on the season while Garrison drops to 3-1.
 
The Troopers got 30 points from Braxton Iglehart as they won the boys game 72-56. Little Hail Perkins added 19 points and Avery Klein 13 as the Troopers improve their record to 2-1. Velva was led by Reggie Bruner with 23 and Mason McPeak with 13. The Aggies drop to 0-3.
 
Other scores from the area:
 
High School Boys Basketball
 
Class A
Turtle Mountain def. Watford City, 89-49
Bottineau def. Kenmare-Bowbells (Class B), 83-68
Des Lacs-Burlington def. Hazen, 67-64
Standing Rock def. Stanley, 54-44
Killdeer def. Divide County (Class B), 86-20
 
Class B
Garrison def. Velva, 72-56
Alexander def. Trenton, 47-19
Williston Trinity Christian def. White Shield 81-53
 
Our Redeemer’s Tournament
5th Place
Central McLean def. South Prairie-Max JV, 58-9
3rd Place
Our Redeemer’s def. Tioga, 81-20
Championship
#4 Bishop Ryan def. South Prairie-Max, 61-44
 
CNDC Tournament
7th Place
St. John def. Glenburn, 68-38
5th Place
T-G-U def. Dunseith (Class A), 68-56
3rd Place
Rugby (Class A) def. Harvey-Wells County, 69-39
Championship
North Prairie def. New Rockford-Sheyenne, 49-32
 

High School Girls Basketball
 
Class AA
#4 Bismarck Century def. West Fargo, 73-41
West Fargo Sheyenne def. Mandan, 61-59
 
Class A
#2 Northern Cass def. Turtle Mountain, 67-63
#4 Bottineau def. Kenmare-Bowbells (Class B), 64-40
Nedrose def. Westhope-Newburg (Class B), 59-32
Stanley def. Standing Rock, 57-52
Hazen def. Wilton-Wing (Class B), 59-57
 
Class B
Velva def. #8 Garrison, 55-53
#10 Trenton def. Alexander, 56-18
Powers Lake-Burke Central def. North Shore-Plaza, 50-16
Williston Trinity Christian def. White Shield, 52-24
 

High School Boys Hockey
Minot High def. Jamestown, 3-0
Bottineau-Rugby def. Grafton-Park River, 5-3
Bismarck High def. Williston, 4-3
 

High School Girls Hockey
Bismarck Century def. Williston, 5-4
 

High School Boys Swimming & Diving
 
Bismarck Legacy-Bismarck High Invite
1. Century, 524
2. Minot High, 489
3. Bismarck High, 382
4. Fargo South, 344
5. Bismarck Legacy, 276
6. Mandan, 237
 
Williston Invite
1. Williston, 597
2. Jamestown, 469
3. Dickinson,430;
 

High School Boys Wrestling
 
Dennis Flynn Shootout – Devils Lake
1. Bismarck Legacy, 206.0
2. Mandan, 188.0
3. Devils Lake, 179.0
4. Fargo Davies, 174.0
5. Turtle Mountain, 154.0
6. Central Cass, 146.5
7. Watford City, 118.5
8. Grand Forks Red River, 86.0
 
Linton Holiday Tournament (Top 5 & local teams)
1. South Border, 244.5
2. Northern Lights, 152.5
3. Killdeer, 146.0
4. New Salem-Almont, 142.0
5. Velva, 135.0
7. Des Lacs-Burlington, 111.0
8. Bishop Ryan, 109.5
14. Harvey, 80.0
16. Stanley, 77.0
18. Kenmare-Bowbells, 69.0
19. Beulah-Hazen, 66.5
 
 
High School Girls Wrestling
 
Border Brawl – Ashley (Top 3 & local teams)
1. Bismarck, 218.0
2. Pierre T.F Riggs SD, 202.5
3. Minot, 138.0
11. Des-Lacs Burlington, 56.0
14. Beulah-Hazen, 43.0
19. Harvey-Wells County, 29.0
T21. Stanley, 24.0
23. Kenmare/Bowbells/Burke Central, 22.0
 
Dennis Flynn Shootout – Devils Lake
1. Bismarck Legacy, 225.5
2. Central Cass, 122.0
3. Devils Lake, 73.0
4. Turtle Mountain, 70.0
5. Mandan, 59.0
6. Northwood, 46.0
7. Northern Lights, 35.0
8. Rugby, 24.0
9. Watford City, 24.0
10. Larimore, 16.0
11. Hillsboro- Central Valley, 8.0
———————————————————
 
MINOTAUROS
 
MINOT, ND – The Minot Minotauros scored three times in the first period, added four in the second and tallied a dominating 9-1 win over North Iowa on Saturday. Niklas Ketonen, John Small, and Chad Muller lit the lamp in the first period for the Tauros. Jack O’Hanisain, Trevor Stachowiak, Nicholas Sewecke, and Cayden Casey added goals in the second period. Pavol Funtek scored in the third period and O’Hanisain added his second. Brady James tallied 15 saves on 16 Bulls shots. Charlie Durkin came in for the last 10:23 and made a save also. The weekend sweep leaves the Tauros seven points ahead of Bismarck as they remain atop the NAHL Central Division standings.
———————————————————
 
MSU MENS BASKETBALL
 
MINOT, ND (MSU) – Khari Broadway scored 20 points, but the Minot State men’s basketball team fell to the No. 2-ranked Minnesota State Moorhead Dragons 77-74 at the MSU Dome on Saturday in NSIC action. The Beavers (8-3 overall, 4-2 NSIC) had three players score in double figures, led by Broadway, who had 20 points. Ben Bohl added 13 points and Connor Hollenbeck chipped in as well with 10 points and seven rebounds. Broadway pulled down two offensive rebounds to lead the Minot State offense which grabbed 10 boards and turned them into 13 second-chance points. After falling behind 25-21, Minot State went on a 7-0 run with 5:24 left in the first half, culminating in a bucket from Caleb Van De Griend, to take a 28-25 lead. The Beavers then lost some of that lead, but still entered halftime with a 36-34 advantage. Minot State did most of its first-half damage in the paint, scoring 24 of its 36 points close to the basket. Minnesota State Moorhead proceeded to take a 52-46 lead before Minot State went on a 5-0 run, finished off by Jaxon Gunville’s three, to shrink the deficit to 52-51 with 11:11 to go in the contest. Minnesota State Moorhead responded and outscored the Beavers the rest of the way, ending the game with a final score of 77-74. Minot State took care of business in the paint, recording 20 of its 38 points in the lane.
——————————————————–
 
MSU WOMENS BASKETBALL
 
MINOT, ND (MSU) -The Minot State women’s basketball team got a 21-point performance from the bench, but fell 68-40 to the Minnesota State Moorhead Dragons at the MSU Dome on Saturday in NSIC action. Peyton Breidenbach led the Beavers (3-11 overall, 1-5 NSIC) with 10 points and four steals. Emily Srejma added eight points and Ashley Wacha helped out with six points and two blocks from the bench. The Minot State defense was a problem in Saturday’s game, forcing 16 Minnesota State Moorhead turnovers. Those takeaways turned into 10 points on the offensive end of the floor. Breidenbach’s four steals led the way individually for the Beavers. Minot State kept it close in the first quarter, but entered the second frame down 17-15. Minnesota State Moorhead kept adding to that lead, building a 20-15 advantage before Minot State went on a 6-0 run, highlighted by a bucket from Srejma, to take a 21-20 lead. The Dragons then came roaring back to take a 31-22 lead heading into halftime. Minnesota State Moorhead continued to increase its lead after halftime, building a 42-25 advantage before Minot State went on a 5-0 run, punctuated by a three from Breidenbach, to trim its deficit to 42-30 with 2:12 to go in the third. Minnesota State Moorhead countered and stretched its lead to 48-34 heading into the fourth. Minot State knocked down two three-pointers in the quarter to score six of its 12 total points. Minot State could not pull any closer in the fourth, losing by a final of 68-40. Minot State took advantage of five Minnesota State Moorhead turnovers in the quarter, scoring three points off of those takeaways.
——————————————————–
 
UND MENS BASKETBALL

ST. GEORGE, Utah (UND) – A career high 28 points from Treysen Eaglestaff guided the North Dakota men’s basketball team to a convincing 79-62 win over Utah Tech on Saturday night. The Fighting Hawks led over 37 minutes in the game, taking the lead at the 17:26 mark of the first half and never looked back. Eaglestaff set new career highs with 28 points and six three pointers made while Amar Kuljuhovic set a new career high with 13 rebounds. After Utah Tech got on the board first with a three pointer, the Fighting Hawks reeled off the next 11 points—a dunk from B.J. Omot started the run, followed by a layup from Eaglestaff, a block from Omot on the defensive end that turned into an Omot three on the other end, a bucket in his season debut from Tyree Ihenacho and then one from Tsotne Tsartsidze made it 11-3. At the 10:39 mark of the first half Eaglestaff hit a three to go up 19-7 and the game would be double-digits the rest of the way. At halftime the score was 40-21 in favor of the green and white. During the second half, NoDak led by as many as 29 and the outcome was secure over the final 20 minutes as the Fighting Hawks earned their second road win of the season. North Dakota has one more nonconference game–traveling to Lincoln, Nebraska for a showdown with the Cornhuskers on Dec. 20. The first home game of the season will be Dec. 29 against St. Thomas, which begins Summit League play.
———————————————————
 
NDSU FOOTBALL
 
MISSOULA, Mont. (NDSU) – Corbin Walker intercepted a two-point conversion attempt to clinch No. 2 seed Montana’s 31-29 double overtime win over North Dakota State in the semifinals of the NCAA Division I Football Championship on Saturday, Dec. 16, before a crowd of 26,544 at Washington-Grizzly Stadium. North Dakota State finished its season 11-4, while Montana (13-1) advanced to face top-seeded defending national champion South Dakota State (14-0) in the FCS championship game Sunday, Jan. 7, in Frisco, Texas. NDSU tied the game with 51 seconds left in regulation on a 9-yard pass from Cam Miller to Eli Green, then went ahead on the first play of overtime on Cole Payton’s 25-yard touchdown run. That was NDSU’s first lead since a field goal on the opening drive of the game, but the Grizzlies scored two plays later on a 22-yard pass from Clifton McDowell to Junior Bergan. Montana went ahead in the second overtime on a 13-yard touchdown run by Eli Gillman before converting the mandatory two-point attempt on a pass from Bergan to Keelan White. NDSU scored on a 2-yard run by TK Marshall, but Walker intercepted a pass from wide receiver RaJa Nelson intended for tight end Joe Stoffel, who was knocked down in the end zone. Griffin Crosa kicked field goals of 30, 35 and 38 yards for NDSU, which converted only 3 of 13 third down attempts. The Bison outgained Montana 345 to 284 in total yards. Miller was 9 of 22 passing for 157 yards, Green had five receptions for 98 yards, and TaMerik Williams led the Bison rushing game with 11 carries for 52 yards. NDSU safety Cole Wisniewski made a game-high 11 tackles and Javier Derritt had two of NDSU’s three sacks. McDowell finished 16 of 30 passing for 160 yards for the Grizzlies, and Bergan made six catches for 59 yards plus a 47-yard punt return touchdown in the fourth quarter. It was the final game for NDSU head coach Matt Entz, who earlier in the week was announced as the new assistant head coach and linebackers coach at Southern California. Entz was 60-11 in five years as the Bison head coach.
———————————————————-
 
VIKINGS-BENGALS
 
CINCINNATI (AP) — Jake Browning led Cincinnati to three fourth-quarter touchdowns and directed the winning drive in overtime, and the Bengals beat the Minnesota Vikings 27-24 on Saturday to improve their position in the playoff race. Browning won his third straight start and improved to 3-1 since Joe Burrow suffered a season-ending right wrist injury. He threw for 184 yards and two touchdowns in the fourth quarter and overtime. Tee Higgins went high over a Vikings defender to catch a 16-yard pass from Browning for the tying touchdown with 39 seconds left in regulation. Nick Mullens, the fourth quarterback to start a game this season for the Vikings, was solid in defeat. He passed for 303 yards with two TDs but threw two interceptions. Minnesota (7-7) has lost three of four, the only win in that stretch a 3-0 decision at Las Vegas that led to Joshua Dobbs being benched in favor of Mullens, who had more success finding the Vikings’ playmakers. Jordan Addison had six catches for 111 yards and two TDs. Justin Jefferson had seven receptions for 84 yards in his first full game since returning from a hamstring injury. He suffered a chest injury in the Raiders game. Backup Ty Chandler had a career-high 132 rushing yards and a touchdown for Minnesota. Chandler got the start in place of Alexander Mattison, who has a sprained ankle. The Vikings host Detroit on Christmas Eve.
———————————————————–
 
WOLVES-PACERS
 
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Karl-Anthony Towns scored a season-high 40 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, Anthony Edwards added 37 points and the Minnesota Timberwolves pulled away in the second half to dominate the short-handed Indiana Pacers 127-109 on Saturday night. Naz Reid added 17 points and Kyle Anderson had 10 assists for Minnesota, now 11-1 at home and tied with Boston for the league’s best record at 19-5. Towns had his highest scoring total since a career-best 60 points March 14, 2022. Edwards finished one point shy of his season high. The pair combined for 54 of the Wolves’ first 75 points: 27 apiece. Minnesota shot a season-high 55.8% from the field, including a season-best 60% with a season-high 18 makes from outside the arc. The Timberwolves entered the game allowing a league-low 105.7 points. The Timberwolves play at Miami on Monday.
———————————————————-
 
WILD-CANUCKS
 
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Mats Zuccarello scored in the shootout and Filip Gustavsson made 35 saves as the Minnesota Wild beat the Vancouver Canucks 2-1 on Saturday. Frederick Gaudreau scored in regulation for Minnesota, which won its third in a row and second straight in a shootout after Thursday’s 3-2 win against Calgary. The Wild are now 7-2 under coach John Hynes. Since Hynes replaced Dean Evason on Nov. 28, Minnesota leads the NHL in allowing just 1.56 goals per game and has a league-leading .947 save percentage. Gustavsson is 6-1-0 with a 1.26 goals-against average and .954 save percentage in that span. The Wild were playing without injured captain Jared Spurgeon, who missed his second straight game with a lower-body injury, but Hynes said Spurgeon will travel with the team on the upcoming road trip. The Wild play at Pittsburgh on Monday.
 
 

Read more...

K-Heart Sports – 12/16/23

K-HEART SPORTS – SATURDAY – 12/16/23
 

MINOT, ND – We have a double-header of basketball on the air today at Garrison will host Velva. Girls play at 2 pm with boys to follow around 3:30 pm. Both games on 106.9 K-Heart, khrt.com, and through the LIVE 365 App.
 
Scores from Friday:
 
High School Boys Basketball
 
Class AA
#3 Minot High def. Bismarck High, 66-60
#4 Bismarck Century def. Williston, 89-57
Dickinson def. Minot North, 103-64
Bismarck Legacy def. Bismarck St. Mary’s, 62-52
Jamestown def. Mandan, 90-78
 
Class A
#4 Beulah def. Turtle Mountain, 76-50
Des Lacs-Burlington def. Standing Rock, 70-35
 
Class B
#7 Westhope-Newburg def. Kenmare-Bowbells, 85-57
Mohall-Lansford-Sherwood def. Powers Lake-Burke Central, 46-43
Center-Stanton def. Drake-Anamoose, 57-49
Ray def. Divide County, 77-32
White Shield def. Berthold, 46-32
Trenton def. Mandaree, 61-37
 
Our Redeemer’s Tournament
Pool Play
South Prairie-Max (Class A) def. Central McLean, 72-63
#4 Bishop Ryan def. Tioga, 76-27
 
CNDC Tournament
Consolation
Dunseith (Class A) def. Glenburn, 68-32
T-G-U def. St. John, 67-36
Semifinal
North Prairie def. Rugby (Class A), 57-45
New Rockford-Sheyenne def. Harvey-Wells County, 53-51
 

High School Girls Basketball
 
Class AA
#1 Minot High def. Bismarck High, 61-48
#4 Bismarck Century def. Williston, 78-30
#5 Bismarck Legacy def. Bismarck St. Mary’s, 58-46
Dickinson def. Minot North, 72-49
Mandan def. Jamestown, 65-39
 
Class A
Watford City def. Turtle Mountain, 59-48
Des Lacs-Burlington def. Standing Rock, 60-30
Nedrose def. Surrey (Class B), 57-35
 
Class B
#5 Central McLean def. Beulah (Class A), 68-12
#10 Trenton def. Mandaree, 62-26
Berthold JV def. White Shield, 63-28
Drake-Anamoose def. Center-Stanton, 46-25
 

High School Boys Hockey
Hazen-Beulah def. Bottineau-Rugby, 4-3 SO
Bismarck Century def. Jamestown, 6-5
 

High School Girls Hockey
Bismarck High-Legacy def. Williston, 3-2 OT
 

High School Girls Gymnastics
 
Mandan Invite
1. Dickinson, 145.900
2. Bismarck Century, 138.700
3. Minot High, 137.650
4. Mandan, 131.650
5. Grand Forks, 130.775
6. Bismarck Legacy, 118.500
7. Valley City, 114.900
8. Northwest Stars, 95.050
9. Breckenridge-Wahpeton, 85.300
10. Bismarck High, 62.175
 
All-Around winner: Elizabeth Karsky of Dickinson, 37.425
 

High School Boys Wrestling
Class A
Williston def. Jamestown, 57-12
Bismarck Legacy def. Turtle Mountain, 54-12
Bismarck High def. Mandan, 65-12
—————————————————
 
MINOTAUROS
 
MINOT, ND – The Minot Minotauros scored four times in the first period and went on to shutout North Iowa 5-0 on Friday night. Joel Lehtinen, Trevor Stachowiak, Adam Mahler, and Will Dawson lit the lamp in the first period and Lehtinen added another in the second period for the win. Brady James stopped all 15 shots he faced from the Bulls. The Tauros and Bulls play again tonight at 7:35 pm at Maysa Arena.
————————————————–
 
UND WOMENS BASKETBALL
 
GRAND FORKS, N.D. (UND) – The North Dakota women’s basketball team fell 75-68 to Mayville State Friday night in the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center. An early 7-0 run put the Fighting Hawks up by two points just three minutes into the game. However, after the lead changed hands two more times, the Comets scored 10 straight to take an 18-9 edge. A pair of free throws from Nevaeh Ferrara Horne closed out the first period with the Hawks trailing 22-14. The Hawks offense couldn’t find their rhythm in the opening period, as they were held to a .294 shooting percentage. Mayville State hit three triples and went five-for-five from the charity stripe in the opening quarter. Kacie Borowicz led the Hawks in scoring for the sixth time this season with 16 points and had a team high eight rebounds. She also tallied four steals and dished out a season high seven assists. Fatima Ibrahim had a career night with 12 points on 6-of-8 shooting in 15 minutes off the bench. Ibrahim matched her single-game high of five rebounds, with three off the offensive glass.
 
Mayville State led by as many as 10 points in the fourth quarter, but the Hawks began to chip away late at the Comet lead. Four straight points from Nevaeh Ferrara Horne capped a 7-0 run to pull NoDak within three points with 56 seconds remaining. However, the Hawks were unable to knock down a three-pointer in the final minute of play, while the Comets went 4-for-6 from the free throw line to close out the win. Ibrahim added a spark for the NoDak offense in the third quarter, scoring six points on 3-of-4 shooting. She pulled down five rebounds, including three of UND’s six offensive rebounds in the period. Mayville State, however, would outscore UND by two points in the third to take a 57-49 lead into the fourth quarter. Borowicz paced the Hawks in the second quarter, scoring seven points to bring her first half total up to 11 points on 5-of-8 shooting. A Ferrara Horne bucket started a seven-point swing in favor of the Hawks, cutting the Comet lead to 33-30 after a Borowicz three-pointer. The Comets answered with a triple of their own to close out the half with a 36-30 lead. North Dakota returns to the Betty next Thursday for a noon matchup with Drake.
——————————————————
 
NDSU FOOTBALL
 
FARGO, ND (NDSU) – North Dakota State returns to the semifinal round of the NCAA Division I Football Championship for the 12th time in 13 years this week when the Bison (11-3) play No. 2 seed Montana (12-1) at 3:30 p.m. Central Time today at Washington-Grizzly Stadium in Missoula, Mont. The game will be televised on ESPN2. This is the 11th meeting between North Dakota State and Montana dating back to 1914. NDSU leads the series 6-4 including a 3-1 edge as Division I opponents since 2014. This is NDSU’s first trip to Missoula since a 38-35 loss in the 2015 FCS Kickoff, one of only four non-conference losses by the Bison since 2011. The winner of today’s game will face defending champ South Dakota State in the the FCS Championship in Frisco, Texas. The Jacks shutout Albany 59-0 last night in the first semifinal.
 
 
 

Read more...

K-Heart Sports – 12/14/23

K-HEART SPORTS – THURSDAY – 12/14/23
 

MINOT, ND – Minot High remains ranked in both Class AA high school basketball polls this week. The polls are voted on by the North Dakota Associated Press Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association (NDAPSSA).
 
Class AA Girls Basketball Poll
 
Team (1st Place Votes)    Record    Polling Points    Last Week
1. Minot High (16)               4-0               80              1
2. Fargo Davies                  3-0               53               2
3. Grand Forks Red River   2-1               43              3
4. Bismarck Century           4-0                32              5
5. Bismarck Legacy            3-0                25              4
 
Others receiving votes: Dickinson (4-0), West Fargo Horace (2-0)
 
 
Class AA Boys Basketball Poll
 
Team (1st Place Votes)  Record    Polling Points    Last Week
1. Fargo North (13)            4-0               76              1
2. Fargo Davies (2)            3-0               57              2
3. Minot High (1)                4-0               52              3
4. Bismarck Century          5-0               35              4
5. Grand Forks Central      4-0               14             RV
 
Other receiving votes: Mandan (1-1), West Fargo Sheyenne (2-2), Bismarck Legacy (2-1), Dickinson (3-1)
—————————————————-
 
MSU MENS HOCKEY
 
MINOT, N.D. (MSU) – It was about as what you would expect in a rivalry matchup, as Maysa Arena was the site for a highly contested battle between Minot State and University of Mary. The Beavers took on the Marauders for the third time this season and came out victorious. After jumping up to No. 1 in the rankings earlier today, the Beavers (17-4-0) and 7th-ranked Marauders (14-5-0) were locked in for a good one on the ice. Both teams had a chance to win in a tight, low-scoring game. Minot State scored the all-important first goal of the game in period one. Mary tied it in the middle frame, setting up for a crucial third period of regulation. The Beavers would waste no time in grabbing the go-ahead goal, and close things out in crunch time with an empty netter to seal the deal.
 
There was little action for the first 19 minutes of the first, until Minot State got the ice breaker with just 22 seconds left to go in the period. After Mary evened the score in the second, the Beavers made it count on the power play just 43 seconds into the third. They held on for the 2-1 lead until the Beavers picked up the dagger on an open net with 14 seconds remaining in the final period of play. Both teams will meet again in the new year for a matchup on January 10, 2024, in Minot. Sheldin Howard had himself a night, scoring two goals for the Beavers including the empty netter. Reid Arnold continues to light the lamp for Minot State with his 13th goal of the season. That one ended up being the power play marker early in the third period. Christian Kadolph carried on with his stellar play from the back end, as he registered a two-assist performance. Joey Moffatt and Josh Pederson also picked up helpers in the win. Jake Anthony did his part as starting goaltender for the Beavers, with 21 saves on 22 shots from Mary. The Beavers were able to finish the rivalry game strong and close it out with the win. It is their third victory over Mary this season, and eighth all-time against the Marauders.
 

Read more...

K-Heart Sports – 12/13/23

K-HEART SPORTS – WEDNESDAY – 12/13/23
 

MINOT, ND – Tuesday’s scoreboard:
 
High School Boys Basketball
 
Class AA
#3 Minot High def. Bismarck St. Mary’s, 87-39
#4 Bismarck Century def. Jamestown, 83-59
Mandan def. Bismarck High, 74-72
Dickinson def. Williston, 84-62
 
Class A
Des Lacs-Burlington def. Watford City, 76-35
Stanley def. Killdeer, 56-45
New Town def. South Heart (Class B), 56-44
Hazen def. Turtle Mountain, 74-71
 
Class B
Surrey def. Nedrose (Class A), 70-59
Mohall-Lansford-Sherwood def. Kenmare-Bowbells, 61-59
Berthold def. Drake-Anamoose, 53-51
Powers Lake-Burke Central def. Glenburn, 70-30
Alexander def. Divide County, 67-28
White Shield def. Trenton, 44-38
Harvey-Wells County def. Benson County, 53-48
 
Our Redeemer’s Tournament
Pool Play
#4 Bishop Ryan def. South Prairie-Max JV, 80-30
South Prairie-Max def. Our Redeemer’s, 75-69
 

High School Girls Basketball
 
Class AA
#1 Minot High def. Bismarck St. Mary’s, 88-37 (Presley Bennett sets school record for made 3’s in a game with 9)
#5 Bismarck Century def. Jamestown, 65-41
Bismarck High def. Mandan, 65-62
Dickinson def. Williston, 77-52
 
Class A
#3 South Prairie-Max def. Hazen, 58-31
Des Lacs-Burlington def. Watford City, 45-36
Turtle Mountain def. Beulah, 59-36
 
Class B
#10 Trenton def. White Shield, 77-26
T-G-U def. North Prairie, 70-45
St. John def. New Rockford-Sheyenne, 57-49
Washburn def. Velva, 54-35
Drake-Anamoose def. North Shore-Plaza, 61-23
Tioga def. Ray, 62-22
 

High School Boys Hockey
Minot High def. Devils Lake, 2-1 (Mackley Morelli scores the Shootout winner)
Hazen-Beulah def. Watford City, 9-2
Bismarck Legacy def. Bismarck High, 10-1
Bismarck Century def. Mandan, 4-1
 

High School Girls Hockey
Mandan def. Bismarck Century, 3-2
Bismarck High-Legacy def. Dickinson, 4-2
——————————————————-
 
UND MENS BASKETBALL
 
GRAND FORKS, N.D. (UND) – The North Dakota men’s basketball team got back in the win column on Tuesday night with an 87-36 win over Waldorf at the Betty. Brian Mathews played a season high 20 minutes and led the team with 14 points. Treysen Eaglestaff also reached double figures with 13, B.J. Omot poured in 11, and Amar Kuljuhovic scored ten. Kuljuhovic also led the team with six rebounds, while Mambourou Mara and Eli King tied for the team lead with three assists and King led with four steals. NoDak scored the first 11 points of the game and never looked back. King scored the first bucket of the game and the Fighting Hawks ensured the game was never in doubt. In the first half the Fighting Hawks limited the Warriors to 16.7% shooting from the floor (5-30) while shooting over 50% (16-28). The green and white led 40-11 at intermission. In the second half, the green and white shot over 50% again (54.5%) going 18-33 from the floor and hitting five three pointers—for a total of ten treys on the night. North Dakota will go on the road for two games—taking on Utah Tech Saturday night and then traveling to Nebraska for a showdown with the Cornhuskers on Dec. 20. The next home game will be Dec. 29 in the first Summit League game of the season, taking on St. Thomas.
——————————————————
 
NDSU FOOTBALL
 
FARGO, ND – The Associated Press FCS All-America team announced Tuesday and two NDSU Bison were honored. Cole Wisniewski was named to the first team defense. Jake Kubas was named to the third team offense. North Dakota State returns to the semifinal round of the NCAA Division I Football Championship for the 12th time in 13 years this week when the Bison (11-3) travel to play No. 2 seed Montana (12-1) at 3:30 p.m. Central Time on Saturday at Washington-Grizzly Stadium in Missoula, Mont. Saturday’s game will be televised on ESPN2.
—————————————————–
 
VIKINGS-QUARTERBACK
 
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – In this unsettled season for the Minnesota Vikings, Nick Mullens is next up at quarterback. Coach Kevin O’Connell announced Tuesday that Mullens will start Saturday at Cincinnati after relieving an ineffective Joshua Dobbs last week and helping lead the Vikings to a 3-0 victory at Las Vegas. Mullens is the fourth different starter for the Vikings. They’ve never used that many in the same season before in franchise history. Dobbs arrived in an emergency trade with Arizona after Kirk Cousins tore his Achilles tendon. Rookie Jaren Hall got the first start in place of Cousins and suffered a concussion early in that game at Atlanta when Dobbs rallied the Vikings to victory. Mullens has 17 career starts in the NFL, including eight each in the 2018 and 2020 seasons with San Francisco as an injury fill-in for Jimmy Garoppolo.
 
 

Read more...

K-Heart Sports – 12/12/23

K-HEART SPORTS – TUESDAY – 12/12/23
 

MINOT, ND – The same teams remain #1 in this weeks Class A and Class B basketball polls. The polls are voted on by the North Dakota Associated Press Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association (NDAPSSA).
 
Class A Girls Basketball Poll
 
Team (1st Place Votes) Record    Polling Points    Last Week
1. Thompson (19)             3-0              90                   1
2. Northern Cass              3-0               66                   2
3. South Prairie-Max         4-1              43                   4
4. Bottineau                       3-1              35                  RV
5. Central Cass                 1-0              13                  RV
 
Others receiving votes: Watford City (1-1), Kindred (2-0), Devils Lake (1-1), Turtle Mountain (3-1), Shiloh Christian (2-0)
 

Class A Boys Basketball Poll
 
Team (1st Place Votes)          Record    Polling Points    Last Week
1. Devils Lake (15)                    1-0               86                1
2. Four Winds-MInnwaukan (2) 0-0               67                2
3. Kindred (1)                             0-0               55                3
4. Beulah                                    0-0               22              T4
5. Central Cass                          0-0               20              T4
 
Others receiving votes: Shiloh Christian (0-0), Grafton (1-0), Turtle Mountain (1-0), Thompson (0-0)
 

Class B Girls Basketball Poll
 
Team (1st Place Votes)                      Record    Polling Points    Last Week
1. Langdon Area-Edmore-Munich (13) 4-0               172               1
2. Bowman County (3)                          3-0               154               2
3. May-Port-CG (2)                               4-0               146               3
4. Sargent County                                 4-0               128               4
5. Central McLean                                 3-0               117               5
6. Hatton-Northwood                             3-0                 87               6
7. Edgeley-Kulm-Montpelier                  2-1                 56               7
8. Garrison                                             3-0                28              RV
9. Maple River                                       4-1                 27              10
10. Trenton                                            4-0                 22              RV
 
Other receiving votes: Grant County-Mott-Regent (4-1), Kenmare-Bowbells (3-2), T-G-U (3-1), Our Redeemer’s (1-1), LaMoure-Litchville-Marion (3-1), Linton-HMB (3-1)
 

Class B Boys Basketball Poll
 
Team (1st Place Votes)                Record    Polling Points     Last Week
1. Bowman County (12)                   0-0              174                    1
2. North Star (4)                               1-0              158                    2
3. Sargent County (2)                       0-0              140                    3
4. Bishop Ryan                                 1-0              111                    4
5. Edgeley-Kulm-Montpelier             0-0              104                    5
6. Linton-HMB                                  1-0                86                   T6
7. Westhhope-Newburg                    1-0                85                   T6
8. Flasher                                          0-0                52                   9
9. Langdon Area-Edmore-Munich     0-0                31                  10
10. Hankinson                                   1-0                21                  RV
 
Other receiving votes: South Border (1-0), May-Port-CG (0-1), Washburn (1-0), Garrison (1-0)
—————————————————-
 
MINOT, ND – The Our Redeemer’s Tournament began Mondau with pool play.
 
High School Boys Basketball
Class B
 
Our Redeemer’s Tournament
Our Redeemer’s def. Central McLean, 66-42
Tioga def. South Prairie-Max JV, 59-34
 

High School Girls Basketball
Class B
Kenmare-Bowbells def. Mohall-Lansford-Sherwood, 47-32
Glenburn def. Ray, 48-23
Powers Lake-Burke Central def. Parshall, 65-45
—————————————————
 
WOLVES-PELICANS
 
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Zion Williamson’s road to redemption for his tepid showing in the NBA In-Season Tournament semifinals began against a team with the league’s best record. He rose to the challenge, to say the least. Williamson scored a season-high 36 points, CJ McCollum added nine of his 23 points in the fourth quarter on three timely 3-pointers, and the New Orleans Pelicans beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 121-107 on Monday night. The Wolves played without leading scorer Anthony Edwards, who left Friday night’s win at Memphis with a right hip pointer. Karl-Anthony Towns led the Timberwolves with 17 points and 12 rebounds, but he fouled out with 2:35 left and his team trailing by 14. Mike Conley and Naz Reid each scored 17 points for Minnesota, which had won nine of its previous 10 games. The Timberwolves visit Dallas on Thursday night.
 
 

Read more...

K-Heart Sports – 12/11/23

K-HEART SPORTS – MONDAY – 12/11/23
 

CHADRON, Neb. (MSU) – Minot State’s Bella Hernandez won a pair of matches by pin, leading the way for the Beavers who also got a pair of victories each from Haleigh Lematta and Michelle Klein in two duals hosted by Chadron State on Sunday. Despite the perfect performance by the Beaver trio, Minot State fell 20-16 to Adams State (Colo.) and lost 29-19 to Chadron State. Hernandez won by pin in 2 minutes, 35 seconds at 130 pounds over Brianna Johnson of Adams State to start her day, then added a win by pin in 1:24 over Shania Wear of Chadron State. As for Lematta, she started her day with a 14-4 tech fall victory over Marisa Rimbert of Adams State at 143 pounds, then won an 8-2 decision over Karstin Hollen of Chadron State. As for Klein, after picking up a forfeit victory at 170 pounds against Adams State, she added a win by pin in 2:30 over Hattie Baldwin of Chadron State. The Beavers (4-5 duals) also got a win by injury default from Julia Petryna in her 116-pound match against Chadron State, and Skye Shelmerdine added a win by pin in 1:45 in an extra match over Cassandra Witte of Chadron State. The pair of duals were the final two matches of the pre-Christmas schedule for Minot State which returns to action on January 7 competing in the Hastings Open tournament.
————————————————–
 
NDSU WOMENS BASKETBALL
 
AMES, Iowa (NDSU) – Three Bison reached double figures in scoring as the North Dakota State women’s basketball team fell short at Iowa State, 89-59, on Sunday night in front of 9,808 fans at James H. Hilton Coliseum. Heaven Hamling recorded a game-high 18 points after delivering four triples on five attempts. The Grand Rapids, Minn., native also distributed a season-high six assists with three rebounds and two steals. Elle Evans added 10 points with a team-best six rebounds, while Abby Schulte added 10 points of her own to round out the top performers. As a team, the Bison (4-6) shot 30.8 percent (20-65) from the field and 90.9 percent (10-11) from the free throw line. NDSU also connected on nine triples on 26 attempts after knocking down six in the second half.
 
Iowa State (5-4) got off to a quick start with 10 straight points in the opening frame to grab a 17-6 advantage after Audi Crooks connected on a jumper to make the score 17-6 at the 4:37 mark. NDSU fought its way back in the second quarter after Avery Koenen and Hamling each knocked down jumpers to pull the Bison back within one, 21-20, with 8:29 to play in the half. Iowa State responded to finish the quarter with nine unanswered points to stretch its lead to 42-27 at the intermission. The Cyclones then used a momentum-shifting 8-0 run in the third quarter to stretch their lead to 50-30 following a layup from Addy Brown with 5:51 on the clock. NDSU was unable to trim the deficit down any further over the final quarter of play and went on to drop the contest, 89-59. NDSU will be back in action hosting Central Michigan on Wednesday, Dec. 20. Tip-off is set for 7:00 p.m., at Scheels Center.
————————————————–
 
NDSU MENS BASKETBALL
 
FARGO, N.D. (NDSU) – The North Dakota State men’s basketball team defeated Oak Hills Christian, 108-14, on Sunday afternoon inside the Scheels Center. NDSU (7-4 overall) made 15 three-pointers in the game and shot 60 percent overall. Sophomore Lance Waddles led the Bison with 19 points, eight rebounds, five assists and five steals. Junior Jeremiah Burke had 15 points and eight rebounds for NDSU. All 12 Bison who played scored at least two points. Damari Wheeler-Thomas finished with 15 points and four assists, and Sam Hastreiter put up eight points and eight boards. The Bison will play next at Illinois State on Dec. 17.
—————————————————-
 
NDSU FOOTBALL-ENTZ LEAVING
 
FARGO, N.D. (NDSU) – North Dakota State head football coach Matt Entz announced Sunday that he will resign to accept a coaching position with another Division I university playing at the FBS level. Entz will continue coaching the Bison through the FCS playoffs. NDSU (11-3) is scheduled to play at Montana in the NCAA FCS semifinals on Saturday. A search will begin immediately for NDSU’s next head football coach. Entz, who joined the Bison program in 2014 as defensive coordinator, has a 60-10 record as head coach for five seasons from 2019 through 2023. Entz has been part of six FCS national championships at NDSU, including two as head coach in 2019 and 2021. He was selected FCS National Coach of the Year by the American Football Coaches Association both of those years.
—————————————————–
 
VIKINGS-RAIDERS
 
LAS VEGAS (AP) — The brand of football Minnesota and Las Vegas played on Sunday set the NFL back 16 years. Only Greg Joseph’s 36-yard field goal with 1:57 left that gave the Vikings a 3-0 victory over the Raiders prevented the teams from setting the league back 80 years. It was the first 3-0 game since Pittsburgh beat Miami on Nov. 26, 2007, the third in the past 40 years and the seventh in the Super Bowl era. The last game that ended regulation scoreless was a 0-0 tie between the New York Giants and Detroit Lions on Nov. 7, 1943. The Vikings (7-6) had just 230 total yards, and the Raiders (5-8) — losers of three in a row — were limited to 201 yards and nine first downs. Minnesota beat an AFC West opponent for the first time this season after going 0-3. Nick Mullens relieved an ineffective Joshua Dobbs at quarterback in the fourth quarter and led the Vikings on their lone scoring drive. His 22-yard completion to Jordan Addison to the Raiders 20 set up Joseph’s kick. Dobbs was 10 of 23 for 63 yards; Mullens completed 9 of 13 passes for 83 yards. The Vikings lost wide receiver Justin Jefferson, the 2022 AP Offensive Player of the Year, in the second quarter to a chest injury. He was taken to a hospital, but O’Connell said the early prognosis was promising. This was Jefferson’s first game back after missing the previous seven because of a hamstring injury. The Vikings play at Cincinnati on Saturday.
—————————————————–
 
WILD-KRACKEN
 
SEATTLE (AP) — Filip Gustavsson stopped 24 shots for his second shutout of the season, and the Minnesota Wild beat Seattle 3-0 Sunday night to hand the Kraken their eighth straight loss. Matt Boldy, Marco Rossi and Joel Eriksson Ek scored for Minnesota, which improved to 5-2-0 since John Hynes replaced the fired Dean Evason as coach on Nov. 27. Gustavsson got his fifth career shutout. Joey Daccord finished with 23 saves for the Kraken, who have been blanked twice during the second-longest losing streak in franchise history. They are one away from matching the franchise record set December 2021 to January 2022 during their inaugural season. The Wild host Calgary on Thursday night.
 
 
 

Read more...

K-Heart Sports – 12/10/23

K-HEART SPORTS – SUNDAY – 12/10/23
 

MINOT, ND – Braylon Fisher tallied 19 points and DLB led by as many as 39 as the Lakers defeated Velva 70-34 in a game we broadcast on K-Heart. Jace Crockett and Levon Duchaine each added 11 points as Des Lacs-Burlington starts the season at 1-0. The Aggies were led by Reggie Bruner with 12 and Mason McPeak with 11.
Other scores:
 
High School Boys Basketball
 
Class AA
#4 Bismarck Century def. Thunder Basin WY, 64-46
Dickinson def. Fargo South, 88-83
 
Class A
Des Lacs-Burlington def. Velva (Class B), 70-34
South Prairie-Max def. Kenmare-Bowbells (Class B), 68-48
 
Class B
#4 Bishop Ryan def. Powers Lake-Burke Central, 84-62
#6 Westhope-Newburg def. Tioga, 79-30
Washburn def. Parshall-North Shore/Plaza, 75-46
Williston Trinity Christian def. Trenton, 87-50
 

High School Girls Basketball
 
Class AA
#3 Grand Forks Red River def. Bismarck High, 59-43
#5 Bismarck Century def. Thunder Basin WY, 61-36
Bismarck St. Mary’s def. Grand Forks Central, 77-42
Dickinson def. Fargo South, 60-48
 
Class A
Turtle Mountain def. Minot North, 69-47
Hazen def. Rugby, 46-36
 
Class B
#9 Kenmare-Bowbells def. Velva, 44-27
Powers Lake-Burke Central def. Bishop Ryan, 48-41
Garrison def. New England, 64-29
Tioga def. Westhope-Newburg, 62-43
 
Nedrose Tournament
5th Place
Berthold def. North Shore-Plaza, 53-27
3rd Place
Our Redeemer’s def. North Prairie, 56-46
Championship
Nedrose (Class A) def. Surrey, 53-43
 
Stutsman County Shootout – Jamestown
T-G-U def. Napoleon-Gackle-Streeter, 64-35
Washburn def. Medina-Pingree-Buchanan, 40-27
 

High School Boys Hockey
Minot High def. Dickinson, 3-1
 

High School Girls Hockey
Fargo Davies def. Minot High, 3-2
Devils Lake def. Dickinson, 7-0
West Fargo United def. Bismarck High-Legacy, 4-1
Fargo North-South def. Bismarck Century, 3-2 OT
Jamestown def. Williston, 1-0
Mandan def. Grand Forks, 2-0
 

High School Boys Wrestling
Al Carlson Invite – Carrington
1. Lisbon, 212.5
2. Minot, 204.0
3. Carrington, 158.0
4. Central Cass, 135.5
5. New Salem-Almont, 115.0
6. Bishop Ryan, 91.5
7. Pembina County Nort, 90.5
8. Napoleon, 65.0
9. Grafton, 37.5
 

High School Girls Wrestling
Al Carlson Invite – Carrington
1, Central Cas, 169.0
2. Carrington, 151.0
3. Pembina County North, 122.5
4. South Border, 118.5
5. Lisbon, 90.0
6. New Salem – Almont, 49.0
7. Grafton, 44.0
8. Rugby, 36.0
9. Napoleon-Gackle-Streeter, 35.5
10. Kenmare-Bowbells-Burke Central, 26.0
——————————————————-
 
MSU MENS BASKETBALL
 
MINOT, ND (MSU) – The Minot State men’s basketball team got a 27-point performance from the bench on the way to an 88-65 victory over the Mary Marauders at home Saturday in NSIC play. The Beavers (7-2 overall, 3-1 NSIC) had four players score in double figures, led by Khari Broadway, who had 23 points. Caleb Van De Griend tacked on a double-double from the bench with 17 points and 11 rebounds and Ben Bohl chipped in as well with 15 points. The Minot State offense made hay from deep, pouring in 10 threes on 22 attempts. Broadway hit three treys for the Beavers in the contest. After jumping out to a 44-30 advantage, Minot State went on an 8-0 run with 2:09 left in the first half, culminating in a bucket from Broadway, to increase its lead to 52-30, a score that would hold until halftime. Minot State did most of its first-half damage in the paint, scoring 30 of its 52 points close to the basket. Minot State kept its lead intact before going on an 8-0 run, finished off by Kameron Givens’ layup, to grow the lead to 73-44 with 11:54 to go in the contest. The Marauders narrowed the margin somewhat before the game was over, but the Beavers still cruised the rest of the way for the 88-65 win. Minot State shot well from three-point range in the half, hitting six shots from deep to score 18 of its 36 points.
——————————————————-
 
MSU WOMENS BASKETBALL
MINOT, ND (MSU) – In spite of a 61.5 percent shooting effort from beyond the 3-point arc, the Minot State women’s basketball team fell to the Mary Marauders 75-67 at home Saturday in NSIC action. The Beavers (3-9 overall, 1-3 NSIC) had four players score in double figures, led by Taylor Goss, who had 14 points and two steals. Emily Srejma tacked on 12 points off the bench and Maya Aguilar helped out with 10 points from the bench. The Minot State offense was strong from beyond the arc, making eight threes on 13 attempts. Goss hit three treys for the Beavers in the contest. Minot State forced 15 Mary turnovers while committing 14 themselves in Saturday’s game. The Beavers turned those takeaways into 16 points on the offensive end of the floor. Goss’ two steals led the way for Minot State.
 
After falling behind 20-12, Minot State went on an 8-0 run with 2:11 left in the first quarter, culminating in a three from Ashley Wacha, to tie the game at 20, a score that would hold for the rest of the period. Minot State relied on its three-point shooting in the period, knocking down four shots to account for 12 of its 20 points. Mary then took a 30-24 lead before Minot State responding by going on a 6-0 run, highlighted by a bucket from Goss, to tie the game at 30. Neither team was able to gain an edge by halftime, as the two squads entered the break tied at 32-32. Minot State dominated in the paint, scoring eight of its 12 points close to the basket. After intermission, Mary snatched a 43-35 lead before Minot State answered back by going on a 5-0 run, punctuated by a basket from Lorelei McIver, to trim its deficit to 43-40 with 6:12 to go in the third. Mary countered and stretched its lead to 59-48 heading into the fourth. Minot State took advantage of two Mary turnovers in the quarter, scoring four points off of takeaways. Mary kept widening its lead in the fourth, constructing a 69-56 advantage before Minot State went on a 5-0 run, finished off by Goss’ three, to shrink the deficit to 69-61 with 2:43 to go in the contest. The Beavers were unable to cut further into the deficit by the end of the game, losing 75-67. Minot State got a boost from its bench in the period, with non-starters scoring six of its 19 total points.
——————————————————
 
MSU WOMENS HOCKEY
 
JAMESTOWN, N.D. (MSU) – Morgan Baker turned aside 27 shots for the Beavers, leading the way as Minot State blanked in-state rival Jamestown 2-0 on Saturday to wrap up the pre-Christmas portion of its schedule. The shutout was the second this season for Baker who made 23 saves in a 4-0 win over Jamestown back on November 19th. Baker got help offensively from teammates Makenna Beard and Krissy Rink who each scored a goal midway through the third period. Scoreless heading into the final stanza, Beard broke the tie with 7 minutes, 23 seconds gone in the third, finishing off an assist from Grace Perry for the game-winner. Rink then added a bit of insurance with an unassisted goal with 5:11 left, sealing the Beavers win. No. 8 Minot State now is off for a month before returning to the ice in January when the Beavers will host Jamestown on January 13 and 14.
—————————————————–
 
MSU MENS WRESTLING
 
MINOT, N.D. (MSU) – Minot State’s Brendan Barnes provided the biggest highlight of the night for a second weekend in a row, this time with a pin. The 20th-ranked Barnes, who last weekend upset then-No. 3 Anthony Herrera from St. Cloud State, earned another upset win, this time over No. 5 Braydon Huber in their 165-pound match by pin with 27 seconds left, one of three wins for the Beavers in a 29-12 non-conference loss to the visiting University of Mary Marauders. No. 13-ranked Jake Swirple added another thrilling victory, his coming in the overtime tiebreaker 2-1 over No. 11 Luke Tweeton in their heavyweight bout as Swirple earned one point for an escape in the first tie-breaker session for the margin of victory. The final W of the day for Minot State (3-2 duals, 1-1 NSIC) went to Kasius Graham at 149 pounds as he won a 14-10 decision over Kaden Renner. The dual wrapped up the pre-Christmas portion of the Beavers schedule. Minot State will be off for nearly a month before returning to the mats in Colorado, competing at the Western Colorado Open on January 5 and the Tracy Borah Duals hosted by Western Colorado on January 6.
—————————————————–
 
MINOTAUROS HOCKEY
 
MINOT, ND (NAHL) – The Minot Minotauros widened their lead atop the Central Division as they picked up a weekend road sweep of the Bruins thanks to a 4-2 win on Saturday. The Minotauros jumped out to a 3-0 lead through two periods thanks to goals from Colby Bear, John Emmons, and Colby Woogk. In the 3rd period, the Bruins mounted a comeback thanks to a goals from Damon Furuseth and Jackson Rilei, but a goal later in the period from Jack O’Hanisain provided a 4-2 cushion and win. James Norton made 29 saves in the win.
—————————————————-
 
UND HOCKEY
 
GRAND FORKS, N.D. (UND) – While the calendar said Saturday, it sure felt like a replay of Friday night as Colorado College defeated No. 1 North Dakota, 3-2, in overtime for the second straight game at Ralph Engelstad Arena in Grand Forks. Gleb Veremyev raced to a puck and tucked a backhander home over goaltender Ludvig Persson at 2:54 of the extra session to give Colorado College (9-6-1, 4-4-0 NCHC) its first sweep over North Dakota (12-5-1, 5-3-0 NCHC) since 1993 and a total of four out of six possible points in the NCHC standings. The loss marks the third straight for the Fighting Hawks, all coming by the same 3-2 score in overtime, and the first three-game losing streak since Jan. 2022. NoDak heads into the holiday break in second place in the NCHC standings with 18 points and without a regulation loss since Nov. 3 at Boston University.
 
Opposite of last night, it was CC who got on the board early in the finale, as Logan Will collected a bouncing puck in the slot and wired home his fourth goal of the season to give the Tigers a 1-0 lead just 1:51 into the contest. The remainder of the opening period was a bit sleepy for both sides, but NoDak started to generate some momentum as the middle stanza wore on. Jackson Kunz finally broke through to tie the game with a deflection on a one-time shot from Cameron Berg on the power play to level the contest at 1-1 in the second period. The deadlock lasted for only 10 seconds, however, as Will struck again on another broken play as he slipped the puck through Persson for his second tally of the night to restore the CC lead with 6:58 to play in the stanza. UND looked to be heading into the third period trailing by a goal, but Garrett Pyke snapped a shot through a multitude of bodies and passed a screened Kaidan Mbereko at 18:01 of the second to send both teams into the locker room tied at 2-2. While it wasn’t as dominant of a third period as Friday, North Dakota still generated some quality chances in the final 20 minutes of regulation, including a blast by Jake Livanavage that was nearly deflected home, but the game went into 3-on-3 overtime for the second straight night. In the extra session, NoDak nearly won the game just over a minute in on a Louis Jamernik V breakaway attempt, but Mbereko got his stick on the puck before the senior could get the puck to his backhand to prevent the scoring chance. Moments later, Veremyev won a race to a loose puck in the neutral zone and finished off the breakaway to give CC the 3-2 victory at 2:54 of overtime. North Dakota will enjoy a break before returning to action on Dec. 30 with an exhibition contest vs. the U.S. Under-18 Team from Ralph Engelstad Arena.
————————————————
 
UND MENS BASKETBALL
 
GRAND FORKS, N.D. (UND) – The North Dakota men’s basketball team suffered its first home loss of the 2023-24 season Saturday, dropping an 83-72 decision to Portland at the Betty. Tsotne Tsartsidze led the Fighting Hawks with 18 points, and was joined in double-figures by B.J. Omot with 17, Treysen Eaglestaff with 15 and Amar Kuljuhovic with 11. Eli King and Elijah Brooks tied for the team lead with seven rebounds while Omot led with five assists. Portland came out with the hot hand as they scored the first eight points of the game, but the Fighting Hawks wasted no time answering—scoring the next eight points. Tsartsidze got UND on the board with a triple, followed by a jumper from Omot and a three from Kuljuhovic. Portland answered with the next eight and held the lead through the middle of the first half, until 7:05 when Brooks completed an and-one to knot the game up at 27. Kuljuhovic put UND on top for the first time by going 2-2 from the foul line and made the score 29-27. The tail end of the first half was back-and-forth with the hosts leading 36-33 at the intermission. The Fighting Hawks held the early lead in the second half, keeping the Pilots at bay. At the 17:07 mark Portland tied it up at 41, but UND got right back on top. Over the next few minutes the teams seesawed back-and-forth giving and taking the lead, and tied at 49 Kuljuhovic hit a jumper to put the green and white up by two, but it was the final lead of the game for NoDak as Portland hit a three and didn’t trail the rest of the way. The Fighting Hawks got within one on two occasions, the latest being at the 4:27 mark of the second half. North Dakota will be back at the Betty on Tuesday night hosting Waldorf College, with a 7 p.m. opening tip.
————————————————–
 
NDSU FOOTBALL
 
VERMILLION, S.D. (NDSU) – North Dakota State scored five first-half touchdowns and forced three turnovers in a 45-17 rout of No. 3 seed South Dakota in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Division I Football Championship on Saturday, Dec. 9, before a crowd of 9,141 at the DakotaDome. NDSU quarterback Cam Miller went 13-for-15 passing for 210 yards with one touchdown and added a rushing touchdown for the Bison (11-3), who converted 8 of 11 third-down opportunities and controlled the ball for more than 36 minutes. Eli Green had his first 100-yard receiving game for NDSU making five receptions for 116 yards and five first downs, including plays of 31 and 48 yards on two separate NDSU scoring drives as the Bison built a 35-3 halftime lead.
 
It was a reversal of the teams’ regular-season meeting in September, which saw USD take a 21-3 halftime lead. NDSU won the coin toss, took the opening kickoff and marched 75 yards in 10 plays capped by Miller’s 9-yard TD run to take an early lead. USD (10-3) quickly moved into the red zone with passing plays of 38 and 16 yards before three incompletions forced the Coyotes to settle for a field goal. NDSU extended its lead on a 43-yard touchdown run by quarterback Cole Payton, then got a three-and-out on defense before Jayden Price scored on an 82-yard punt return to go ahead 21-3. It was the eighth longest punt return in school history and gave Price sole possession of the NDSU career record with five punt return TDs. Bison safety Sam Jung made a team-high six tackles and snared his third interception in the past four games, and linebacker Luke Weerts made six tackles plus a pass deflection that led to one of safety Cole Wisniewski’s two interceptions. Wisniewski tied the NDSU single-season record of eight interceptions set in 1953 by Frank Esposito. The Bison lead the FCS with 21 interceptions this season.
 
North Dakota State advances to the NCAA FCS semifinals to play No. 2 seed Montana (12-1), which held off No. 7 Furman for a 35-28 overtime win in a Friday night quarterfinal. Game time between the Bison and Grizzlies is set for 2:30 p.m. MT on Saturday, Dec. 16, at Washington-Grizzly Stadium in Missoula, Mont., with national television coverage on ESPN2.
 

Read more...

K-Heart Sports – 12/09/23

K-HEART SPORTS – SATURDAY – 12/09/23

MINOT, ND – Friday’s scores from the area:
 
High School Girls Basketball
 
Class AA
#2 Fargo Davies def. Bismarck High, 67-51
#4 Bismarck Legacy def. Moorhead MN, 64-28
#5 Bismarck Century def. Campbell County WY, 55-37
West Fargo Horace def. Bismarck St. Mary’s, 65-55
Williston def. Fargo South, 65-58
Dickinson def. Grand Forks Central, 54-48
Jamestown def. West Fargo, 69-59
 
Class B
Nedrose Tournament
Surrey def. North Prairie, 61-50
 

High School Boys Basketball
 
Class AA
#2 Fargo Davies def. Bismarck High, 102-75
#4 Bismarck Century def. Campbell County WY, 70-48
Grand Forks Central def. Dickinson, 76-66
Fargo South def. Williston, 84-59
West Fargo Horace def. Bismarck Century, 60-56
Bismarck Legacy def. Moorhead MN, 80-73
West Fargo def. Jamestown, 93-88
 
Class A
#1 Devils Lake def. Bottineau, 85-47
Turtle Mountain def. Minot North, 58-51
 
Class B
T-G-U def. North Prairie, 60-48
 

High School Girls Hockey
Jamestown def. Minot High, 1-0
Grand Forks def. Dickinson, 3-0
Mandan def. Devils Lake, 6-2
Fargo North-South def. Bismarck High-Legacy, 6-1
Fargo Davies def. Williston, 3-2 OT
West Fargo United def. Bismarck Century, 7-0
 
 
High School Girls Gymnastics
Bismarck Invite
1. Dickinson, 147.625
2. Minot High, 135.125
3. Bismarck Century, 134.650
4. Bismarck Legacy, 123.000
5. Fargo, 110.925
6. Northwest Stars, 87.100
7. Bismarck High, 86.000
 
All-Around Winner: Elizabeth Karsky of Dickinson, 37.600
 

High School Boys Swimming & Diving
Minot High def. Mandan, 136-49
 

High School Boys Wrestling
Kenmare Invitational
1. Northern Lights, 161
2. Kenmare-Bowbells-Burke Central, 156.5
3. Stanley, 138
4. Rugby, 73
5. Velva, 42.5
6. New Town, 24
——————————————————–
 
MSU MENS HOCKEY
 
MINOT, N.D. (MSU) – Minot State men’s hockey picked up right where they left off to put on another excellent showing for the hometown fans. The Beavers took on Midland in the second game of another back-to-back and came out victorious once more. Just like last night, the No. 2 Beavers (16-4-0) took control of the game and never looked back as they completed the series sweep with a 7-1 win over Midland University (9-12-1). Minot State immediately went to work, sparing hardly any time before the first goal came around. The Beavers would open the game with seven unanswered goals, including four in the first period and three in the second. Midland picked up one goal themselves on a perfect shot, but the damage was already done, and Minot State put all doubts to rest quickly.
 
The Beavers scored as early as 13 seconds into the match. Not even two minutes later, they would do it again as things were trending upward for Minot instantly. Four goals made up within the first seven minutes of action. Period two was more of the same, with two goals coming in at the 25-second mark and at 1:08. The scoring ended just over halfway through the middle frame, as the Beavers got to seven before Midland struck once. Both teams will meet again in Fremont, Nebraska on January 19 and 20 in the new year.
 
For the second night in a row, the Beavers had seven different goal scorers as it was almost a carbon copy compared to the game before. Reece Henry kicked off the scoring for the Beavers very early in the first period. Colby Joseph grabbed his eighth of the year, along with Brayden Pawluk scoring again on the power play. A nice shot from the point by Logan Rands finds a way in traffic as he was able to tally his first goal of the season. Moving into the second, the leading goal scorer Reid Arnold did it again with his 12th followed by Sheldin Howard getting his fourth. Both Arnold and Howard’s goals were power play markers to go with Pawluk’s in the first. Another goal by a defenseman was scored when Christian Kadolph collected his fifth of the year. No goals were scored in the final period of regulation as the scoreboard remained the same. Kadolph also added two assists to go along with his goal. Another top performance was completed by Joey Moffatt. He was a passing machine with three assists on the night. Jake Anthony returned to the crease as starting netminder, making 14 saves on 15 total shots by Midland.
 
The Beavers won with ease over the Midland Warriors and collected another weekend sweep. It was Minot State’s 10th win versus Midland since affiliation started with MSU Athletics.
——————————————————–
 
MSU WOMENS HOCKEY
 
JAMESTOWN, N.D. (MSU) – Minot State women’s hockey collected their fifth win in a row, but not without a valiant effort from the other side. The Beavers were back in Jamestown to face the Jimmies for the third time in less than a month and came away with the win to open the series. It turned out to be a good game in the first period, with plenty of action on display. The No. 8 Beavers (10-9-0) tallied two goals early and late in the first to come away with a 2-1 lead after Jamestown (9-7-0) capitalized on a power play opportunity. The second period was a different story, as the Beavers broke through on three more goals to bring the total to five. Momentum shifted quickly though, as Jamestown netted two more to cut the lead down to two heading into crunch time. The Beavers settled things down to fend off the Jimmies’ comeback efforts, winning by a final of 5-3. Both teams will meet for the fourth time this season at Wilson Arena. Puck drop is at 2:00 p.m. today.
 
Gracie Perry got things started for the Beavers with her second goal of the season within the first five minutes of the first period. Paige Kozak not only scored towards the end of the first period, but she quickly got the ball rolling again in the second period with another tally to mark her fourth and fifth goals of the year. Paige Ackerman made it 4-1 midway through the second, followed by Kaitlyn Snyder’s third of the year on a power play to wrap up the Beaver scoring. Makenna Beard and Riley Ball were dishing the puck all night. Beard recorded three helpers, while Ball had two in the middle frame. Snyder also added a helper to make it two points for her on the night. Morgan Baker was called upon to start again, making 22 saves on 25 shots for the Beavers. In a game of momentum swings, the Beavers found a way to close out the game in winning fashion. It was their 10th victory of the season, and the win puts them above .500 for the first time all year. Minot State remains perfect against Jamestown this season, with a 3-0-0 record in all three tries. It also marks their 12th victory all-time against the Jimmies.
—————————————————
 
UND HOCKEY
 
GRAND FORKS, N.D. (UND) – Colorado College rallied from a 2-0 deficit to defeat No. 1 North Dakota, 3-2, in overtime on Friday night from Ralph Engelstad Arena in Grand Forks. Noah Laba buried the overtime winner just 35 seconds into the extra session to snap a 15-game unbeaten streak for the Tigers (8-6-1, 3-4-0 NCHC) against UND (12-4-1, 5-2-0 NCHC) and earn the extra point in the NCHC standings on his second goal of the evening. The Fighting Hawks suffer their second straight loss in overtime and drop back-to-back games for the first time this season, but still remain unbeaten in regulation since Nov. 3, a stretch of 10 straight contests, to sit second in the league standings with 17 points.
 
Kaidan Mbereko was the top star of the night for both teams, stopping 32 of the 34 shots thrown his way in his first start at the Ralph. The sophomore was at his best in the final 20 minutes, as UND finished the frame with an 11-0 shot advantage, but the game remained tied at 2-2 to take the contest into overtime. As has been the case all season, North Dakota started strong and jumped out to the early lead just 7:28 into the opening period. Dylan James took control of a loose puck in the neutral zone before racing by his defender and snapping a shot past Mbereko to give the Hawks a 1-0 lead after 20 minutes. James kept his strong play going in the middle stanza, winning another race to the puck and feathering a perfect pass to Louis Jamernik V for his fourth tally of the season and a 2-0 UND lead near the midway point of the game. CC started to climb back, however, with Laba trimming the deficit to 2-1 before Max Burkholder wired home a power play goal in the final minute of the period to send the teams to the locker room tied at 2-2 after two. The third period was all UND, accounting for all 11 shots on goal, but Mbereko kept the game level with multiple saves on grade-A chances, including a breakaway chance from James and a near-late strike from Riese Gaber in the closing minutes to send the game to overtime. UND won the initial draw in the OT period, but a turnover allowed for Laba to skate nearly coast-to-coast and tuck a shot through the arms of goaltender Ludvig Persson to secure the 3-2 win for the Tigers. North Dakota will aim for its second straight four-point weekend tonight at 6:07 p.m. from the Ralph.
————————————————-
 
NDSU WOMENS BASKETBALL
 
DES MOINES, Iowa (NDSU) – The North Dakota State women’s basketball team dropped a 77-66 decision at Drake on Friday afternoon in front of 6,424 fans at Knapp Center. After trailing 34-27 at halftime, NDSU (4-5) fought back in the third frame putting together nine straight points to cut the deficit down to five, 43-38, after Heaven Hamling delivered a layup in the paint at the 5:28 mark. Drake (6-3) responded with a 7-0 run of their own close the frame and make the score 57-44 after three quarters of play. The Bulldogs, who scored 54 points in the paint, then began the fourth quarter growing their largest lead of the contest, 71-53, after Taylor McAulay netted a fastbreak layup with 5:19 to play. The Bison made one final push after Elle Evans knocked down a three-pointer and Hamling added a layup to make the score 71-58 with 4:30 remaining. NDSU wasn’t able to trim the deficit down any further and dropped the contest, 77-66. Hamling reached double digits in scoring for the eighth straight game with a team-best 15 points on 6-of-15 shooting from the field. She also posted a game-high four steals and hauled in two rebounds. Evans recorded double digits in scoring for the fifth straight game with 10 points and five rebounds. As a team, NDSU shot 47.5 percent (28-59) from the field and 54.5 percent (6-11) from the free throw line. The Bison had 10 players reach the scoring column with the bench scoring 20 points. NDSU will continue its road swing at Iowa State on Sunday. Tip-off is set for 5:00 p.m.
———————————————–
 
NDSU FOOTBALL
 
FARGO, ND (NDSU) – North Dakota State (10-3) is on the road again this week for a Missouri Valley Football Conference rematch with No. 3 seed South Dakota (10-2) in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Division I Football Championship. Game time is 1:30 p.m. today at the DakotaDome in Vermillion. The game will be televised nationally on ABC. USD snapped a six-game losing streak to the Bison and spoiled NDSU’s homecoming with a 24-19 win in the Fargodome on Sept. 30. North Dakota State is 7-1 in FCS playoff rematches with regular-season opponents. This is NDSU’s 51st game in the FCS playoffs, but only the fifth true road game for the Bison excluding 10 national championship game appearances in Frisco, Texas. Last week offensive lineman Hunter Poncius blocked Montana State’s point-after-touchdown kick to give North Dakota State at 35-34 overtime road win in the second round. South Dakota scored a 34-24 win at home against Sacramento State last Saturday.
———————————————-
 
WOLVES-GRIZZLIES
 
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Karl-Anthony Towns scored 24 points, Rudy Gobert had 16 points, 20 rebounds and six blocks and the NBA-leading Minnesota Timberwolves pulled away in the third quarter to beat the Memphis Grizzlies 127-103 on Friday night for their sixth straight victory. Mike Conley added 19 points and seven assists to help Minnesota improve to 17-4. Gobert had 20 rebounds for the second straight game. Troy Brown Jr., who replaced the injured Anthony Edwards early in the game, scored 20 points, connecting on 8 of 10 shots, including 4 of 6 from 3-point range. Edwards, Minnesota’s leading scorer at 25.7 points a game, left four minutes in because of right hip pointer and didn’t return. Edwards missed two recent games with the same injury. Jaren Jackson Jr. led Memphis with 21 points. Desmond Bane added 16, and David Roddy had 13. The Grizzlies are without star guard Ja Morant while he serves a 25-game suspension to start the season. He was penalized for a second online video showing him flashing a handgun. Despite converting only 6 of 21 3-pointers in the half, Minnesota carried a 60-55 lead at the break. The Timberwolves would stretched the advantage to double-digits behind Brown’s 11 quick points in the third period, part of Minnesota outscoring Memphis 38-24 in the period. The Timberwolves next play at New Orleans on Monday night.
——————————————–
 
WILD-OILERS
 
EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Evan Bouchard had two goals and an assist and the Edmonton Oilers beat the Minnesota Wild 4-3 on Friday night for their sixth straight win. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl each had a goal and an assist, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had four assists as for the Oilers, who have won nine of 12. Stuart Skinner had 17 saves. Matt Boldy had a goal and an assist, and Joel Eriksson Ek and Connor Dewar also scored as the Wild lost their second straight following a four-game win streak. Marcus Johansson and Brock Faber each had two assists, and Marc-Andre Fleury finished with 36 saves. The Wild play at Seattle on Sunday in the finale of a four-game trip.
——————————————-
 
VIKINGS-HICKS RETURN
 
EAGAN, Minn. (AP) — Jordan Hicks took a blow to the shin during a routine tackle for the Minnesota Vikings in the first quarter of a game last month and figured he just had a deep bruise. After returning to action, the ninth-year veteran linebacker began to realize after halftime his right leg was growing weaker. He nearly rolled his ankle while trying to make a cut because his strength was so sapped, prompting him to seek attention on the sideline again. Once Hicks made it to the training room, with the adrenaline worn off, he spiraled into a cauldron of searing pain that forced him to curl up in the fetal position unable to focus on anything but breathing. “It is the deepest, darkest ache you can probably imagine,” Hicks said.
 
The team’s medical staff diagnosed him with compartment syndrome, a freak buildup of pressure in and around the muscles caused by internal bleeding or swollen tissues that can cause severe damage or even death if left untreated. So Hicks had to be rushed to a hospital immediately after that game on Nov. 12 against New Orleans and within 15 minutes of his arrival was in emergency surgery. Doctors left his leg cut open for four days to achieve full healing. He now has a thick scar about a foot long running down his right leg. After a couple of weeks of mostly resting on the couch, he’s been aggressively trying to restore his strength and conditioning. But Hicks said he’s “pretty optimistic” about being able to return to the field this season as long as the rehabilitation process stays on track. “It was obviously a scary situation. I didn’t realize how bad it could’ve been. I’m thankful for the training staff, for the doctors, for everybody on the sideline making the quick decision to get me to the hospital,” Hicks said Thursday in his first interview with reporters since the injury. “I heard the doctor say, ‘It’s a good thing we got you in because you could’ve lost your leg.’”
 
Hicks was placed on injured reserve three weeks ago. The Vikings (6-6) have five games left in their push for a spot in the playoffs in the crowded NFC wild-card race. The defense has performed well without him, but having the leader of the huddle back in the middle of the field would go a long way toward helping maintain the standard that has been set over the past two months. Before the injury, Hicks was enjoying one of his finest seasons in the NFL with 87 tackles, a forced fumble, an interception and his first career touchdown on a return of a fumble recovery. “We’re trying to see how much it can handle. We don’t want to push it too far and have it swell up or anything like that. So each day, there’s a process to it,” Hicks said, adding: “Once we’re all comfortable where I’m at, it’s go time.”
 
 
 

Read more...

K-Heart Sports – 12/08/23

K-HEART SPORTS – FRIDAY – 12/08/23
 
 
MINOT, ND – Thursday’s scores from the area:
 
High School Girls Basketball
 
Class A
Bottineau def. Devils Lake, 75-62
Shiloh Christian def. Carrington, 53-52
 
Class B
#9 Kenmare-Bowbells def. Parshall, 52-39
Mohall-Lansford-Sherwood def. Powers Lake-Burke Central, 59-51
Harvey-Wells County def. Velva, 60-58 OT
Divide County def. Williston Trinity Christian, 33-22
Trenton def. Ray, 66-20
Tioga def. Glenburn, 65-58 OT
 
Nedrose Tournament
Berthold def. Surrey, 49-46
Nedrose def. North Shore-Plaza, 57-12
 

High School Boys Hockey
Jamestown def. Bismarck High, 4-2
 

High School Boys Wrestling
Bismarck Century def. Minot High, 44-18
Bismarck Legacy def. Mandan, 48-24
Bismarck High def. Jamestown, 51-15
 

High School Girls Wrestling
Minot High def. Bismarck Century, 60-18
Bismarck Legacy def. Mandan, 57-9
Bismarck High def. Jamestown, 63-12
—————————————————
MSU MENS HOCKEY
 
MINOT, N.D. (MSU) – The Minot State men’s hockey team dominated in front of the hometown crowd, as they were the superior squad in a victory over Midland to extend their winning streak to three games. The 2nd-ranked Beavers (15-4-0) controlled the game from the start and played a full 60-minute effort to hand Midland University (9-11-1) a 7-2 loss at Maysa Arena on Thursday night. Minot State wasted no time getting on the board early, as they broke through twice in the first five minutes of regulation. Even with Midland getting puck luck to go their way at times, it did not deter the Beavers from adding four more goals in the second period and one more for good measure in the third. Minot State opened the game with two goals at 3:35 and 4:55 of the first period. The middle frame brought in the most action, with five goals combined including three Beaver tallies all within the final two minutes of the period. Each team traded a single goal in the third to wrap up the scoring. Both teams will meet again at Maysa Arena at 7:30 p.m. on Friday.
 
The Beavers chose to spread the wealth, as there were seven different goal scorers on the night. Reid Arnold’s 11th of the season was the ice breaker, followed by Troy Hamilton getting his ninth goal. Eric Krywy also got his first helper of the year on Arnold’s goal. Despite Midland cutting the lead in half early in the second, it was all Beavers after that. Brayden Pawluk would tip in his fourth goal on the power play. Later, Walker Jerome, Trenton Curtis, and Carter Barley would all score in a span of 1:13 in the waning minutes of the second period. Logan Cyca would add one more at the three-minute mark of the third before the Warriors racked up another of their own to make it 7-2. Christian Kadolph continues to play excellent on the defensive side with another two assists on the night. Although he did not face a lot of shots, Riley Wallace had a solid display with 10 saves as the starter. The Beavers made things look easy as they won the first match of a two-game series with the Warriors. It is also Minot State’s ninth win versus Midland since MSU Athletics affiliation.
————————————————-
 
MSU WOMENS WRESTLING
 
MINOT, N.D. (MSU) – The first-ever meeting on the mat between the Beavers and Tigers proved to be a successful one for Minot State as the Beaver women’s wrestling team won five matches on the mat on the night en route to a 27-16 dual victory Thursday. Julia Petryna, Bella Hernandez, Haleigh Lematta, and Michelle Klein earned wins in the dual for Minot State (4-3 duals) while teammates Reina Koehler and Ari Korish collected forfeit victories, and Skye Shelmerdine added one more win on the mats in an extra match for Minot State. The Beavers next head to Nebraska where they compete in duals Sunday against Adams State (Colo.) and host Chadron State to wrap up the pre-Christmas portion of their schedule. Hernandez (130 pounds) won by pin in just 13 seconds and Lematta (143) added a pin in 1 minute, 13 seconds for the Beavers in the dual, while Petryna (116) won a 10-0 technical fall, and Klein (17) battled her way to a 5-2 decision. Shelmerdine (130) then added one more win by pin in 1:01 in an extra match for the Beavers.
———————————————
 
UND WOMENS BASKETBALL
 
CHARLESTON, Ill.(UND) – The North Dakota women’s basketball team’s early season road woes continued Thursday with a 67-55 loss to Eastern Illinois in Charleston, Ill. Despite outscoring EIU 35-21 in the second half, the Fighting Hawks were unable to overcome the first half deficit which was as much as 28 points. Nevaeh Ferrara paced the Hawks offense for the first time in her young career with 13 points. Kiera Pemberton nearly posted her second career double-double in the green and white with 11 points and eight rebounds to go with two steals. North Dakota will be off for a week before returning to the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center next Friday for a meeting with Mayville State at 7:00 p.m.
———————————————
 
NDSU MENS BASKETBALL
 
FARGO, N.D. (NDSU) – The North Dakota State men’s basketball team pulled away late for a 78-67 victory over Portland on Thursday evening inside the Scheels Center. NDSU improved to 6-4 on the season. Junior forward Andrew Morgan led the Bison with 16 points and six rebounds. Jacari White scored 12 points, Tajavis Miller had 11, and Lance Waddles finished with 10 for NDSU. Senior Boden Skunberg recorded a career-high six assists. The Bison drained 12 three-pointers for the second straight game, shooting 47.5 percent overall. The Bison built a 14-point lead at 24-10 in the first half, but Portland battled back to within three at 36-33 at halftime. The Pilots pulled ahead by one point on three different occasions in the second half, but never led by more than one. Trailing 45-44 with 14 minutes remaining, NDSU got a bucket and three-pointer from Jeremiah Burke on back-to-back possessions to jump back into the lead. When the Pilots tied the game at 49-49, Burke drilled another three to give NDSU the lead for good. Both times Portland cut the deficit to within six down the stretch, Miller connected on treys to keep the victory in hand for NDSU. NDSU hosts Oak Hills Christian on Sunday at 1 p.m.
——————————————
 
WILD-CANUCKS
 
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Casey DeSmith made 26 saves for his first shutout of the season and 10th in the NHL and the Vancouver Canucks beat Minnesota 2-0 on Thursday night to end the Wild’s winning streak at four. Nils Hoglander and Teddy Blueger scored to help Vancouver improve to 17-9-1. DeSmith is undefeated against Minnesota. DeSmith last played on Nov. 25, with starting goalie Thatcher Demko getting the other four starts. Filip Gustavsson made 15 saves for Minnesota. The Wild dropped to 9-11-4. They had won their last eight meetings with Vancouver. The Wild play at Edmonton tonight.
 
 

Read more...

K-Heart Sports – 12/07/23

K-HEART SPORTS – THURSDAY – 12/07/23
 

MINOT, ND – The second Class AA high school basketball polls of the season have been released. The polls are voted on by the North Dakota Associated Press Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association (NDAPSSA).
 
Class AA Girls Basketball Poll
 
Team (1st Place Votes)   Record    Polling Points    Last Week
1. Minot High (15)               3-0                75                 1
2. Fargo Davies                  1-0                46                 3
3. Grand Forks Red River   0-1                44                 2
4. Bismarck Legacy            2-0                 32                 4
5. Bismarck Century            0-0                18                 5
 
Others receiving votes: Bismarck High (2-0), Bismarck St. Mary’s (1-0)
 
 
Class AA Boys Basketball Poll
 
Team (1st Place Votes)   Record    Polling Points    Last Week
1. Fargo North (9)               2-0               69                  1
2. Fargo Davies (3)             1-0               55                  2
3. Minot High (3)                  3-0              53                  3
4. Bismarck Century            1-0              26                  4
5. West Fargo Sheyenne     2-1              15                 RV
 
Other receiving votes: Bismarck High (1-1), Grand Forks Central (1-0), Mandan (1-1)
—————————————————-
 
MSU HOCKEY-POLLS
 
MINOT, N.D. (MSU) – Powered by weekend sweeps, the Minot State men’s hockey team held strong at No. 2 in the latest ACHA national poll and the Beaver women’s hockey team remained ranked No. 8 in the country. The Minot State men (14-4-0 overall) wrapped up last week with 4-1 and 6-0 wins over visiting Grand Canyon, while the Minot State women (9-9-0) beat Dakota College at Bottineau 9-3 at the Maysa Arena on Saturday, then 4-1 in Bottineau on Sunday.
 
Adrian (Mich.) retained the No. 1 spot in the latest men’s poll while Jamestown, which scored a 4-1 upset of Minot State on Nov. 27, moved up to No. 3 in the nation. Central Oklahoma slipped one spot to No. 4 and UNLV moved up one spot to round out the top 5.
 
On the women’s side, Midland (Neb.) flip-flopped with Liberty (Va.) for the second time this season as the Warriors moved to the No. 1 spot and the Flames slipped to No. 2. Adrian was No. 3, Michigan No. 4, and McKendree No. 5.
 
The second-ranked Minot State men host Midland this week at the Maysa Arena with game-time at 7 p.m. on Thursday and 7:30 p.m. on Friday.
 
The eighth-ranked Beaver women play at No. 11-ranked Jamestown this weekend with puck-drop at 5 p.m. on Friday in Jamestown, and at 2 p.m. on Saturday.
——————————————————
 
NDSU FOOTBALL-HONORS
 
ST. LOUIS (NDSU) – Safety Cole Wisniewski of North Dakota State highlights a list of 43 student-athletes named to the 2023 Missouri Valley Football Conference Scholar-Athlete Team on Tuesday, Dec. 5, by a vote of the league’s sports information directors. Wisniewski was voted MVFC Scholar-Athlete of the Year with a 4.0 cumulative grade-point average majoring in business administration and marketing. He leads the FCS with six interceptions and has a team-high 78 tackles and five pass breakups for North Dakota State. NDSU safety Sam Jung was named to the first team with a 4.0 GPA in civil engineering. Bison linebacker Logan Kopp (3.82, mechanical engineering), right guard Jake Kubas (3.716, sport management) and defensive tackle Eli Mostaert (3.65, finance) were selected to the second team. Honorable mentions from NDSU were defensive tackle Jaxon Duttenhefer (3.94, accounting) and linebacker Luke Weerts (3.85, business administration).
 
Nominees must be starters or important reserves; must have participated in at least 50 percent of his team’s games and carry a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.50 (on a 4.0 scale). Nominees in graduate school must have a cumulative GPA of 3.50 or better both as an undergrad AND in graduate school. Additionally, nominees must have reached sophomore athletic and academic standing at their institution and must have completed at least one calendar year at their institution. True freshmen, redshirt freshmen and ineligible athletic transfers are not eligible. Graduate students who are competing at a different institution than the one from which they earned their undergraduate degree are eligible even if they are in their first semester at the graduate institution.
 
North Dakota State (10-3) is scheduled to play No. 3 seed South Dakota (10-2) in the quarterfinal round of the NCAA Division I Football Championship at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 9, at the DakotaDome in Vermillion. The game will be televised nationally on ABC.
—————————————————
 
WOLVES-SPURS
 
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Rudy Gobert had 16 points and 21 rebounds and the NBA-leading Minnesota Timberwolves held on to beat San Antonio 102-94 on Wednesday night for their fifth straight victory and the Spurs’ 15th loss in a row. Mike Conley added 18 points, Anthony Edwards had 17 and Naz Reid 15. Karl-Anthony Towns finished with 14 points and 10 rebounds to help Minnesota improve to 16-4. Edwards returned after missing two games because of a right hip pointer, but went 4 of 17 from the field. Gobert matched up often with good friend and French countryman Victor Wembanyama in the rookie’s first game in Minnesota. Wembanyama struggled against Minnesota’s height with Gobert, Towns and Reid, scoring just 12 points on 4-of-13 shooting. He had 10 rebounds. Devin Vassell scored 22 points to lead San Antonio. Keldon Johnson added 21 points and 10 rebounds, and Zach Collins had 12 points. The Timberwolves trailed early in the fourth quarter before 3-pointers from Edwards and Reid spurred a 16-2 run. Minnesota is still without starting forward Jaden McDaniels because of a sprained right ankle. He has been cleared to participate in individual on-court and strength training activities. The Timberwolves are at Memphis on Friday night.
———————————————-
 
VIKINGS-DOBBS
 
EAGAN, Minn. (AP) — Joshua Dobbs and the Minnesota Vikings finally had an opportunity to catch their breath, after a whirlwind arrival, a storybook start and two buzz-killing losses before their bye week. He’s still the quarterback for now. Their job is to provide enough support to keep him in his starting role — while maintaining positioning for the playoffs that has taken a precarious turn. Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell announced on Wednesday that Dobbs will remain the starter this week, after he threw four interceptions — three of them off a variety of deflections — during a damaging 12-10 defeat at home to Chicago on Nov. 27. O’Connell acknowledged after that game he considered benching Dobbs to give the offense a spark. “The conversation was smooth and open,” Dobbs said before practice. “I plan on making the most of this opportunity and bouncing back from the last time on the field.” O’Connell decided Dobbs was the best option for the game at Las Vegas on Sunday and that he deserved another start, but the coach left wide open the possibility of a future switch. “Our offense and our staff’s ability to evolve and help Josh thrive is our plan,” O’Connell said. “We’re very confident in him.”
 
When Kirk Cousins tore his Achilles tendon in the game at Green Bay on Oct. 29, the Vikings (6-6) have been scrambling ever since. Dobbs was a valuable find in a trade with Arizona, but the seventh-year veteran — trying to get up to speed on his third different playbook this season — has shown his limitations and vulnerabilities. Off-the-mark throws are one thing. Six turnovers over the past two games — losses by a combined three points — are another. Over his first two games, both Vikings victories, Dobbs had no interceptions and two lost fumbles. He also totaled 110 rushing yards on 15 attempts in those games. In the past two outings, he took off 10 times and netted only 32 yards. “Obviously it’s a process when you come in and you’re entrenched in a new offense very quickly and as they try to learn me and areas I’m able to thrive at, as well as me as I continue to learn the ins and outs of an offense,” Dobbs said. Soon after the Chicago game, Dobbs sent a text message to O’Connell with a request to review the film together. Quarterbacks coach Chris O’Hara joined them. “There was a lot of growth moments for him in those discussions and for me as well,” O’Connell said.
 
Nick Mullens will be the backup this week. He’s still returning to full strength from a lower back injury that kept him sidelined for more than a month. Rookie Jaren Hall, who was the first post-Cousins starter before a concussion forced him out and sent Dobbs in at Atlanta, will be third string. Dobbs will get a big boost from the return of wide receiver Justin Jefferson, who was activated last week from injured reserve. The 2022 AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year has missed the past seven games with a strained hamstring. “He happens to be an extremely friendly target with his catch radius and his ability to do pretty dynamic things with the ball after the catch,” O’Connell said. “We’ll try to put together a plan that maximizes that.”
 
 

Read more...