The Official Newspaper for Foster County
The Official Newspaper for Foster County
Rylen Wick puts up a scoop shot in the lane against a triple-team of Beulah defenders.
Sawyer Wanzek dribbles along the sideline while being pressed by two Miner players.
Roper Foerderer scores two points late in the Thunder's first-round State B loss to Beulah.
Chase Ova got some playing time on the floor in the first round loss to Beulah.
Even if just for the first half, the big stage didn't affect the M-P-B Thunder one single bit.
After 16 minutes had elapsed, Coach Bob Young's club was right there with the third-seeded Beulah Miners, enjoying a 21-19 lead.
The size and physicality of the Miners wore the Thunder down in the third quarter, and the lid on the rim closed shut as part of a massive run for the Region 7 champions to take a 48-31 win in the quarterfinal round Thursday, March 16, at the Bismarck Event Center.
"We came out and played our style of basketball, which we wanted to do," Young said. "Playing very good defense, and holding them to one shot."
M-P-B shot 8-for-26 from the floor in the first half, but made only three baskets in the second at a frigid rate of 13.6 percent.
Though they continued to battle, Young said, Beulah's pace quickened up and the pressure became difficult for the Thunder to handle.
"[Beulah] also hit some big shots, and we couldn't buy a bucket," he said.
The Miners (21-4) got 12 points from freshman guard Braylen Schirado, and the senior/freshman center brothers Tarren (11 points) and Bennett Larson kept M-P-B from making any headway in the lane. The Larsons, standing 6'4" and 6'6", would combine for 15 rebounds.
Trace Beauchamp, a junior and later All-Tournament selection, scored 10 points, while Champ Hettich added eight more.
Aidan O'Brien led the Miners with seven assists in the victory.
The scoring for the Thunder, such as it was, was paced by eight-point afternoons from Gage Magstadt and Rylen Wick. Wick also had eight rebounds and Magstadt six.
"I thought a turning point in the game was when they got five quick points in the last 50 seconds of the half to tighten things up," said Young.
The Miners would suffer a 65-61 overtime heartbreaker to Shiloh Christian in the semifinal round the following night, but rebounded to take third by beating Des Lacs-Burlington, 66-57.
State Class B Boys' Basketball
Tournament, Bismarck
Quarterfinals
Beulah 48, M-P-B 31
M-P-B 11 10 6 4 31
Beulah 6 13 20 9 48
M-P-B: Gage Magstadt 8, Rylen Wick 8, Josh Moser 5, Adam McClellan 4, Sawyer Wanzek 4, Roper Foerderer 2. Totals: 11-48 FG, 7-8 FT, 11 fouls. Three-pointers: Magstadt 2.
Beulah: Braylen Schirado 12, Tarren Larson 11, Trace Beauchamp 10, Champ Hettich 8, Bennett Larson 4, Aidan O'Brien 3. Totals: 20-45 FG, 3-5 FT, 9 fouls. Three-pointers: Schirado 2, Beauchamp 2, O'Brien.
M-P-B Additional Stats
Rebounds: Wick 8, Magstadt and Moser 6, Wanzek 5, McClellan and Chase Ova 2, Terek Kinzell, Jaden Sorenson and Mark Thomas 1.
Assists: Thomas and Wanzek 1.
Steals: Moser 1.
Blocks: Wick 1.
Beulah Additional Stats
Rebounds: Beauchamp and B. Larson 8, T. Larson 7, O'Brien 3, Jack Koppelsloen and Schirado 1.
Assists: O'Brien 7, B. Larson and Schirado 1.
Steals: Hettich and Schirado 2, O'Brien and Koppelsloen 1.
Blocks: B. Larson and O'Brien 1.
