K-Heart Sports – 01/31/2024

K-HEART SPORTS – WEDNESDAY – 01/31/24
 

MINOT, ND – Tuesday was a full night of basketball and hockey across the area.
 
High School Boys Basketball
 
Class AA
#1 Minot High def. Williston, 59-47
Dickinson def. #2 Bismarck Century, 68-62
#5 Bismarck High def. Bismarck Legacy, 60-51
Jamestown def. Bismarck St. Mary’s, 78-62
 
Class A
#2 Devils Lake def. Turtle Mountain, 73-52
Hazen def. Linton-HMB (Class B), 76-56
 
Class B
#2 Westhope-Newburg def. T-G-U, 61-48
#4 Bishop Ryan def. Kenmare-Bowbells, 75-40
#9 Williston Trinity Christian def. Divide County, 92-50
#10 Wilton-Wing def. Richardton-Taylor, 68-56
Our Redeemer’s def. Mohall-Lansford-Sherwood, 60-53
Velva def. Harvey-Wells County, 78-61
Berthold def. Glenburn, 48-43
Ray def. Parshall/North Shore-Plaza, 69-63
Washburn def. White Shield, 67-54
 

High School Girls Basketball
 
Class AA
Minot High JV def. Williston, 80-40
#2 Bismarck Century def. Dickinson, 78-41
#5 Bismarck Legacy def. Bismarck High, 56-35
Bismarck St. Mary’s def. Jamestown, 69-36
 
Class A
#2 South Prairie-Max def. Rugby, 49-43
#3 Bottineau def. New Town, 73-30
#5 Nedrose def. Dunseith, 76-31
Turtle Mountain def. Des Lacs-Burlington, 66-51
Beulah def. Killdeer, 44-34
Hazen def. Standing Rock, 57-37
Shiloh Christian def. Dickinson Trinity, 60-60
 
Class B
#10 Washburn def. White Shield, 78-8
Surrey def. North Shore-Plaza, 69-22
Tioga def. Powers Lake-Burke Central, 59-34
Parshall def. Ray, 41-39
 

High School Boys Hockey
Minot High def. Bottineau-Rugby, 4-1
Bismarck Century def. Bismarck Legacy, 5-1
Mandan def. Hazen-Beulah, 7-4
Dickinson def. Bismarck High, 7-0
 

High School Girls Hockey
Minot High def. Bismarck Century, 4-1
———————————————————
 
MSU MENS BASKETBALL-POLL
 
MINOT, N.D. (MSU) – The Minot State men’s basketball team remained in the nation’s top 20 despite a setback last weekend, checking in at No. 19 in the nation with 103 points in the current NABC Division II Top 25 poll. The ranking is the third straight week the Beavers (16-4 overall, 11-3 NSIC) have been ranked nationally. Minot State climbed as high as No. 16 last week before seeing a seven-game win streak snapped at Augustana on Thursday. Splitting the weekend road trip, the Beavers remained in the Top 25 poll and find themselves in a tie for second place in the NSIC as Minot State prepares to host Bemidji State on Thursday in a women’s and men’s basketball doubleheader at the MSU Dome with tip-off at 5:30 and 7:30 p.m., respectively. The Bemidji State men are 10-10 overall and 6-8 in NSIC play and the Bemidji State women are 3-15 overall and 0-14 in NSIC play. The Minot State women are 8-15 overall and 5-9 in NSIC play. Also ranked nationally in the latest NABC poll is NSIC league-leader Minnesota State, Mankato, which is No. 2 with 384 points and one first-place vote, and Minnesota State Moorhead, which is No. 12 with 206 points. The Dragons are tied with Minot State for second in the NSIC standings. Just outside the Top 25 is Minnesota Duluth with 26 points. The Bulldogs are the first team in “others receiving votes.”
———————————————————
 
TWINS-TRADE
 
SEATTLE (AP) — After several seasons of asking and coming up short, the Seattle Mariners finally found a trade package that worked to land Jorge Polanco. The Mariners acquired Polanco from the Minnesota Twins on Monday for pitchers Anthony DeSclafani and Justin Topa, two minor leaguers and cash. The deal could help both teams. Seattle adds a proven switch-hitter to its lineup, and a healthy Polanco should provide an upgrade at second base. The Twins get a standout reliever in Topa, a viable starter in DeSclafani and one of Seattle’s top prospects in outfielder Gabriel Gonzalez. Minor league pitcher Darren Brown is also going to Minnesota. The 33-year-old DeSclafani was traded to the Mariners earlier this month from San Francisco. He had a 4.88 ERA for the Giants last season while making 18 starts.
 
The right-handed Topa had a 2.61 ERA in 75 relief appearances as a rookie for the Mariners in 2023. The 30-year-old Polanco became expendable with the emergence last season of rookie Edouard Julien for the Twins, who are trimming their club-record payroll from 2023 in light of the uncertainty around their regional broadcast revenue. Polanco will make $10.5 million this season, and his contract has a $12 million club option for 2025 with a $750,000 buyout. Polanco came back from a knee injury to hit .255 with 14 home runs and a .789 OPS in 80 games for the Twins in 2023 while playing some second base and moving to third base to accommodate Julien. Polanco has the most home runs (112) by a switch-hitter in Twins history.
 
Polanco signed with the Twins out of the Dominican Republic in 2009, made his major league debut in 2014, became their regular shortstop in 2016 and ultimately moved to second base in 2021. Ankle and knee problems limited him in recent years, but when he stayed healthy he thrived at the plate. Polanco made the AL All-Star team in 2019 while hitting a career-high .295 in 153 games. In 2021, he hit 33 homers with 98 RBIs — both career highs — in 152 games. He’s a .269 career hitter with a .780 OPS in 832 games.
 
DeSclafani will provide valuable rotation depth for the Twins, who lost Sonny Gray, Kenta Maeda and Tyler Mahle in free agency. DeSclafani and Louie Varland will both go through spring training as starters, Falvey said, before the club decides on who the No. 5 starter is. Pablo Lopez, Joe Ryan, Bailey Ober and Chris Paddack are slotted in the first four spots. The loss of Topa will be a hit to the Mariners as he was one of their most consistent arms out of the bullpen. Topa struck out 61 batters in 69 innings and had a stretch of two months last summer in which he allowed one earned run over 27 appearances. Gonzalez was regarded as one of the top prospects in the Mariners organization after hitting a combined .298 with 18 homers and 84 RBIs for two Class-A clubs last season at age 19.
 

Read more...

K-Heart Sports – 01/30/24

K-HEART SPORTS – TUESDAY – 01/30/24
 

MINOT, ND – A few changes in this week’s Class 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 (20)              15-0              100             1
2. South Prairie-Max          14-1                79             3
3. Bottineau                       15-2                 57             2
4. Devils Lake                    11-4                41             4
5. Nedrose                         14-2                14             5
 
Others receiving votes: Kindred (13-4), Shiloh Christian (13-4)
 

Class A Boys Basketball Poll
 
Team (1st Place Votes)        Record   Polling Points   Last Week
1. Kindred (19)                        14-0             99                1
2. Devils Lake (1)                    12-1             75                2
3. Four Winds-Minnewaukan  10-3             59                3
4. Grafton                                10-2             38                4
5. Beulah                                 11-2             26                5
 
Others receiving votes: Northern Cass (12-1), Shiloh Christian (9-3)
 

Class B Girls Basketball Poll
 
Team (1st Place Votes)                     Record   Polling Points   Last Week
1. May-Port-CG (13)                           14-0              192              1
2. Langdon Area-Edmore-Munich (5) 17-1              176              2
3. Central McLean (2)                         16-0              165              3
4. Sargent County                               14-1              137              4
5. Bowman County                              13-2              127              5
6. Maple River                                     12-3               101             6
7. Edgeley-Kulm-Montpelier               12-4                 65              8
8. Kenmare-Bowbells                          13-6                50              7
9. T-G-U                                               14-4               29              10
10. Washburn                                       13-3               20              RV
 
Other receiving votes: St. John (14-3), Garrison (12-3), Benson County (12-4), Our Redeemer’s (12-5), Linton-HMB (12-5), Oakes (11-4)
 

Class B Boys Basketball Poll
 
Team (1st Place Votes)     Record   Polling Points   Last Week
1. Bowman County (18)       12-0            198               1
2. Westhope-Newburg (1)    14-0            178               3
3. North Star (1)                    13-1            145               2
4. Bishop Ryan                     13-1            144               4
5. Glen Ullin-Hebron             13-1            116               6
6. Linton-HMB                       11-1              97               7
7. Sargent County                   9-4              69              8
8. Hankinson                         10-2              64              5
9. Williston Trinity Christian   11-1              41             RV
10. Wilton-Wing                     11-2              20             RV
 
Other receiving votes: Edgeley-Kulm-Montpelier (10-3), Garrison (12-4), Mohall-Lansford-Sherwood (10-3), Alexander (11-2), Ellendale (10-4)
—————————————————-
 
MINOT, ND – Monday’s scores from the area:
 
High School Boys Basketball
 
Class A
Bottineau def. New Town, 70-37
Rugby def. South Prairie-Max, 69-54
Des Lacs-Burlington def. Turtle Mountain, 61-48
Stanley def. Nedrose, 70-38
Shiloh Christian def. Killdeer
 
Class B
Drake-Anamoose def. Benson County, 53-40
Parshall/North Shore-Plaza def. Tioga, 57-39
Kenmare-Bowbells def. Trenton, 68-51
 

High School Girls Basketball
 
Class A
#2 South Prairie-Max def. Wilton-Wing (Class B), 61-32
Minot High JV def. Watford City, 70-64
 
Class B
#3 Central McLean def. Garrison, 69-17
Bishop Ryan def. Tioga, 63-53
Westhope-Newburg def. Parshall, 61-48
North Shore-Plaza def. Williston Trinity Christian, 33-31
Minot North JV def. Mohall-Lansford-Sherwood, 64-61
Powers Lake-Burke Central def. Glenburn, 50-34
Divide County def. Alexander, 53-22
—————————————————–
 
UND FOOTBALL
 
GRAND FORKS, N.D. (UND) – University of North Dakota head football coach Bubba Schweigert announced the addition of Isaac Fruechte to the North Dakota coaching staff on Sunday afternoon. Fruechte will take over as the offensive coordinator and quarterback coach and has spent the past two seasons at Winona State. Fruechte has spent the past two seasons at Winona State as the offensive coordinator and helped nine Warriors reach All-NSIC status. He was elevated to the associate head coach and quarterbacks coach in March of 2023 after guiding the Warriors to the NCAA Division II playoffs and a final record of 8-4 in his first season as the offensive coordinator. Prior to his time with Winona State, Fruechte was hired as the offensive coordinator at Northern State in December of 2019 and coached the Wolves to a 7-4 record in his one season in 2021. At NSU, Fruechte managed all offensive personnel and coached both the quarterbacks and wide receivers. Fruechte coached the wide receivers at Northern Iowa in 2019 and was on the coaching staff that led the Panthers to the quarterfinal round of the FCS playoffs that season. In addition to being the wide receiver coach, Fruechte also oversaw the punt and kickoff return units for UNI. Before Northern Iowa, Fruechte spent time at Wisconsin-La Crosse as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the Eagles in 2018. UW-L’s offense averaged 32.1 points and 384.8 yards of offense per game in 2018 and finished second in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) in both scoring and passing offense. He broke into the coaching world in March of 2018, serving as the coach of the wide receivers in the spring and then transitioning in the fall as the quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator. From 2015-17, Fruechte played two seasons for the Minnesota Vikings. In 2016, he also had a six-game stint as a wide receiver for the Detroit Lions before returning to the Vikings. He played three seasons as a wide receiver at Minnesota from 2012 until 2014. As a senior, Fruechte served as a team captain for the Gophers. In his collegiate career, he had 50 receptions and piled up 702 receiving yards. He also hauled in three touchdown grabs as a Gopher and garnered Academic All-Big Ten honors in both 2013 and 2014.
—————————————————–
 
UND HOCKEY-HONOR
 
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (UND) – Freshman defenseman Jake Livanavage has been named NCHC Defenseman of the Week as announced by league officials on Monday. It marks the second weekly honor of the season for Livanavage, garnering the league’s top rookie weekly award in November. Livanavage was a key contributor at both ends of the ice in North Dakota’s sweep of then-No. 4 Denver. Along with handing out three assists in the two wins, including on both game-winning goals, he was an integral part of North Dakota’s blue line, which limited the Pioneers to four goals all weekend after DU entered the series first in the country averaging 5.25 goals per game. Offensively, Livanavage doled out the primary helper on the game-winning goal Friday, which put UND up, 3-1, in an eventual 5-2 victory. The next night, he handed out two more assists on the power play, setting up the Fighting Hawks’ first and third goals in a 4-2 win to earn the game’s third star. The Phoenix, Ariz., native finished the weekend with three assists, all coming on the man advantage, including two primary helpers. He also blocked four shots in the sweep, including three on Saturday. The rookie was excellent on both special teams units, as UND went 4-for-6 on the power play in the series and 4-for-4 on the penalty kill. Livanavage had a hand in three of the four power play goals, including a big play to keep the puck in the zone on Saturday, which led to the game-winning goal and put North Dakota up for good, 3-2. Livanavage now has points in 11 of his last 14 games and has 17 points (2-15-17) in 26 games this season. North Dakota, who leaped to No. 2 in both weekly polls on Monday, heads to Oxford, Ohio for a weekend series with Miami beginning on Friday night at 6:05 p.m. (CT).
——————————————————
 
NDSU WOMENS BASKETBALL-HONOR
 
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (NDSU) – Sophomore guard Elle Evans has been named the Co-TicketSmarter Summit League Peak Performer of the Week for the first time in her career, the league office announced on Monday afternoon. Brooklyn Meyer from South Dakota State also picked up Co-Peak Performer of the Week honors. Evans helped lift NDSU (11-8, 5-1 Summit) to an 85-52 win over St. Thomas and improve to 5-1 in Summit League play last week. She logged her third straight 20-point game with a career-high 29 points on 7-of-7 shooting from three and 9-of-14 from the field against the Tommies. Her seven triples rank tied for the fourth-most in a single-game in NDSU history and were two shy of the program record of nine, which was set by Beth Bue against Northern Colorado on Feb. 26, 2002. Evans also connected on all four free throw attempts and notched a game-high three blocks. In Summit League play this season, Evans leads conference in three-point percentage shooting 62.9 percent beyond the arc and three-point field goals per game with 3.7. The Edwardsville, Ill., native also paces the league in free throw percentage after connecting on all 18 free throws on 18 attempts. Additionally, Evans also ranks second in the Summit League in scoring averaging 20.3 points over 28.8 minutes per game. The full Summit League release can be viewed here. NDSU will back in action hosting South Dakota State on Thursday night. Tip-off is set for 7:00 p.m., at Scheels Center.
——————————————————–
 
WOLVES-THUNDER
 
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Anthony Edwards scored 27 points and the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 107-101 on Monday in a matchup of teams that entered the night tied for the lead in the Western Conference standings. Karl-Anthony Towns had 21 points and 10 rebounds, and Rudy Gobert added 12 points and 17 rebounds for Minnesota, which had lost three of five. Timberwolves point guard Mike Conley was out with a sore left hamstring. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 37 points and Jalen W illiams added 20 for the Thunder, who lost their second straight after a five-game win streak. The teams split their four meetings this season. Minnesota held the Thunder, one of the NBA’s top offensive teams, to 44.3% shooting. There were 11 lead changes in the fourth quarter. The Timberwolves host the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday night.
 
 

Read more...

K-Heart Sports – 01/28/24

K-HEART SPORTS – SUNDAY – 01/28/24
 
 
 
MINOT, ND – Des Lacs-Burlington came back to defeat Our Redeemer’s 54-49 on Saturday, in a game we broadcast on K-Heart. Jake Schaefer scored 10 of his 12 points in the first half, while Paxton Ystaas tallied six of his 10 in the fourth quarter to help secure the win. Jace and Wyatt Weekley each scored 12 points for the Knights. DLB improves to 10-3 on the season. The Knights drop to 9-6.
 
Other scores from the area:
 
High School Boys Basketball
Class AA
Dickinson def. Bismarck St. Mary’s, 83-64
 
Class A
#5 Beulah def. Valley City, 74-55
Des Lacs-Burlington def. Our Redeemer’s (Class B), 54-49
Shiloh Christian def. Rugby, 57-45
Watford City def. Dunseith, 67-66
Standing Rock def. Turtle Mountain, 50-48
 
Class B
#9 Garrison def. White Shield, 74-46
Mohall-Lansford-Sherwood def. South Prairie-Max (Class A), 58-51
Harvey-Wells County def. Kidder County, 54-41
Central McLean def. New England, 60-39
Powers Lake-Burke Central def. Surrey, 54-43
 
Berthold Shootout
Ray def. Mandaree, 66-23
Trenton def. Berthold, 53-36
Velva def. Divide County, 73-34
 
 
High School Girls Basketball
Class AA
Bismarck St. Mary’s def. Dickinson, 56-40
 
Class A
Shiloh Christian def. Rugby, 68-56
Hazen def. Stanley, 52-35
Valley City def. Beulah, 69-28
 
Class B
#5 Bowman County def. #7 Kenmare-Bowbells, 53-47
#9 Garrison def. White Shield, 73-32
Surrey def. Powers Lake-Burke Central, 43-28
Kidder County def. Harvey-Wells County, 47-37
 
Berthold Shootout
Dunseith (Class A) def. North Shore-Plaza, 54-37
Mandaree def. Ray, 56-45
Berthold def. Trenton, 52-36
Velva def. Tioga, 61-56
 
 
High School Boys Hockey
Bismarck Century def. Bottineau-Rugby, 8-4
Jamestown def. Hazen-Beulah, 10-6
Estevan, SASK def. Williston, 7-0
 
 
High School Girls Hockey
Fargo Davies def. Minot High, 1-0
Devils Lake def. Dickinson, 9-2
Williston def. Jamestown, 3-1
Mandan def. Grand Forks, 4-1
Fargo North-South def. Bismarck Century, 6-1
 
 
High School Boys Swimming & Diving
West Fargo Invite
1. Bismarck Century, 340
2. West Fargo, 334
3. Minot High, 323
4. Fargo Davies, 254
5. Williston, 224
6. Grand Forks, 220
7. West Fargo Sheyenne, 183
8. Dickinson, 178
 
 
High School Boys Wrestling
Class A
Bismarck High def. Williston, 48-18
Bismarck Legacy def. Bismarck St. Mary’s, 36-24
 
Class B
East – West Tournament – New Salem
1. Lisbon, 162
T2. Northern Lights, 113
T2. Velva, 113
 
6. Bishop Ryan, 101
8. Kenmare-Bowbells- Burke Central, 99.5
11. Stanley, 84
18. Beulah-Hazen, 41
 
—————————————————–
 
MINOTAUROS
 
MINOT, ND – The Minot Minotauros bounced back and earned a split of their weekend home series with Austin. The Tauros tallied a 5-0 shutout on Saturday behind goals from Nicholas Sewecke, Chad Muller, Jack O’Hanisain, Trevor Stachowiak and Colby Bear. Brady James tallied 24 saves for Minot. The Tauros lead in the NAHL Central Division is 9 points over Bismarck.
 
—————————————————–
 
MSU MENS BASKETBALL
 
WAYNE, Neb. — The 16th-ranked Minot State men’s basketball team went into the halftime break tied with Wayne State 32-32, but took control in the second half to beat the Wildcats 71-60 on the road Saturday in NSIC action.The Beavers (16-4 overall, 11-3 NSIC) had four players score in double figures, led by Khari Broadway, who had 17 points. Jaxon Gunville added 16 points and Jalen Cook helped out with 13 points off the bench.Minot State grabbed 38 rebounds in Saturday’s game compared to Wayne State’s 26, led by Michael Jok’s 12 boards.Minot State’s defense held Wayne State to only 36.7 percent shooting from the field. The Wildcats did not have much luck cleaning up their misses on the offensive glass either, as they finished with three offensive rebounds while Minot State cleared 29 defensive rebounds. After falling behind 3-0, Minot State went on a 9-0 run with 17:54 left in the first half, culminating in a three from Jok, to take a 9-3 lead. Wayne State then responded to tie things up at 32-32 heading into halftime. Minot State took advantage of six Wayne State turnovers in the period, and scored nine points off those turnovers. After intermission, Minot State grabbed a 53-50 lead before going on an 8-0 run to grow its advantage to 61-50 with 5:26 to go in the contest. The Beavers held onto that lead for the rest of the game for the 71-60 win.
 
————————————————
 
MSU WOMENS BASKETBALL
 
WAYNE, Neb. — The Beavers needed overtime, but when it was all done the Minot State women’s basketball team had its third straight win.Taylor Goss put the Minot State women’s basketball team ahead for good with 4:28 to go the extra period as the Beavers scored a 73-70 win over the Wayne State Wildcats on the road Saturday in NSIC action. The Beavers (8-15 overall, 5-9 NSIC) had three players score in double figures, led by Sydney Gustavsson, who had 22 points. Jaime Skeggs added 11 points, six rebounds and two steals from the bench and Emma Mogen chipped in as well with 11 points. Minot State out-rebounded Wayne State 29-28 in Saturday’s game, led by Skeggs’ six boards. The Beavers also collected 10 offensive rebounds and scored five second-chance points.Minot State forced 17 Wayne State turnovers while committing 15 themselves in Saturday’s game. The Beavers turned those takeaways into 19 points on the offensive end of the floor. Lorelei McIver led the way individually with three steals. 
 
Minot State started out the scoring by going on a 10-0 run, culminating in a bucket from Gustavsson, to take an early lead with 5:28 left in the first quarter. The Beavers then surrendered that lead and entered the second quarter down 12-10. The Beavers then outscored the Wildcats 16-14 in the second quarter to bring the game even at halftime with the count 26-26. Minot State dominated in the paint, scoring eight of its 16 points close to the basket. After intermission, Wayne State snatched a 32-30 lead before Minot State answered back by going on a 7-0 run, punctuated by a basket from Gustavsson, to grab a 37-32 lead with 4:05 to go in the third. Wayne State responded to seize a 42-41 lead entering the fourth quarter. Minot State played well near the basket, scoring eight of its 15 points in the paint. Wayne State kept widening its lead in the fourth, constructing a 49-46 advantage before Minot State went on a 7-0 run, finished off by Mogen’s layup, to seize a 53-49 lead with 4:29 to go in the fourth. The Wildcats then fought back to even things up at 59-59 and send the game to overtime. Minot State started overtime with a bang, going on a 5-0 run, finished off by Gustavsson’s three, to seize a 64-59 lead with 3:44 to go in the period. The Wildcats narrowed the margin somewhat before the game was over, but the Beavers still held on for the 73-70 win.
 
———————————————-
 
MSU MENS HOCKEY
 
MINOT, N.D. – Another chapter was written in the rivalry between Minot State and Jamestown as the home-and-home set shifted back to the Magic City. It was another tight battle through most of the game, leaving the third period to decide the winner. The Beavers would pull through in those efforts at Maysa Arena on Saturday afternoon.Minot State (24-5-0) completes the weekend sweep of Jamestown (19-9-0) winning another tight contest by a final of 3-2. Scoring was back and forth through the first 40 minutes of action, meaning the next one was going to be a huge one. The Beavers opened with the ice breaker just over the seven-minute mark of the first to go into the locker up by a goal. Jamestown answered twice as they took control of the second period halfway through the match, but only for so long. After the Jimmies tallied at 11:08 and 17:55, Minot State quickly let the deficit be a thing of the past and tied it up instantly with just over a minute left in the second. A costly penalty by Jamestown would lead to Minot capitalizing on the power play with a huge goal at 3:00 of the third, which would turn out to be the game winner in a 3-2 finish.Both teams will meet again on February 28 to start another weekend set, one which will also put a cap on the regular season.Colby Joseph got the scoring started with a shot coming from the top of the circle that beat Brandon Weare clean. His 10th goal now puts him at double digits on the year. Coming to the rescue late in the second to tie the game at two was Carter Barley for his 13th of the year. The Beavers took the lead back on a power play opportunity early in the third, where Sheldin Howard put home his ninth goal as they make the Jimmies pay after committing a slashing penalty.Jake Anthony was called upon as the starter once more for the Beavers. He finished with 28 saves on 30 shots in another quality performance.Minot State finishes the busy week with a 2-1 record and completing a weekend sweep over rival Jamestown. Next on the schedule for the Beavers will be a trip to Albert Lea, Minnesota for a date with the Waldorf Warriors starting on February 2. 
 
—————————————————–
 
MSU WOMENS HOCKEY
 
MARYLAND HEIGHTS, MO. – Day three of the WMCH Showcase was a late one, but the Beavers left the night feeling good after a comfortable win. Minot State was in Missouri to play the Lindenwood Lions at the St. Louis Blues practice rink, and chemistry was on point tonight for the Beavers. Minot State (14-10-0) tamed the Lindenwood Lions (5-12-3) by a final score of 5-0. The Beavers were in control from start to finish. Just over halfway through the first, they wasted no time pumping out two quick goals in less than a minute to get the momentum rolling. Coming out of the locker room, it was more of the same as Minot State doubled their lead to make it 4-0 after two periods. One more tally by Minot in the third would settle it to round out the 5-0 score. The Beavers won their fourth game over Lindenwood since joining MSU Athletics affiliation. Both teams will not meet again for the rest of the regular season. But, of course, a re-match is possible in one or both postseason tournaments. Minot State was clicking on offense tonight, so much so that there was a first career collegiate goal for Liberty Miller as she got the scoring started at 8:09 of the first. Immediately thereafter, Aspen Cooper provided a goal from the back end with 7:26 left to go in the frame, along with an assist to boot later in the match. In the second, Makena Welby had an open lane to walk in and scored all alone on the netminder at 7:12. It was at that point where the Beavers started to take over. A great passing sequence on the power play finished by Krissy Rink made the lead greater at almost two minutes to go in the middle period. Capping off a strong night was Olivia Opheim. After sitting on two assists, she got herself on the board with 12:13 remaining in the third to put the game to bed. Paige Ackerman also chipped in with two assists. Haylie Biever was given the night off, and so it was Morgan Baker’s time to shine. She was more than capable after picking up her third shutout of the year, stopping all 23 shots. Most of the team will get the day off tomorrow, but some others still have some work left to do this weekend. Paige Kozak, Paige Ackerman, Anna German, Krissy Rink, Makena Welby, and Haylie Biever have the right to call themselves all-stars! Those six skaters will be competing in the inaugural WMCH All-Star game tomorrow at noon. The team as a whole returns to action in Jamestown for a rescheduled game versus the Jimmies on January 31.
 
—————————————————–
 
MSU TRACK & FIELD
 
GRAND FORKS, N.D. – Four records. Four wins.Not a bad day competing alongside the NCAA Division I programs in the state of North Dakota.Devontae Daley led the charge for the Minot State track and field teams as he raced his way to a record with a win for the Beaver men at the University of North Dakota Open on Saturday.Daley was joined by teammate Devan Daniels in setting a school record on the men’s side, while Bailey Wride and De’Andre Cornwall added record performances for the Minot State women.The Beavers will look to build on their record day next weekend when Minot State competes at another D-I meet hosted by North Dakota State, the Bison Open, on Friday and Saturday in Fargo.Daley won the men’s 300 meters in 35.34 seconds on Saturday, shattering the old NCAA Division II-era record of 36.03 run one year earlier by teammate Francis Short Bull.Daley also added a third-place finish to his day, clocking a time of 1:58.89 in the men’s 800 meters.Adding to the men’s record race was Daniels who finished 11th in the 200 meters in 22.57 as he shaved a few fractions of a second of the previous D-II best of 22.60 run by Tyler Bates in 2015.On the women’s side, Cornwall hurdled her way into the record book as she qualified for the finals and finished sixth on the day in the 60-meter hurdles in 9.05 seconds. Her performance broke the previous D-II record of 9.16 run by DelRay Audet in 2016.And rounding out the records was Wride in the women’s 1,000 meters as she finished second overall on the day in 2 minutes, 59.79 seconds, breaking the old D-II record of 3:04.84 run by Abigail McGee in 2020.While those record efforts led the Beavers, Minot State also got three more wins as well as Marco Murillo won the men’s 1,000 meters in 2:36.80, Jacob Jensen won the men’s 5,000 meters in 15:07.20, and Nicole Reeves rounded out the wins by finishing first in the women’s mile in 5:21.81. 
 
—————————————————
 
UND HOCKEY
 
GRAND FORKS, N.D. (UND) – No. 5 North Dakota battled back for a 4-2 victory over No. 5 Denver to secure a series sweep on Saturday night from a sold-out Ralph Engelstad Arena in Grand Forks. After UND (18-6-2, 9-4-1 NCHC) held the Pioneers (17-7-2, 8-5-1 NCHC) to under three goals for the first time all season on Friday night, the Fighting Hawks once again stymied the nation’s leading scoring offense to notch the weekend sweep and a big six points in the conference standings. With the game deadlocked at 2-2 in the third period, Denver’s Sean Behrens was assessed a major penalty and game misconduct for a high hit on Ben Strinden, and NoDak took full advantage of the power play with a pair of goals from Owen McLaughlin and Riese Gaber just 45 seconds apart to give UND a 4-2 lead. Goaltender Ludvig Persson held down the fort for the remainder of the game, finishing with 22 saves on 24 shots against to become the first goalie to defeat Denver multiple times this season and hand the Pioneers their first loss on a Saturday night. Denver jumped out to a 1-0 lead early in the first period, when Jared Wright was able to deposit his own rebound on a partial break to give the visitors the advantage just 1:46 into the contest. NoDak was able to rally back on the power play late in the frame, as Cameron Berg made it goals in five straight games with a snipe from the top of the circle to even the game at 1-1 after 20 minutes. After Sam Harris gave DU the lead back on a slick shot midway through the second, Jackson Kunz broke free from the defense and cashed in his own rebound on the breakaway to knot the contest at 2-2 with his third tally of the season and send the game into the third tied. In the third, UND struck twice on a major power play just 45 seconds apart, with McLaughlin sniping home his ninth of the season from the left circle before Gaber followed with a shot from the right circle to cash-in his 13th of the year and give the Fighting Hawks the 4-2 lead. Denver pushed over the final four minutes for the equalizer, but Persson and the defense held strong to secure the weekend sweep with the 4-2 victory. North Dakota hits the road for a showdown with Miami next weekend beginning on Friday night at 6:05 p.m. (CT) from Oxford, Ohio.
 
————————————————
 
UND MENS BASKETBALL
 
ST. PAUL, Minn. – Eli King set a new career high with 17 points on Saturday night to help lead the North Dakota men’s basketball team to a 74-64 win over St. Thomas in St. Paul. The Fighting Hawks earned the split with the Tommies as the road team won in both games this season. B.J. Omot scored 22 points to lead the UND attack, his fourth straight game over 20 points. King was next with 17, and Tyree Ihenacho also scored in double-figures with 12. Ihenacho led the team with five assists, while Amar Kuljuhovic led with nine rebounds and scored eight points. Both teams struggled to find baskets in the early going, with Kuljuhovic scoring first for UND at the 16:29 mark to tie the game at two. But as the half went on, both offenses found their groove. NoDak got its first lead courtesy of an Omot dunk at 13:41 to go up 6-4, but the middle part of the half was a seesawing battle between the two as neither team was able to grab a decisive upper hand. At the 5:39 mark of the half, Ihenacho put the green and white back up 24-22, which was the start of a 16-5 run to close the half and go into intermission up 38-27. In the opening ten minutes of the second half, the Tommies chipped away at the Fighting Hawks lead—trimming it down to three at 50-47. Brady Danielson answered with a three to push the UND lead back up to six, and on the next Tommie possession Eli King sniffed out a pass from the wing coming back to center court and stole it for a breakaway dunk that pushed the lead back up to eight. From there, the green and white led by multiple possessions the rest of the way and closed out a ten point win. Next week will be a split week as UND will travel to Vermillion to take on South Dakota on Thursday before coming home for the Phil Jackson/Bill Fitch Banner Raising Game against North Dakota State.
 
————————————————–
 
UND WOMENS BASKETBALL
 
GRAND FORKS, N.D. – The North Dakota women’s basketball team was unable to overcome a first-half deficit and fell 76-66 to St. Thomas Saturday at the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center. After a defensive-heavy first quarter, the Fighting Hawks opened the second frame with 10 points in the first five minutes to take a 19-16 lead following a Kiera Pemberton bucket. The final five minutes of the period belonged to the Tommies, however, as they closed the first half with 18 unanswered points and held a 34-19 edge at the intermission. Trailing 53-39 heading into the fourth quarter, the Fighting Hawks looked to make a late run with six straight points to pull within 69-59 with 1:36 left. Rakiyah Beal corralled an offensive rebound, made the basket and converted the and-one opportunity to cut the deficit to single digits, 71-62. It was the first time UND had been within single-digit points since the two-minute mark in the second quarter. NoDak cut the lead to nine again, after two UST free throws, but the Tommies iced the game by going 7-for-8 from the charity stripe in the final minute. Kacie Borowicz started to heat up in the second half, pouring in 20 of her team-high 24 points on 7-of-12 shooting. Kiyah Hurst scored 10 of her 19 points in the second half and grabbed seven rebounds. Sammiyah Hoskin had a game-high 10 rebounds with five offensive boards. Both teams shot right around the .300 percent mark in the opening 10 minutes with St. Thomas holding a 12-9 lead. UND turned the ball over eight times in the first quarter, and 15 times in the first half which led to nine UST points. The lead changed hands twice in the opening five minutes, but then the game saw a four-minute scoring drought that lasted over four minutes before St. Thomas connected on a three-pointer in the closing seconds of the first period. The Hawks shot .533 percent from the floor in the third quarter, with 14 of their 20 points in the paint. The Tommies nearly matched UND’s points output with 19 on .412 percent shooting and came down with six offensive rebounds. Eight straight points from Hurst and Borowicz brought NoDak within 10 of St. Thomas, but the lead would jump back up to 53-39 by the end of the period. North Dakota will look to bounce back next week when they host South Dakota on Thursday at 7:00 p.m. at the Betty.
 
———————————————–
 
WOLVES-SPURS
 
SAN ANTONIO (AP) — A wild night in San Antonio got even wilder as the Spurs upended the Minnesota Timberwolves.Devin Vassell had 25 points, Victor Wembanyama added 23 points and 10 rebounds and San Antonio rallied to beat Minnesota 113-112 on Saturday night in a game delayed five minutes by a bat buzzing the court.Anthony Edwards had 32 points and 12 rebounds as Minnesota had a two-game winning streak snapped. Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns had 19 points each. Towns missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer. Minnesota (32-14) entered the game with a share of the Western Conference lead. San Antonio still has the West’s worst record even after two straight wins. The Timberwolves play at Oklahoma City on Monday night.
 
———————————————-
 
WILD-DUCKS
 
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Troy Terry scored his second goal of the game with 8:20 left to break a tie and Anaheim Ducks beat Minnesota 3-2 on Saturday night to end a 13-game losing streak against the Wild. A few seconds after exiting the penalty box, Terry gathered a puck in the neutral zone. His shot from the left circle was blocked by Ryan Hartman, but Terry followed the rebound and beat Filip Gustavsson from the slot. Kirill Kaprizov and Jon Merrill scored for Minnesota and Gustavsson stopped 22 shots. Minnesota has blown third period leads in back-to-back games after going 14-0-1 in its first 15 games leading after 40 minutes. Nashville scored three times in the final frame Thursday night in a 3-2 win.Wild coach John Hynes said sloppiness and missed assignments cost his team in both games going into a 10-day break for its bye and the All-Star break. The Wild next play at Chicago on Feb. 7.
 
 

Read more...

K-Heart Sports – 01/27/24

K-HEART SPORTS – SATURDAY – 01/27/24
 

MINOT, ND – Parshall/North Shore-Plaza made a three-point basket, but the officials ruled it came just after time expired. Kenmare-Bowbells held on for a 63-60 last night over the Braves in a game we broadcast on K-Heart. Caleb Knutson scored 20 points for the Honkers, including four made 3’s and was 4 of 4 from the freethrow line in the final seconds. Jack Zimmer added 14 points and TJ Lucy 11 for Kenmare-Bowbells as they improve to 7-6 overall, 3-1 in Class B District 7. Parshall/North Shore-Plaza was led in scoring by Joaquin Powell with a game-high 23, while River Querikiol added 20. The Braves drop to 6-6 overall, 2-2 in Class B District 7.
 
Other scores from the area:
 
High School Boys Basketball
 
Class AA
#5 Bismarck High def. #1 Minot High, 74-56 (Minot’s first loss)
#2 Bismarck Century def. Williston, 59-57
Bismarck Legacy def. Bismarck St. Mary’s, 63-55
Mandan def. Jamestown, 79-47
 
Class A
#5 Beulah def. Wahpeton, 72-59
South Prairie-Max def. Bottineau, 89-72
Stanley def. Turtle Mountain, 62-45
Rugby def. Nedrose, 80-52
Dunseith def. New Town, 62-56
Standing Rock def. Watford City, 79-53
 
Class B
#4 Bishop Ryan def. Glenburn, 84-28
Mohall-Lansford-Sherwood def. Drake-Anamoose, 77-43
Kenmare-Bowbells def. Parshall/North Shore-Plaza, 63-60
Ray def. Tioga, 68-59
Alexander def. Powers Lake-Burke Central, 58-55
Wilton-Wing def. Central McLean, 76-48
 

High School Girls Basketball
 
Class AA
#1 Minot High def. Bismarck High, 64-42   (Minot soph. Maggie Fricke is the new all-time points leader in school history breaking Cassie Askvig’s record of 1,403)
#2 Bismarck Century def. Williston, 70-38
#5 Bismarck Legacy def. Bismarck St. Mary’s, 70-44
Mandan def. Jamestown, 56-38
 
Class B
#9 Garrison def. Westhope-Newburg, 62-46
#10 T-G-U def. Velva, 64-52
Our Redeemer’s def. Surrey, 63-51
Mohall-Lansford-Sherwood def. Drake-Anamoose, 61-39
Bishop Ryan def. Glenburn, 55-34
Tioga def. Ray, 51-47
 

High School Boys Hockey
Bottineau-Rugby def. Bismarck High, 6-0
 

High School Girls Hockey
Jamestown def. Minot High, 2-0
Grand Forks def. Dickinson, 4-1
West Fargo United def. Bismarck Century, 4-3
Mandan def. Devils Lake, 6-5 SO
Fargo Davies def. Williston, 2-1
 

High School Boys Swimming & Diving
Minot High def. Fargo Davies, 94-91
Moorhead MN def. Minot High, 93-92
 
West Fargo Pentathlon
1. West Fargo, 224
2. Fargo North, 144.5
3. Bismarck Legacy, 137.5
4. Grand Forks, 135
5. Bismarck Century, 117
6. Dickinson, 59
7. Williston, 51
8. Mandan, 49
9. West Fargo Sheyenne, 13
 

High School Boys Wrestling
Minot High def. Turtle Mountain, 48-24
Dickinson def. Minot High, 41-24
Dickinson def. Turtle Mountain, 62-6
Mandan def. Jamestown, 49-22
Bismarck Century def. Jamestown, 53-18
 

High School Girls Wrestling
Minot High def. Dickinson, 60-9
Dickinson def. Turtle Mountain, 44-9
Bismarck Century def. Jamestown, 39-36
—————————————————
 
MINOTAUROS
 
MINOT, ND – The Austin Bruins skated past the Minot Minotauros 3-2 last night at Maysa Arena here in Minot. The Bruins were ahead 2-0 on a first period goal from Austin Salani and a second period goal by Gustav Noren before the Tauros got on the boad late in the second as Will Dawson light the lamp. Alex Laurenza would find the back of the net just 42-seconds into the third period putting Austin up 3-1. Chad Muller scored for Minot about halfway through the final period, but the Tauros could not get the equilizer. Brady James made 20 saves for Minot on 23 shots. Trent Wiemken tallied 26 saves for the Bruins. Austin spent 12 minutes in the penalty box while Minot had only four minutes in the box. The Tauros lead the NAHL Central Division was trimmed to 9 points over Bismarck. The Tauros will try to earn the split of the weekend series as they skate against the Bruins at 7:35 pm tonight at Maysa Arena.
—————————————————-
 
MSU MENS HOCKEY
 
JAMESTOWN, N.D. (MSU) – Coming off a tough loss against one in-state rival, it was a much-needed result for Minot State men’s hockey against another in-state rival. The team was in Jamestown to kickstart a home-and-home set this weekend, and they came up big in key moments. The No. 1 Beavers (23-5-0) added yet another shutout, and it came at a good time against a good Jamestown Jimmies (19-8-0) squad that is ranked fourth in the nation. There was no scoring action in the first period. Although, a late penalty would set up the Beavers to score the first goal on a power play with a fresh sheet of ice to begin the second. Minot would double the lead within the final five minutes of the second to go up by two heading into the final period of regulation. The Beavers would tally a back breaker on Jamestown just before the halfway mark of the third to cap the off the scoring. Logan Rands was the recipient of the power play marker that came 21 seconds into the second period. That goal was set up by Jay Buchholz, who happened to score his 10th of the season nearly 16 minutes later as he registered a multi-point effort. Stick taps are also in order for Ryan Monias as he scored his first collegiate goal at 9:53 of the third. Jake Anthony was chosen as the starter, and he held strong all throughout the game. 29 saves were enough to pick up his second shutout of the season. Minot State not only bounces back from a loss to Mary, but they avenge their 4-1 loss to Jamestown that took place two months ago on November 27. Both teams will meet again today in Minot. Take note of the early puck drop, which happens at 3:45 p.m. (CT).
—————————————————-
 
MSU WOMENS HOCKEY
 
O’FALLON, IL. (MSU) – Day two of the WMCH Showcase was another nail-biter for the Minot State women’s hockey team. Luckily, it resulted in a win for the good guys as the Beavers topped another conference opponent in the McKendree Bearcats. The No. 7 Beavers (13-10-0) got the best of 4th-ranked McKendree (12-7-1) in a game that featured a lot of situational awareness. They wasted no time and grabbed the game-winning goal early in the third period, as they finished strong in the closing stages versus the Bearcats. The final score was 3-2 at the McKendree Metro Rec Plex. The Bearcats, despite being on the losing end, scored the first goal of the game 16 minutes into the first period. Shortly thereafter, Minot went to work and responded just over a minute later in the waning moments of the first. McKendree came out of the locker room determined, as they answered early in the second to re-take the lead. Considerable time would pass until the tying goal by Minot brought it back to an even game with a few minutes left in the middle frame. The next goal would be a huge one, and it would indeed belong to the Beavers as they took it and ran with it the rest of the way for the win. Minot State wins their ninth game versus McKendree since MSU Athletics affiliation. Both teams will not meet again for the rest of the regular season, but a re-match is possible in the postseason tournaments. Riley Ball celebrated her birthday today, and what better way than to have scored two of the three goals. One of which was the game winner as she starts to heat up at the right time. Gillian Gervin also made it on the board as she got the scoring started for Minot State late in the first. Haylie Biever stood out strong for the Beavers in another start for the netminder. She tallied 21 saves on 23 shots. Next for Minot State will be a late-night matchup today with the Lindenwood Lions. Take note of the new start time, as puck drop has been pushed back to 9:30 p.m. (CT).
—————————————————-
 
MSU MENS WRESTLING
 
MINOT, N.D. (MSU) – On a busy day of wrestling at the Minot Municipal Auditorium, the Minot State men’s wrestling team put on a great show to cap the festivities. Part of a wrestling extravaganza featuring the Minot High School boys and girls teams battling in a tri-dual, as well, the Beavers finished off the day’s action by rolling to a 29-11 win over first-year Sioux Falls in NSIC action. A competitive battle early on, Minot State (7-7 duals, 3-4 NSIC) found itself playing catchup as only Wayne Joint picked up a victory for the Beavers in the opening three matches. Joint won a 6-2 decision over Beau Klingensmith at 133 pounds as Minot State trailed 8-3 early on. Ryan Hrcka ignited a run of three straight victories for Minot State, though, propelling the Beavers into a team lead they never relinquished. Hrcka won a 10-3 decision over Cooper Sanders at 149 pounds. Kelby Armstrong then put Minot State on top in the team score, 10-8, with his 11-1 major decision victory over John Tyler at 157 pounds before Brendan Barnes added another major decision win for Minot State, a 16-6 victory over Lincoln Fink at 165 pounds. After the Cougars grabbed their final victory of the evening, Minot State dominated the heavyweight matches as Cayden White won a 14-4 major decision at 184 pounds over Timothy Lacina, Cannon Potts picked up a 16-0 technical fall win over Isaiah Laguna at 197 pounds, then Jake Swirple capped the evening with a pin in 5 minutes, 32 seconds of Rocky Wiedman in their 285-pound match. The win gives Minot State a bit of momentum as they get nearly two weeks to rest before the Beavers final home match of the season when they host Dickinson State on Tuesday, Feb. 6, at 7 p.m. at the MSU Dome in a non-conference dual.
————————————————
 
MSU WOMENS WRESTLING
 
MINOT, N.D. (MSU) – Two of the younger teams in women’s wrestling met on the mats Friday night at the Minot Municipal Auditorium, and in the end the visiting Sioux Falls Cougars came up victorious. The host Minot State Beavers got a win by pin from Keela Kary, but that was it as they fell 42-6 to the Cougars. The Sioux Falls program is in its first season and Minot State is in its second year. The match was the final dual of the season for Minot State (6-8 duals), which next competes at the Grand View Open on next Saturday, Feb. 3, before heading into the postseason and the NCWWC Region Tournament at the end of February. Kary’s pin came in 1 minute, 56 seconds in her 136-pound match against the Cougars’ Mackenzie Armagost. Minot State also got a single team point from Haleigh Lematta, who dropped an 11-7 decision at 155 pounds to Brinley Green.
———————————————–
 
UND HOCKEY
 
GRAND FORKS, N.D. (UND) – No. 5 North Dakota put together one of its best games of the year, dominating fourth-ranked Denver by a 5-2 score in the series opener on Friday night from a sold-out Ralph Engelstad Arena in Grand Forks. With the win, UND (17-6-2, 8-4-1 NCHC) stands alone atop of the league standings with 29 points and clinch the season series win over Denver (17-6-2, 8-4-1 NCHC) heading into today’s finale. Jackson Blake put his stamp on the contest in the second period, notching a goal and an assist to extend his point streak to seven and give him 10 points in that span. Cameron Berg also tallied a multi-point contest, striking for an empty net tally and an assist on Blake’s power play strike to make it four straight tilts with a goal for the junior. Dylan James (5), Griffin Ness (3) and Ben Strinden (5) each potted goals while goaltender Ludvig Persson finished with 17 saves on 19 shots against to notch his third-career win over Denver and hold the Pioneers to their lowest goal total all season. North Dakota goes for the series sweep tonight at 6:07 p.m. from the Ralph.
———————————————-
 
TWINS-OFFSEASON
 
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Limited player movement across Major League Baseball this offseason has been no more pronounced than in Minnesota, where the defending AL Central champion Twins have so far claimed a couple of players off waivers and signed a middle reliever coming off an injury. Hot stove? Try deep freezer. Free agents have largely felt no rush in recent years, but a major factor in this quiet offseason appears to be uncertainty around regional broadcast revenue. The Twins are among 11 teams who’ve had nearly all of their games on the Bally Sports networks, whose parent company went into bankruptcy last year. Amazon recently announced it will partner with the Diamond Sports Group in the reformation process, but with spring training less than three weeks away the urgency for clubs like the Twins is clear. “It remains a fluid situation,” said team president Dave St. Peter, who described himself as “incredibly optimistic” about being able to announce soon what platform Twins games will be broadcast on in 2024.
 
In the meantime, the front office has had to play it cool. After fielding a club-record payroll that was $164 million heading into the postseason, fueled by shortstop Carlos Correa’s $200 million, six-year contract, the Twins produced their first postseason series victory since 2002. But the wariness around the regional television situation has prompted a reduction in player salary costs. Starting pitchers Sonny Gray (St. Louis), Kenta Maeda (Detroit) and Tyler Mahle (Texas) and reliever Emilio Pagán (Cincinnati) all departed as free agents for deals that average $14 million annually. Gray got the biggest contract: three years for $75 million. The good news for the Twins is they had a healthy stable of starting pitching depth. They also had rookies Royce Lewis, Edouard Julien and Matt Wallner emerge as key regulars — and in the case of Lewis, a potential superstar — midway through the season. “I think we have an excellent group, period. As of right now we have a team that is an equal or better team than we had last year coming out of camp,” manager Rocco Baldelli said Friday before the team’s annual fan festival at Target Field. “The focus shouldn’t be on the couple of players that we currently don’t have that we ended the season with.” Pablo López, Joe Ryan, Bailey Ober, Chris Paddack and Louie Varland will likely enter camp next month as the starting five. The Twins can be quite confident in that quintet, even after losing the other three. What they could use now is another viable option or two in case of the inevitable injuries. Because of the price of starting pitching on the open market, that’s likely to be accomplished via trade.
 
Another reason the Twins believe in their ability to maintain the momentum they built last year is the health of center fielder Byron Buxton. Yes, center fielder. After what turned out to be false hope of him contributing on defense during yet another injury-shrouded season while Buxton was relegated to designated hitter duty, he’s been enjoying a winter without restriction and on track to become a two-way player again. “He’s pain free, so that’s where I want to be,” Baldelli said. Having Buxton regularly available to play center field opens up so many more avenues to strengthen the daily lineup, when he’s not occupying the DH spot. “No setbacks. Everything has gone according to what we hoped the plan would look like,” president of baseball operations Derek Falvey said. ‘So when you ask why I have more confidence today than I do a year ago, it’s because we were still waiting to see how he was going to be. This year I feel like he’s further along in that process.”
 

Read more...

K-Heart Sports – 01/26/24

K-HEART SPORTS – FRIDAY – 01/26/24
 

MINOT, ND – Thursday scores:
 
High School Boys Basketball
 
Class B
#3 Westhope-Newburg def. North Prairie, 78-47
Harvey-Wells County def. Berthold, 60-21
Velva def. T-G-U, 67-53
Our Redeemer’s def. Surrey, 67-38
Powers Lake-Burke Central def. Divide County, 74-28
Williston Trinity Christian def. Trenton, 53-38
 

High School Girls Basketball
 
Class A
#2 Bottineau def. #5 Nedrose, 69-51
#3 South Prairie-Max def. Dunseith, 63-22
Des Lacs-Burlington def. Stanley, 58-29
Rugby def. New Town, 43-28
Watford City def. Beulah, 64-41
Shiloh Christian def. Hazen, 58-46
 
Class B
#3 Central McLean def. Wilton-Wing, 65-12
#7 Kenmare-Bowbells def. Ray, 43-15
Harvey-Wells County def. Berthold, 53-49
Parshall def. North Shore-Plaza, 41-32
Powers Lake-Burke Central def. Divide County, 37-34
Williston Trinity Christian def. Alexander, 38-28
Washburn def. New Salem-Almont, 55-36
North Prairie def. Warwick, 74-33
St. John def. Cavalier, 56-25
 

High School Boys Hockey
Mandan def. Minot High, 3-2
Dickinson def. Hazen-Beulah, 8-0
 

High School Girls Hockey
Bismarck High-Legacy def. Dickinson, 5-2
 

High School Boys Wrestling
Minot High def. Bismarck Legacy, 30-29
Dickinson def. Bismarck Century, 37-27
Williston def. Bismarck St Mary’s, 55-9
Bismarck High def. Watford City, 57-9
Bismarck High def. Sidney MT, 54-9
Watford City def. Sidney MT, 57-18
 

High School Girls Wrestling
Minot High def. Bismarck Legacy, 45-26
Dickinson def. Bismarck Century, 39-33
—————————————————-
 
MSU MENS BASKETBALL
 
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (MSU) – The 16th-ranked Minot State men’s basketball team got a 22-point showing from the bench, but fell 77-67 to the Augustana Vikings on the road Thursday in NSIC action, snapping a seven-game Beaver win streak. The Beavers (15-4 overall, 10-3 NSIC) had two players score in double figures, led by Jaxon Gunville, who had 15 points. Khari Broadway added 11 points and Connor Hollenbeck added nine points and six rebounds. Minot State forced 16 Augustana turnovers. The Beavers turned those takeaways into 19 points on the offensive end of the floor. Michael Jok’s three steals led the way for Minot State. After falling behind 9-3, Minot State went on a 6-0 run with 14:35 left in the first half, culminating in a three from Jalen Cook, to tie the game at nine. Augustana then pulled ahead, sending the Beavers into halftime down 34-33. Augustana kept widening its lead after intermission, constructing a 77-61 advantage before Minot State went on a 6-0 run, finished off by Jok’s layup, to shrink the deficit to 77-67 with nine seconds to go in the contest, The Beavers were unable to cut further into the deficit by the end of the game, losing 77-67. Minot State took care of business in the paint, recording 22 of its 34 points in the lane. The Beavers play at Wayne State on Saturday.
——————————————————
 
MSU WOMENS BASKETBALL
 
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (MSU) – Lorelei McIver racked up 7 steals, and the Minot State women’s basketball team defeated the Augustana Vikings 66-60 on the road Thursday in NSIC action. The Beavers (7-15 overall, 4-9 NSIC) had three players score in double figures, led by Sydney Gustavsson, who had 16 points. McIver added 15 points and seven steals and Emma Mogen helped out with 12 points. The Minot State defense held Augustana shooters to just 34.5 percent from the field. The Beavers also kept Lauren Sees to 4-of-14 shooting in the game. With the win, Minot State leapfrogs the Vikings into the top 12 in the league standings. The top 12 at the end of the season advance to the NSIC Tournament.
 
Minot State started out the scoring by going on a 9-0 run, culminating in a bucket from Emily Srejma, to take an early lead with 7:28 left in the first quarter. The Beavers then lost some of that lead, but still entered the quarter break with a 19-12 advantage. Minot State did most of its first-quarter damage in the paint, scoring 10 of its 19 points close to the basket. Minot State built that first quarter lead to 27-16 before going on a 6-0 run starting at the 4:11 mark in the second period, highlighted by a bucket from Srejma, to increase its lead to 33-16. The Vikings cut into that lead, but the Beavers still enjoyed a 35-20 advantage heading into halftime. Minot State dominated in the paint, scoring 16 of its 16 points close to the basket. After intermission, Minot State held on to its advantage and owned a 49-39 lead heading into the fourth quarter. Minot State knocked down two three-pointers in the quarter to score six of its 14 total points. Minot State kept its lead intact before going on a 6-0 run, finished off by Mogen’s three, to grow the lead to 61-50 with 4:21 to go in the contest. The Vikings narrowed the margin with a 10-0 run, but a Gustavsson basketball and a late turnover by Augustana helped seal the win in the final half minute. Minot State took advantage of five Augustana turnovers in the quarter, scoring five points off of those takeaways.
——————————————————
 
MSU WOMENS HOCKEY
 
CHESTERFIELD, MO. (MSU) – The Minot State women’s hockey team kicked off their first appearance in day one of the WMCH Showcase. It was a grind, but the Beavers got the job done over the Maryville University Saints. The No. 7 Beavers (12-10-0) defeated the 5th-ranked Saints (15-13-0) by a final score of 2-1. Maryville’s lone goal came at 9:50 left in the first period, but that was all they could muster as the Beavers stood out well defensively in a tight contest. Minot State responded to tie the game at one heading into the first intermission. The go-ahead goal was scored at 4:28 remaining in the middle frame. That second period tally would end up becoming the game-winning goal and all that the Beavers needed to secure the win. Minot State picks up their second win over Maryville this season and sixth win overall versus the Saints since affiliation started with MSU Athletics. Both teams will not meet again for the rest of the regular season, but a possible re-match could take place either in the WMCH Tournament or ACHA National Tournament later on. Gracie Perry broke through with 50 seconds left to go in the first to give the Beavers the tying marker. It was her third of the year with the assist coming from captain Riley Ball. Scoring the game-winner was Cameron Schmidt, who now has goals in back-to-back games. Her fourth of the season was set up from assists by Mia McKee and Makena Welby. Haylie Biever was fantastic once again in her third start coming off of injury. She steered away 27 of 28 shots. The Beavers will have a quick turnaround as they return to action today facIing another top five team in the McKendree Bearcats. Puck drop is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. (CT).
—————————————————–
 
MSU MENS WRESTLING
 
MINOT, N.D. (MSU) – Minot State’s duo of Wayne Joint and Jake Swirple led the way Thursday night with wins for the Beavers, but in the end the 4th-ranked Augustana Vikings won the teams’ dual 37-8 in an NSIC battle at the MSU Dome. Minot State now is quickly back in action as part of the wrestling extravaganza at the Minot Municipal Auditorium on Friday as the Beavers (6-7 duals, 2-4 NSIC) host Sioux Falls as 7 p.m. Thursday against the Vikings, the head-to-head dual started off even as the Vikings took the first match before Joint evened the team score with a 10-2 major decision victory in his 133-pound match. All even at 4-4, though, the match swung the Vikings way as a tech fall and a pin built momentum and started a streak of seven straight wins that Minot State could not turn back until the final match at heavyweight. In that 285-pound bout, Swirple took control early and rolled to his own major victory, 11-1, giving Minot State its final win of the evening.
—————————————————-
 
MSU WOMENS WRESTLING
 
MINOT, N.D. (MSU) – Bella Hernandez led the way for the Minot State women’s wrestling team, picking up a pair of wins that included one by pin as the Beavers beat Dakota Wesleyan 25-15, but fell to Chadron State (Neb.) 37-12 in a tri-dual Thursday at the MSU Dome. The Beavers now are quickly back in action as they host Sioux Falls on Friday at 7 p.m. in the finale of a wrestling extravaganza at the Minot Municipal Auditorium. Thursday at the MSU Dome, Hernandez collected a win by forfeit to start the day in the dual against the Chadron Eagles, then won by pin in 1 minute, 5 seconds over Mady Sargent of the Dakota Wesleyan Tigers in their 130-pound match. The Beavers (6-7 duals) added wins by forfeit for Skye Shelmerdine (116), Jazmin Gorder (123), Haleigh Lematta (143), and Madison Parson (191) to wrap up the victory over the Tigers. In their dual against the Eagles, Keela Kary added a win by forfeit at 136 pounds for the Beavers, who also got a single team point each from Shelmerdine and Gorder, despite losses. In Thursday’s third dual, Chadron State beat Dakota Wesleyan, 35-5.
————————————————-
 
NDSU WOMENS BAKETBALL
 
FARGO, N.D. (NDSU) – Elle Evans netted a career-high 29 points to help the North Dakota State women’s basketball team pick up an 85-52 win over St. Thomas on Thursday night at Scheels Center. With the win, the Bison improve to 11-8 (5-1 Summit) and moved to 8-0 at Scheels Center this season. NDSU has won five of its last six games and is 19-1 at home over the last 20 games dating back to last season. St. Thomas drops to 11-9 (3-3 Summit) with the loss. Evans carried the Bison with a career-high 29 points on 7-of-7 shooting from three. Her seven triples rank tied for the fourth-most in a single-game in NDSU history and were two shy of the program record of nine, which was set by Beth Bue against Northern Colorado on Feb. 26, 2002. Evans also shot 9-of-14 from the field and 4-of-4 from the free throw line to go along with a game-high three blocks. Heaven Hamling logged her third 20-point performance of the season with 22 points and a game-high seven rebounds. Abbie Draper closed out the top performers with nine points, three rebounds and two steals. As a team, NDSU shot 46.6 percent (27-58) from the field and 64.7 percent (11-17) from three with all 10 players reaching the scoring column. The Bison also drained 20 free throws on 23 attempts.
 
After only holding a one-point lead after the first quarter, 16-15, NDSU erupted starting the second frame on a momentum-shifting 15-1 run to expand its lead to 31-16 after Abby Krzewinski drained a three-pointer at the 5:29 mark. The Bison went on to take a 39-29 lead into the intermission. NDSU continued to surge starting the third quarter on a 12-2 run to grow its edge to 20, 51-31, following a triple from Evans at the 5:37 mark. The Bison then began to put the game away finishing the third quarter on an 11-0 run capped off by a Miriley Simon buzzer beater to make the score 69-35. The Bison shot 60.0 percent from the field and limited the Tommies to 16.7 percent from the field in the third frame. NDSU went on to close out the contest over the final 10 minutes to earn the 85-52 victory. NDSU will be back in action next Thursday night hosting South Dakota State. Tip-off is set for 7:00 p.m., at Scheels Center.
—————————————————–
 
NDSU MENS BASKETBALL
 
ST. PAUL, Minn. (NDSU) – The North Dakota State men’s basketball team built a nine-point lead at St. Thomas on Thursday night, but the Tommies rallied back to outscore the Bison by 19 in the second half and earn a 79-66 win in Summit League play. Noah Feddersen scored a career-high 20 points to lead the Bison. Boden Skunberg added 19 points and seven rebounds. After shooting 71 percent (15-for-21) in the first half, NDSU finished at 48 percent for the game. NDSU led by nine at 42-33 in the final minute of the first half. The Tommies strung together a 12-2 run over a five-minute stretch in the second half, going up 53-48 with 10:30 remaining. When the Bison pulled within one at 53-52, St. Thomas responded with another 13-4 run. With a three-pointer in the second half, Skunberg became the 40th player in NDSU history to reach 1,000 career points. Parker Bjorklund scored 32 points for St. Thomas to lead all scorers. Feddersen made 7-of-8 shots in the game and recorded a career-high four assists. NDSU fell to 9-12 overall and 2-4 in The Summit League. St. Thomas improved to 14-7 overall and 4-2 in league play. The Bison will have this weekend off before playing at South Dakota State and North Dakota next week.
————————————————–
 
TIMBERWOLVES-NETS
 
NEW YORK (AP) — Karl-Anthony Towns scored 27 points, Anthony Edwards added 24 and the Western Conference-leading Minnesota Timberwolves held on for a 96-94 win over the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday night. Minnesota led by as many as 17 points in the third quarter and was still ahead by 10 midway through the fourth quarter. An 8-0 Nets run, capped by Mikal Bridges’ short jumper with 3:34 left, made it 91-89. Cam Thomas’ free throws with 1:11 left tied the game 94-94. Rudy Gobert put down an alley-oop from Towns with 58 seconds remaining to put the Timberwolves back in front. Bridges was fouled by Jaden McDaniels with two seconds left, giving the Nets a chance to tie the score. He missed the first and the Nets were called for a lane violation on his ensuing intentional miss. After a timeout, Minnesota successfully inbounded the ball and ran out the clock. The Nets have now lost three straight, seven of eight and 12 of their last 14. Gobert finished with 10 points and 13 rebounds, while Mike Conley also scored 10. Towns added 10 rebounds. Thomas led the Nets with 25 points and Bridges had 21. Nic Claxton finished with 16 points and 11 rebounds, and Spencer Dinwiddie scored 14. Minnesota visits San Antonio on Saturday night.
————————————————-
 
WILD-PREDATORS
 
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Alexandre Carrier and Filip Forsberg scored 35 seconds apart to open a three-goal third period, Juuse Saros made 22 saves and the Nashville Predators came back to beat the Minnesota Wild 3-2 on Thursday night. Roman Josi added his 10th goal of the season and had an assist, while Ryan O’Reilly had two assists for Nashville. The Predators had lost three of four, but are 21-11-1 in their last 33 games. They entered the day tied for fifth in the NHL in points since Nov. 18 after starting the season 5-10-0. Joel Eriksson Ek scored his team-leading 21st goal of the season for Minnesota and Matt Boldy got his 16th. Filip Gustavsson stopped 25 shots for the Wild, which had its three-game winning streak stopped. Minnesota had been 14-0-1 when leading after two periods. The Wild host Anaheim on Saturday.
 
 

Read more...

K-Heart Sports – 01/25/24

K-HEART SPORTS – THURSDAY – 01/25/24
 

MINOT, ND – Minot High is atop both Class AA high school basketball polls again 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 (18)               12-2             90               1
2. Bismarck Century            11-1             69               2
3. Fargo Davies                     9-1             49               5
4. Grand Forks Red River    11-2             28              RV
5. Bismarck Legacy             10-3             22              4
 
Others receiving votes: West Fargo Horace (10-2), Bismarck High (10-4), Mandan (9-5)
 
 
Class AA Boys Basketball Poll
 
Team (1st Place Votes)    Record   Polling Points   Last Week
1. Minot High (18)               13-0             90              1
2. Bismarck Century            11-0             63              2
3. Fargo Davies                    8-3             42              T5
4. Fargo South                      8-4             31             RV
5. Bismarck High                   9-5             27             RV
 
Other receiving votes: West Fargo Sheyenne (9-4), Grand Forks Central (8-4), Bismarck Legacy (8-5)
—————————————————-
 
MSU MENS HOCKEY
 
MANDAN, N.D. (MSU) – A good start for half the game was not enough for the Minot State men’s hockey team as they were leapfrogged by in-state rival University of Mary at Schwan Cadillac Arena in Mandan, ND on Wednesday night. The 1st-ranked Beavers (22-5-0) were upset by the No. 10 Marauders (19-9-0) in a 5-3 final score. Minot State jumped ahead to 2-0 and 3-2 leads, all for Mary to battle back from multiple deficits and take it out of the hands of the Beavers. Minot opened the game with the ice breaker on a beautiful centering feed midway through the first to go up 1-0 heading to the locker room. In the second period, things were looking up for the Beavers after a Marauders miscue in the defensive zone to make the lead 2-0. Gearing towards the final five minutes of the period, Mary would up the intensity to not only answer once but twice, with the tying goal occurring at four seconds left in the second period. Minot State responded early in the third only for the Marauders to tie it just over a minute later. It would stay 3-3 for about 14 minutes until Mary scored the go-ahead goal, a back breaker for the Beavers with just over 3 minutes left in regulation. Minot State would eventually fall short in rally efforts with the extra attacker as Mary collected the empty netter to seal the deal. Both teams will meet one last time this season on February 22 in Minot.
 
The two top point leaders on the Beavers combined for the opening goal, as Christian Kadolph set up Carter Barley for his 12th of the year. You can tally another goal for Reid Arnold after he was able to extend his total to 17 on a short-handed effort in the second period. Jay Buchholz also grabbed his ninth goal in the final period of regulation. Going into the night with a shutout streak on the line, it was Riley Wallace getting the start for the Beavers in net. Unfortunately, the streak came to an end at 224 minutes for Wallace as he managed his way up to 23 saves on 27 total shots. Up next for the Beavers is a home-and-home set this weekend with the Jamestown Jimmies. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:15 p.m. (CT) in Jamestown on Friday and 3:45 p.m. (CT) Saturday in the Magic City.
——————————————————
 
MSU MENS BASKETBALL
 
MINOT, N.D. (MSU) – Riding a seven-game win streak that includes an upset of then No. 1-ranked Minnesota State, Mankato, the Minot State men’s basketball team climbed five spots in this week’s NABC Coaches Top 25 poll and are No. 16 in the nation. The Beavers (15-3 overall, 10-2 NSIC) earned the program’s first-ever NCAA Division II national ranking last week, checking into the Top 25 at No. 21. The Beavers promptly handed the No. 1-ranked Mavericks an 81-71 setback, part of Minot State current win streak which the team stretched to seven games with a 77-70 victory Saturday at the MSU Dome over Winona State. The pair of weekend wins helped the Beavers climb in the poll, while the Mavericks slid from the top spot to No. 5 in the nation. NSIC foe Minnesota State, Moorhead was at No. 3 in this week’s poll, which was topped by new No. 1 West Texas A&M. The 16th-ranked Beavers hit the road this week to play at Augustana tonight and at Wayne State on Saturday.
——————————————————
 
TIMBERWOLVES-WIZARDS
 
WASHINGTON (AP) — Anthony Edwards scored 38 points and the Western Conference-leading Minnesota Timberwolves avoided their first three-game skid of the season, beating the Washington Wizards 118-107 on Wednesday night. Karl-Anthony Towns had 27 points and Rudy Gobert added 19 points and 16 rebounds for the Wolves. Minnesota was coming off a home loss to lowly Charlotte in which Towns scored 62 points, a performance coach Chris Finch called “disgusting” and “immature.” Deni Avdija scored a season-high 24 points for the Wizards, who dropped their fifth straight, the fourth skid of at least that many games for the league’s second-worst team. Washington has only one win this season over a team that came in with a winning record. The Timberwolves play at Brooklyn tonight.

—————————————————–
 
TWINS-SIGNING
 
NEW YORK (AP) — Bubba Thompson was claimed off waivers by the Minnesota Twins from the New York Yankees on Wednesday, moving to his fourth team of the offseason. Infielder Jeter Downs and outfielder Oscar González passed through waivers and were assigned outright to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Thompson was designated for assignment Friday to open a roster spot for right-hander Luke Weaver. Thompson was claimed by the Yankees off waivers on Jan. 4 from Cincinnati, which claimed him on Oct. 26 from Kansas City. The Royals had claimed him from Texas on Aug 13. The 25-year-old hit .170 (9 for 53) with no homers, four RBIs and four stolen bases in 37 games with Texas last year.
 
 

Read more...

K-Heart Sports – 01/24/24

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

MINOT, ND – Stanley ended a three game losing streak with a 56-46 win over Des Lacs-Burlington on Tuesday night, in a game we broadcast on K-Heart. The Blue Jays led by as many as 20 points midway through the fourth period before the Lakers made a push with a 10-0 run. Stanley held them off behind 18 points by Drake Schlosser and 17 for Josh Hetzel. Brylon Fisher tallied 13 points to lead DLB, while Colton Feller came off the bench to add 10. Stanley improves their record to 8-4. DLB drops to 9-3.
 
Other scores from the area:
 
High School Boys Basketball
 
Class AA
#1 Minot High def. Bismarck St. Mary’s, 91-50
#2 Bismarck Century def. Jamestown, 94-50
Bismarck High def. Mandan, 68-65
Dickinson def. Williston, 85-60
 
Class A
#5 Beulah def. Dickinson Trinity, 68-56
Bottineau def. Nedrose, 88-61
Turtle Mountain def. Rugby, 57-50
South Prairie-Max def. Dunseith, 76-64
Stanley def. Des Lacs-Burlington, 56-46
New Town def. Watford City, 71-61
 
Class B
#3 Westhope-Newburg def. Mohall-Lansford-Sherwood, 75-58
#4 Bishop Ryan def. T-G-U, 58-57
Washburn def. #9 Garrison, 73-67
Williston Trinity Christian def. Parshall/North Shore-Plaza, 82-57
Wilton-Wing def. White Shield, 76-66
Velva def. Surrey, 66-41
Harvey-Wells County def. Drake-Anamoose, 62-53
Our Redeemer’s def. Glenburn, 77-26
Central McLean def. Center-Stanton, 61-58
Kenmare-Bowbells def. Hazen (Class A), 72-71
 

High School Girls Basketball
 
Class AA
#1 Minot High def. Bismarck St. Mary’s, 82-59
#2 Bismarck Century def. Jamestown, 76-47
Bismarck High def. Mandan, 54-52
Dickinson def. Williston, 73-56
 
Class B
#3 Central McLean def. Center-Stanton, 85-24
Washburn def. #9 Garrison, 46-34
Harvey-Wells County def. Drake-Anamoose, 55-47
Powers Lake-Burke Central def. Alexander, 52-17
Parshall def. Williston Trinity Christian, 60-38
Trenton def. Divide County, 47-18
Mandaree def. North Shore-Plaza, 61-29
 

High School Boys Hockey
Bismarck Century def. Dickinson, 12-2
Bismarck Legacy def. Bismarck High, 7-1
Williston def. Hazen-Beulah, 3-1
 

High School Girls Hockey
Bismarck High-Legacy def. Jamestown, 5-2
 

High School Boys Wrestling
Watford City def. Turtle Mountain, 42-30
——————————————————-
 
MSU MENS BASKETBALL-POLL
 
MINOT, N.D. (MSU) – Riding a seven-game win streak that includes an upset of then No. 1-ranked Minnesota State, Mankato, the Minot State men’s basketball team climbed five spots in this week’s NABC Coaches Top 25 poll and are No. 16 in the nation. The Beavers (15-3 overall, 10-2 NSIC) earned the program’s first-ever NCAA Division II national ranking last week, checking into the Top 25 at No. 21. The Beavers promptly handed the No. 1-ranked Mavericks an 81-71 setback, part of Minot State current win streak which the team stretched to seven games with a 77-70 victory Saturday at the MSU Dome over Winona State. The pair of weekend wins helped the Beavers climb in the poll, while the Mavericks slid from the top spot to No. 5 in the nation. NSIC foe Minnesota State, Moorhead was at No. 3 in this week’s poll, which was topped by new No. 1 West Texas A&M. The 16th-ranked Beavers hit the road this week to play at Augustana on Thursday and at Wayne State on Saturday.
——————————————————
 
NDSU FOOTBALL-HONOR
 
AUSTIN, Texas (NDSU) – North Dakota State safeties Cole Wisniewski and Sam Jung were named to the 2023 Academic All-America® football team Tuesday as selected by the College Sports Communicators. Founded in the mid-1950s, the Academic All-America® program has long been regarded as the premier awards program in intercollegiate athletics for honoring combined academic and athletic success. Wisniewski, a senior from Sparta, Wis., was voted to the Academic All-America® first team with a 4.0 GPA in business administration and marketing. He led all Division I players with eight interceptions and also led NDSU with 92 total tackles and five pass breakups in 14 starts at safety. Jung, a senior from Neenah, Wis., was voted to the Academic All-America® second team with a 4.0 GPA in civil engineering. Jung started all 15 games at safety and was third on the Bison with 66 total tackles. He added three interceptions and three pass breakups. To be eligible, student-athletes must be enrolled full time with at least sophomore academic and athletic standing, a minimum 3.50 cumulative grade-point average, and compete in 90 percent of their institution’s games or start in at least 66 percent of the games.
——————————————————–
 
WILD-CAPITALS
 
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Marcus Johansson scored twice against his former team, Joel Eriksson Ek and Marcus Foligno each had a goal and an assist, and the Minnesota Wild beat the Washington Capitals 5-3 on Tuesday night. Eleven players had points for the Wild, including a goal from Brock Faber, and Filip Gustavsson made 31 saves for his third straight win. Minnesota has won three in a row and four of five after losing eight of nine. Anthony Mantha scored twice and T.J. Oshie once for the punchless Capitals. Washington has lost four of seven, scoring more than two goals in just three of those games. Blanked on Saturday in St. Louis, the Capitals average 2.36 goals per game, third-worst in the NHL, ahead of only Chicago and San Jose. The Wild will host Nashville on Thursday.
 
 

Read more...

K-Heart Sports – 01/23/24

K-HEART SPORTS – TUESDAY – 01/23/24
 

MINOT, ND – A few changes in this week’s Class 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)              13-0              95               1
2. Bottineau                       14-1              74               2
3. South Prairie-Max          12-1              53               3
4. Devils Lake                      9-4              28               4
5. Nedrose                         13-1              25               5
 
Others receiving votes: Carrington (11-3), Kindred (11-4), Shiloh Christian (10-4), Valley City (11-4)
 
 
Class A Boys Basketball Poll
 
Team (1st Place Votes)        Record   Polling Points   Last Week
1. Kindred (18)                        12-0              94              1
2. Devils Lake (1)                    10-1              69              3
3. Four Winds-Minnewaukan    9-3              57               2
4. Grafton                                  9-1              46               4
5. Beulah                                   8-2                7               5
 
Others receiving votes: Shiloh Christian (8-3), Northern Cass (10-2), Des Lacs-Burlington (9-2)
 
 
Class B Girls Basketball Poll
 
Team (1st Place Votes)                     Record   Polling Points   Last Week
1. May-Port-CG (14)                            12-0              192              1
2. Langdon Area-Edmore-Munich (5)  14-1              176              2
3. Central McLean (1)                          14-0              163              4
4. Sargent County                                12-1              139              3
5. Bowman County                               10-2              118              5
6. Maple River                                      10-3                99              6
7. Kenmare-Bowbells                           11-5                63              7
8. Edgeley-Kulm-Montpelier                 11-4                52              8
9. Garrison                                            10-3                32             RV
10. T-G-U                                              12-4                17              9
 
Other receiving votes: St. John (11-2), Trenton (13-3), Linton-HMB (10-4), Washburn (10-3), Our Redeemer’s (10-5), Benson County (10-4), Oakes (9-4), Tioga (10-3)
 

Class B Boys Basketball Poll
 
Team (1st Place Votes)    Record   Polling Points   Last Week
1. Bowman County (15)      11-0               195             1
2. North Star (4)                  11-0               177             2
3. Westhope-Newburg (1)   12-0               166             3
4. Bishop Ryan                    11-1               137             5
5. Hankinson                         9-1               103              6
6. Glen Ullin-Hebron            12-1                 99             7
7. Linton-HMB                        9-1                 74             4
8. Sargent County                  8-3                 46             8
9. Garrison                            11-3                 31             9
10. North Border                     9-1                 30            RV
 
Other receiving votes: Williston Trinity Christian (8-1), Wilton-Wing (9-2), Edgeley-Kulm-Montpelier (8-3), Mohall-Lansford-Sherwood (8-2), Ellendale (9-4), Alexander (9-2)
—————————————————-
 
MINOT, ND – Monday’s scores from the area:
 
High School Boys Basketball
 
Class A
#2 Devils Lake def. Carrington, 77-31
South Prairie-Max def. Parshall/North Shore-Plaza (Class B), 60-45
Killdeer def. South Heart, 68-44
 
Class B
Kenmare-Bowbells def. Tioga, 73-63
Alexander def. Ray, 72-62
Williston Trinity Christian def. Belfield, 78-54
North Prairie def. St. John, 62-54
 

High School Girls Basketball
 
Class A
#3 South Prairie-Max def. #2 Bottineau, 70-64
#5 Nedrose def. Rugby, 44-41
Shiloh Christian def. Beulah, 70-43
Turtle Mountain def. Stanley, 81-38
Dunseith def. New Town, 61-45
Watford City def. Hazen, 55-41
 
Class B
#7 Kenmare-Bowbells def. Tioga, 39-36
#10 T-G-U def. Bishop Ryan, 56-34
Our Redeemer’s def. Glenburn, 58-35
Surrey def. Velva, 65-46
Berthold def. Westhope-Newburg, 48-28
Ray def. Alexander, 53-13
—————————————————–
 
MSU MENS BASKETBALL-HONOR
 
MINOT, N.D. (MSU) – Friday night, junior forward Connor Hollenbeck led the way for the 21st-ranked Beavers in an upset of then No. 1-ranked Minnesota State, Mankato, turning in his first double-double of the season. Saturday, Hollenbeck turned in his second straight double-double as he helped Minot State earn a weekend sweep, and in the process, Hollenbeck earned NSIC Player of the Week honors as announced by the league on Monday. Hollenbeck averaged 14.5 points and 10 rebounds on the weekend as he scored a team-high 19 points in the Beavers’ 81-71 upset of the Mavericks on Friday. He also grabbed 10 rebounds in the win. Saturday, the junior from Rapid City, South Dakota again hauled in 10 boards and was one of three Minot State players to score 10 points in a 77-70 victory over Winona State. Hollenbeck finished the weekend shooting 11-of-22 from the field and added in four steals, three assists, and blocked a shot for Minot State. The honor is the first for Hollenbeck, and the first for a Minot State player this season. Minot State now hits the road for games at Augustana on Thursday and at Wayne State on Saturday.
——————————————————–
 
WOLVES-HORNETS
 
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Karl-Anthony Towns scored a franchise-record 62 points, including 44 in the first half, but the Charlotte Hornets erased an 18-point deficit and stunned the Minnesota Timberwolves 128-125 on Monday night. Towns managed just four points on 2-for-10 shooting in the fourth quarter, when the Timberwolves were outscored 36-18. He thought he was fouled on a drive to the basket in the closing seconds and Minnesota trailing by one, then was short on a 3-point attempt on the final possession. Miles Bridges scored 28 points and Brandon Miller had 27 for the Hornets. Leaky Black ripped the ball away from Towns on his way to the basket to preserve the Hornets’ 10th victory of the season. Towns finished 21 for 35 from the floor, including 10 for 15 from 3-point range, and now owns the top three scoring outputs in the Wolves’ 35-year history. Towns’ desperation 3 inside the final second ensured the 21st time in NBA history a player has scored 60 or more points in a loss. Charlotte, the NBA’s No. 27 team in offensive rating, shot a season-high 58.1% from the floor. The Timberwolves now visit Washington on Wednesday with a two game losing streak.
 
 

Read more...

K-Heart Sports – 01/21/24

K-HEART SPORTS – SUNDAY – 01/21/24
 

MINOT, ND – Saturday scores:
 
High School Boys Basketball
 
Class AA
Bismarck Legacy def. #5 West Fargo Sheyenne, 89-78
 
Class A
Standing Rock def. Nedrose, 80-73 OT
 
Devils Lake Shootout
Shiloh Christian def. Turtle Mountain, 68-49
Central Cass def. Rugby, 74-37
Valley City def. Stanley, 51-33
#3 Devils Lake def. #5 Beulah, 84-48
#1 Kindred def. #2 Four Winds-Minnewaukan, 48-45
 
Class B
#7 Glen Ullin-Hebron def. #9 Garrison, 69-57
Mohall-Lansford-Sherwood def. Tioga, 85-46
Williston Trinity Christian def. Powers Lake-Burke Central, 69-56
Alexander def. Beach, 64-38
Central McLean def. Mandaree, 79-33
Trenton def. South Heart, 45-44
 

High School Girls Basketball
 
Class AA
#4 Bismarck Legacy def. West Fargo Sheyenne, 72-49
 
Class A
#2 Bottineau def. Grafton, 59-48
Des Lacs-Burlington def. Glen Ullin-Hebron (Class B), 61-35
 
Class B
#4 Central McLean def. Mandaree, 73-26
Tioga def. Mohall-Lansford-Sherwood, 67-47
Trenton def. South Heart, 64-36
Powers Lake-Burke Central def. Williston Trinity Christian, 50-21
Beach def. Alexander, 70-21
 

High School Boys Hockey
Minot High def. Fargo North, 2-1 OT
Dickinson def. Bottineau-Rugby, 11-5
Williston def. Jamestown, 4-2
Bismarck Legacy def. Mandan, 5-1
 

High School Girls Hockey
Grand Forks def. Minot High, 2-0
Devils Lake def. Williston, 6-2
Fargo North-South def. Mandan, 4-1
 

High School Boys Swimming & Diving
 
Minot Invite
1. Bismarck Century, 377
2. Minot High, 353
3. West Fargo, 351
4. Grand Forks, 340
5. Bismarck High, 303
6. Bismarck Legacy, 240
 

High School Boys Wrestling
 
Metro Duals – Fargo (Day two)
Minot High def. Fargo Davies, 46-19
Minot High def. Fargo North, 57-15
Minot High def. Fargo South, 66-12
Minot High def. Grand Forks Central, 43-18
 

High School Girls Wrestling
 
Rugby Tournament
1. Bismarck High, 245
2. Minot High, 231.5
3. Bismarck Legacy, 182
4. Dickinson, 149
5. Bismarck Century, 137
6. Napoleon-Gackle-Streeter, 98.0
7. Devils Lake, 74.0
8. New Salem – Almont, 70.0
9. Williston, 56.0
10. Harvey – Wells County, 55.0
11. Des-Lacs Burlington, 51.0
12. Rugby, 40.5
13. Turtle Mountain, 39.0
14. MonDak, 38.0
15. Stanley, 31.0
16. Kenmare-Bowbells-Burke Central, 30.0
17. Williams County, 10.0
18. Beulah-Hazen, 9.0
19. Northern Lights, 8.0
20. Watford City, 7.0
 

NAHL Hockey
Aberdeen Wings def. Minot Minotauros, 5-2
——————————————————–
 
MSU MENS BASKETBALL
 
MINOT, N.D. (MSU) – Led by birthday boy Jalen Cook who, the 21st-ranked Minot State men’s basketball team shot 50 percent from beyond the arc on the way to a 77-70 win against the Winona State Warriors at the MSU Dome on Saturday in NSIC play. The Beavers (15-3 overall, 10-2 NSIC) had four players score in double figures, led by Cook, who had 18 points and two steals. Connor Hollenbeck tacked on a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds and Ben Bohl helped out with 10 points. Celebrating his birthday with his family in town, and with the Beavers’ seventh straight victory, also was a highlight. The Minot State offense was strong from three-point land, knocking down 10 threes on 20 attempts. Jaxon Gunville hit two treys for the Beavers in the contest.
 
After falling behind 4-0, Minot State went on an 11-0 run with 18:42 left in the first half, culminating in a bucket from Caleb Van De Griend, to take an 11-4 lead. The Beavers then added six points to that lead by the end of the period and entered halftime with a 43-30 advantage. Minot State relied on its three-point shooting in the period, knocking down six shots to account for 18 of its 43 points. The Beavers responded to a Winona State comeback with three-pointers as the Warriors grabbed a 57-56 advantage before a three by Hollenbeck put Minot State back in front for good. Gunville and Cook added 3s in a 13-4 Beaver run, and a Kameron Givens’ layup grew the lead to 71-61 with 3:00 to go in the contest. The Warriors narrowed the margin somewhat before the game was over, but the Beavers still cruised the rest of the way for the 77-70 win. Minot State got a boost from its bench in the period, as non-starters accounted for 24 of its 34 total points.
——————————————————
 
MSU WOMENS BASKETBALL
 
MINOT, N.D. (MSU) – The Minot State women’s basketball team got a 30-point performance from the bench, led by Jaime Skeggs who had a career-high 18 points, on the way to a 59-45 win against the Winona State Warriors at at the MSU Dome on Saturday in NSIC action. The Beavers (6-15 overall, 3-9 NSIC) had two players score in double figures, led by Skeggs’ 18 points. Emma Mogen added 10 points and Sydney Gustavsson added nine points, nine rebounds, four assists and two steals. Minot State grabbed 38 rebounds in Saturday’s game compared to Winona State’s 35, led by Gustavsson’s nine boards. The Minot State defense held Winona State shooters to only 30.2 percent from the field, including 28 percent from three-point range. The Beavers also kept Hailey Markworth to 3-of-13 shooting and seven points in the game. The Warriors did not get many second opportunities on the offensive end, as they grabbed only eight offensive rebounds and scored two second-chance points while Minot State pulled down 29 defensive rebounds.
 
After playing to a 2-2 tie early in the game, Minot State went on a 9-0 run with 7:33 left in the first quarter to take an 11-2 lead. The Beavers then added three points to that lead by the end of the period and entered the quarter break with a 19-7 advantage. Minot State capitalized on 11 Winona State turnovers in the period, turning them into 11 points on the other end of the floor. Minot State kept its first quarter lead intact before going on a 10-0 run starting at the 4:44 mark in the second period, highlighted by a bucket from Emily Srejma, to increase its lead to 34-14. The Warriors cut into that lead, but the Beavers still enjoyed a 34-16 advantage heading into halftime. Minot State was strong from deep in the period, knocking down two three-point shots to account for six of its 15 points. After intermission, Minot State held on to its advantage and owned a 52-40 lead heading into the fourth quarter. Minot State’s bench made the most of its minutes in the period, as non-starters totaled five of the team’s 18 third-quarter points. Minot State kept its lead intact before going on a 7-0 run, finished off by Lorelei McIver’s layup, to grow the lead to 59-43 with 3:51 to go in the contest. The Warriors narrowed the margin somewhat before the game was over, but the Beavers still cruised the rest of the way for the 59-45 win.
———————————————————
 
MSU MENS HOCKEY
 
FREMONT, NE. (MSU) – Another clean sweep led to a perfect script for Minot State men’s hockey this season when it came to facing off with the Midland Warriors. The team was back again to take on the Warriors on the road at Sidner Ice Arena as the Beavers could not have asked for a better weekend. No. 1 Minot State (22-4-0) bulldozed through Midland (9-15-1) by a final score of 8-0 in another complete game effort. The Beavers wasted no time by lighting the lamp within the first five minutes of the match. It would stay that way for about 30 minutes of game time until the flood gates burst open, with Minot State adding three more before the end of the second period. The Beavers would eventually put the game out of reach as they struck twice in the first minute of the third period. Two power play goals made for the cherry on top to make the score what it is at 8-0. Minot State finishes the regular season series winning all four games versus Midland.
 
Goals were plentiful for the good guys. Christian Kadolph made another stout showing for the Beavers in an exceptional five-point night, including his sixth goal of the year on the power play and four assists. Captain Carter Barley and Reece Henry each had three points in the win. Barley scored twice for his 10th and 11th of the season, while Henry poured out a goal and two assists. Sheldin Howard and Colby Joseph rounded out the goal scoring in the second period. In the final period of regulation, Walker Jerome and Jay Buchholz also got on the scoring sheet for Minot State. Trenton Curtis fulfilled the role of playmaker as he dished out three assists in another standout performance. Looking at the team stats, the Beaver special teams were huge tonight with three power-play markers on four tries.It was another weekend of split reps between the Minot State goalies, as the Beavers went with Riley Wallace this time around. He stays red hot, as 22 saves were enough for him to get his third shutout in a row. In his last three starts, he has stopped all 62 shots that came his way. Minot State wraps up another series resulting in victories over the Midland Warriors. Both teams will not meet again for the remainder of the regular season. Up next for the Beavers is a trip to University of Mary on January 24, followed immediately by a home-and-home weekend set with the University of Jamestown in a classic North Dakota rivalry week.
—————————————————–
 
MSU WOMENS HOCKEY
 
MINOT, N.D. (MSU) – It was a battle of wits as the Minot State women’s hockey team gave themselves a chance against the number one team in the country. Midland University came to town to conclude another hard-fought series. The No. 8 Beavers (11-10-1) went the distance against 1st-ranked Midland University (21-0-2) in a game that needed a shootout. The first and second periods belonged to the Warriors, as they led 2-0 heading into the third. Midland scored the ice breaker at 9:06 of the first period on a power play opportunity. After the Warriors doubled their lead in the second, it looked like a tall hill to climb for the Beavers. Facing adversity, Minot State rises to the occasion as they came back down 2-0 to tie the game with less than a minute to go in regulation. A short-handed break, along with extended offensive zone pressure with the extra attacker would pay off for the Beavers. A scoreless overtime frame would result in a 2-2 finish. Midland would go on to pick up the extra point after scoring once in the shootout. Cameron Schmidt had the short-handed marker, followed by a great tip by Riley Ball late in the game as each got their third goal of the season. Schmidt also added an assist on Ball’s goal to complete a two-point output on the night. Haylie Biever got the start in net once again for Minot State and made 22 saves on 24 shots. Minot State showed tons of grit in a tie with No. 1 Midland. Coming up next for the Beavers will be a Midwest tour as they will play in three straight days versus Maryville, McKendree, and Lindenwood before leading up to the inaugural WMCH All-Star game.
—————————————————–
 
MSU TRACK & FIELD
 
MINOT, N.D. (MSU) – Minot State Track and Field had themselves one successful meet at the Mike Thorson Open, in Bismarck, ND. An all-around team effort from distance to field to sprints, the Beavers earned themselves top 3 performance in a lot of their events. Leading the way, the distance crew put on a phenomenal show at the meet. Sidra Sadowsky, came out victorious in the mile. Paulette Dominguez, and Emery Smith followed up in mile with 2nd and 3rd place finishes earning a sweep. Bailey Wride, a freshman, did not disappoint in the women’s 600-meter run, her second-place finish with a time of 1:39.76 put her for the second fastest time in school history. In the Women’s 1000 meters, Nicole Reeves placed second with a time of 3:17.37.
 
Moving to the men’s side, Devontae Daley, finished 1st place in the 600 meters with a time of 1:23.35. With that not only being a personal best for Daley, it also puts him in second all time in school history. Marco Murillo, followed up with a second-place finish in 600 as well. In the men’s 1k, Yoni Neyshtadt secured 3rd place with a time of 2:44.47. Senior, Jacob Jensen, took a 3rd place finish in the mile. Freshman standout, Jasiah Hambira, broke yet another High Jump record and met the NCAA provisional qualifying mark for the second straight meet. With a leap of 2.05 meters, Hambria is currently tied 19th in the nation. Samuel Kreins capped off the meet with a 2nd place finish in the men’s shot put with a toss of 14.79 meters.
—————————————————
 
UND HOCKEY
 
ST. CLOUD, Minn. (UND) – No. 6/7 North Dakota rallied from a pair of third period deficits and play to a 3-3 overtime tie against No. 13 St. Cloud State on Saturday night from the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center in St. Cloud, Minn. While UND (16-6-2, 7-4-1 NCHC) runs its regulation unbeaten streak to 17 straight games, SCSU (11-7-4, 7-2-3 NCHC) earned the second point in the NCHC standings with a 2-1 shootout victory to bring both teams to a tie atop the league standings with 26 points. North Dakota entered the third period trailing for only the fifth time all season, but once again overcame the pair of deficits on goals from Jake Livanavage and Cameron Berg to improve to 2-1-2 this season when trailing after 40 minutes. Ludvig Persson was strong again between the pipes for NoDak, finishing with 32 saves on 35 shots against while SCSU goaltender Dominic Basse improved as the game went to tally 24 saves on 27 shots. Jackson Blake stretched his point streak to six games with his 15th goal of the season while freshman Jayden Perron notched the first multi-point game of his career with a pair of assists on the two goals in the third period.
—————————————————
 
UND MENS BASKETBALL
 
GRAND FORKS, N.D. (UND) – Amar Kuljuhovic set new career highs in both points with 19 and rebounds with 15 as the North Dakota men’s basketball team won its third straight game Saturday, defeating Denver 92-78. B.J. Omot scored 20 points to lead the UND attack, as five players scored in double figures for the second straight game. Treysen Eaglestaff poured in 18, Tyree Ihenacho 14 and Tsotne Tsartsidze with 12. Ihenacho dished out six assists to lead the team. NoDak jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead with layups from Tsartsidze and Omot, but was unable to hold the lead as the half swung back and forth. Denver gained a six point lead at 27-21 with eight minutes left to go in the half, but a 13-6 run from UND over the next six-plus minutes put the Fighting Hawks back on top 34-33 with 1:19 to go. At the half the green and white held a one point edge at 38-37 as Ihenacho drove down the lane and banked in a buzzer beating layup. Early in the second half the game was tied at 44, when Omot drained a three and then Kuljuhovic scored under the basket to put the Fighting Hawks up by five and would not relinquish the lead the rest of the game. Each time that the Pioneers would come within striking distance, the Fighting Hawks would answer and push the lead back up. The lead eventually swelled into double-digits and the hosts defended their home court with a 14 point win. North Dakota will travel to St. Thomas next Saturday for a 7 p.m. tip off with the Tommies.
—————————————————
 
UND WOMENS BASKETBALL
 
DENVER, Colo. (UND) – The North Dakota women’s basketball team erupted for 31 third quarter points on a .706 shooting percentage on its way to a 78-68 road win over Denver Saturday. In a tale of two halves, the Fighting Hawks doubled up their first half point total of 27 in the third quarter. North Dakota totaled 31 points in the third frame and took its first lead of the night after Kiera Pemberton’s bucket a minute into the quarter. The Hawks were red-hot out of the locker room and were a perfect 8-for-8 from the field at the under-five media timeout and finished the quarter 12-of-17. Pemberton scored eight of UND’s first 12 points, and Kacie Borowicz scored the next seven as the Hawks took a 46-37 lead with 4:35 on the clock. NoDak carried a 16-point lead, 58-42, into the final quarter after a 12-2 run that featured seven points from Mikayla Aumer and five from Kiyah Hurst. Four Hawks reached double-figures with Borowicz and Hurst pouring in 19 each, Pemberton with 14 and Aumer with 13 off the bench. Hurst also notched her second double-double of the season with 12 rebounds, while Pemberton hit double-digit points in just 18 minutes. Hurst carried the third quarter momentum into the fourth by opening it with her second three-pointer of the day, and put UND up 19, which was its largest lead of the day. The Hawks held the Pioneers at bay for the majority of the quarter, with their advantage briefly dipping into single digits late in the game. The Hawks answered Denver’s late baskets and went 5-for-6 from the free throw line in the final two minutes to secure the 10-point victory. The Fighting Hawks struggled to find the bottom of the net in the first quarter, scoring 10 points in the opening frame on 4-of-16 shooting. The Hawks scored nine of their 10 points on extra possessions with nine second chance points on four offensive rebounds. Denver shot .462 percent from the field and knocked down 4-of-9 attempts from deep. Borowicz cut the DU lead to six heading into the second quarter after connecting on her first three-pointer of the game with 25 seconds left. Denver extended their advantage to double digits for the first time, 25-14, early in the second quarter. The Hawks answered with six straight points, from three different players, to force a Pioneers timeout. UND outscored Denver 13-5 over the final seven minutes, to pull within three heading into the halftime intermission. NoDak continued to attack the offensive glass in the second quarter with nine second chance points on six offensive boards. Kiyah Hurst and Borowicz combined for 10 total rebounds and seven offensive boards in the opening 20 minutes. The Fighting Hawks return to the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center next Saturday to host St. Thomas at 1:00 p.m.
——————————————————
 
NDSU MENS BASKETBALL
 
FARGO, N.D. (NDSU) – Boden Skunberg recorded a double-double with 20 points and 10 rebounds, and Noah Feddersen matched his season-high with 18 points to lift the North Dakota State men’s basketball team to a 72-67 victory over Oral Roberts on Saturday afternoon. NDSU improved to 9-11 overall and 2-3 in The Summit League. ORU fell to 8-11 overall and 2-4 in league play. The Bison grabbed 13 offensive rebounds in the game, outpacing the Golden Eagles by 10 on the offensive glass. NDSU junior Andrew Morgan finished with 14 points, 13 rebounds, and a team-high four assists. NDSU led for nearly 26 of the game’s 40 minutes. The contest featured eight ties and 11 lead changes. ORU took a 64-62 lead on a bucket by Kareem Thompson with 1:30 remaining. The Bison answered with a three-pointer from Skunberg on the next possession, and Morgan added a free throw and a layup to put NDSU up 68-64 with 40 seconds left. The Golden Eagles got a three-point play from Issac McBride to pull within one, but the Bison went 4-for-4 at the free throw line to seal the victory. The Bison will play next at St. Thomas on Thursday, Jan. 25.
—————————————————–
 
NDSU WOMENS BASEKTBALL
 
TULSA, Okla. (NDSU) – The North Dakota State women’s basketball team saw its four-game win streak come to a close after falling short at Oral Roberts, 84-75, on Saturday afternoon at Mabee Center. Elle Evans paced the Bison (10-8, 4-1 Summit) with a game-high 23 points to go along with three rounds and two assists. Avery Koenen added in a season-high 14 points with four rebounds, four steals and three assists, while Abby Graham chipped in 12 points with four rebounds. After leading by three at halftime, 40-37, Oral Roberts (14-5, 5-1 Summit) started the third quarter on an 8-2 run to expand their edge to 48-39 following a layup from Ruthie Udoumoh at the 8:19 mark. The Bison fought their way back in fourth quarter to cut the edge down to six, 72-66, after Evans sank layup with 3:02 to play. However, NDSU couldn’t close the gap any further and dropped the contest, 84-75. NDSU will return home hosting St. Thomas on Thursday night. Tip-off is set for 7:00 p.m., at Scheels Center.
 
 

Read more...

K-Heart Sports – 01/20/24

K-HEART SPORTS – SATURDAY – 01/20/24
 

MINOT, ND – #5 Nedrose held off Des Lacs-Burlington 38-36 last night in a Class A, Region 3 girl’s basketball game we broadcast on K-Heart. The Cardinals had won their meeting about two weeks ago by 16 points, but this time it was close throughout with the largest lead of the night by Nedrose at 7 points. The Lady Lakers had several opportunities in the final seconds to either tie, or get the win, with a made basket, but they couldn’t convert. Maecey McKibbin was the only player to reach double-figures as she led the Cardinals with 11 points. Lilly Nelson and Ashley Roberts each added 8 points as Nedrose moves to 13-1 overall, 1-0 in Region 3. Des Lacs-Burlington was led by Logan Ystaas with 8 points, while Zannah Bjerklie scored 7. The Lady Lakers fall to 9-5 overall, 0-2 in Region 3.
 
Other scores from the area:
 
High School Girls Basketball
 
Class AA
#1 Minot High def. #4 Bismarck Legacy, 60-52
#2 Bismarck Century def. Bismarck High, 58-38
Mandan def. Bismarck St. Mary’s, 82-59
Jamestown def. Dickinson, 70-62 OT
 
Class A
#1 Thompson def. #4 Devils Lake, 50-29
#2 Bottineau def. Rugby, 57-36
#5 Nedrose def. Des Lacs-Burlington, 38-36
Shiloh Christian def. Watford City, 52-41
Turtle Mountain def. New Town, 62-26
Standing Rock def. Dunseith, 44-39
 
Class B
#7 Kenmare-Bowbells def. Powers Lake-Burke Central, 46-23
Garrison def. Wilton-Wing, 63-36
Trenton def. North Shore-Plaza, 67-14
Divide County def. Ray, 55-34
Washburn def. Richardton-Taylor, 50-42
 
 
High School Boys Basketball
 
Class AA
#1 Minot High def. Bismarck Legacy, 74-61
Bismarck High def. #2 Bismarck Century, 103-61
Mandan def. Bismarck St. Mary’s, 83-63
Dickinson def. Jamestown, 91-68
 
Class A
Dickinson Trinity def. Hazen, 56-36
 
Devils Lake Shootout
#2 Four Winds-MInnewaukan def. Turtle Mountain, 71-37
#3 Devils Lake def. Shiloh Christian, 77-56
Rugby def. Valley City, 56-50
#5 Beulah def. Central Cass, 75-72
#1 Kindred def. Stanley, 54-37
 
Class B
#3 Westhope-Newburg def. Harvey-Wells County, 68-28
#5 Bishop Ryan def. Surrey, 54-32
Velva def. Our Redeemer’s, 77-76 OT
T-G-U def. Glenburn, 73-39
Ray def. Divide County, 60-31
New Salem-Almont def. Central McLean, 50-38
 

High School Boys Hockey
Jamestown def. Minot High, 3-2 OT
Bottineau-Rugby def. Hazen-Beulah, 5-2
Bismarck Century def. Williston, 7-2
 

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

High School Girls Gymnastics
 
Mandan Starstruck Invite
1. Bismarck Century, 136.125
2. Mandan, 134.100
3. Grand Forks, 133.750
4. Bismarck Legacy, 129.250
5. Northwest Stars, 123.725
6. Breckenridge-Wahpeton, 122.525
7. Minot High, 103.400
8. Bismarck High, 99.550
 
All-Around Winner: Taryn Swanson of Grand Forks, 36.075
 

High School Boys Swimming & Diving
Minot High def. Grand Forks, 101-85
Minot High def. West Fargo, 95-91
 

High School Boys Wrestling
 
Metro Duals – Fargo (Day one results)
Minot High def. Devils Lake, 43-26
Minot High def. West Fargo, 58-10
West Fargo Sheyenne def. Minot High, 39-21
Minot High def. Moorhead MN, 45-22
——————————————————
 
MSU MENS BASKETBALL
 
MINOT, ND (MSU) – Fresh off making history earlier this week by earning a first-ever NCAA Top 25 ranking, the Beavers added to that history with their first upset of a No. 1 nationally ranked foe. And, Minot State added in career win No. 200 for head coach Matt Murken in the process. Connor Hollenbeck registered a double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds to lead the 21st-ranked Minot State men’s basketball team over the No. 1 Minnesota State, Mankato Mavericks 81-71 at the MSU Dome on Friday in front of more than 2,000 boisterous Beaver fans in NSIC action. The Beavers (14-3 overall, 9-2 NSIC) had four players score in double figures, led by Hollenbeck, who notched a double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds. Khari Broadway tacked on 12 points and six assists and Jaxon Gunville chipped in as well with 11 points and two blocks. The Minot State offense was very productive from three-point land, making 10 threes on 22 attempts. Gunville was the most prolific shooter for the Beavers, draining three treys in the contest. Minot State did a great job disrupting Minnesota State shots in the contest, coming away with five blocks. Gunville led the way individually for the Beavers with two rejections.
 
After jumping out to a 15-6 advantage, Minot State went on an 8-0 run with 12:32 left in the first half, culminating in a three from Gunville, to increase its lead to 23-6. The Beavers then lost some of that lead, but still entered halftime with a 42-29 advantage. Minot State got a great contribution from its bench in the period, as non-starters accounted for 11 of its 42 total points. Minot State kept its lead intact before going on a 9-0 run, finished off by Gunville’s three, to grow the lead to 62-45 with 9:36 to go in the contest. The Mavericks narrowed the margin somewhat before the game was over, but the Beavers still cruised the rest of the way for the 81-71 win. Minot State got out on the break in the period, scoring nine fast-break points.
——————————————————-
 
MSU WOMENS BASKETBALL
 
MINOT, N.D. (MSU) – Taylor Goss collected 24 points and Sydney Gustavsson added 21, but the Minot State women’s basketball team fell to the visiting Minnesota State, Mankato Mavericks 87-72 at the MSU Dome on Friday in NSIC action. Goss and Gustavsson’s stellar scoring performances led the Beavers (5-15 overall, 2-9 NSIC) in the contest. Goss tacked on five rebounds and Gustavsson added five assists. Emily Srejma also helped out with 10 points, six rebounds and seven assists. Minot State shared the ball well in Friday’s game, racking up 24 assists on 29 made field goals. Srejma’s seven assists led the Beavers. Minot State struggled out of the gate, falling behind 25-18 at the end of the first quarter. The Beavers continued to lose ground in the second quarter and faced a 49-35 halftime deficit. After intermission, Minot State cut its deficit to 53-41 before going on a 5-0 run, punctuated by a basket from Gustavsson, to trim its deficit to 53-46 with 5:43 to go in the third. Minnesota State countered and stretched its lead to 65-53 heading into the fourth. Minot State played well near the basket, scoring 10 of its 18 points in the paint. Minot State could not pull any closer in the fourth, losing by a final of 87-72. Minot State pulled down four offensive rebounds to score three second-chance points out of 19 total in the period.
——————————————————
 
MSU MENS HOCKEY
 
FREMONT, NE. (MSU) – In a game where they got better as it rolled along, the Minot State men’s hockey team took care of business once again as they were on the road to take on the Midland Warriors. The Beavers (21-4-0) defeated the Warriors (9-14-1) by a final score of 8-2 behind a strong effort all around. Minot State scored twice in the opening frame, followed by a stretch of four goals in nearly a five-minute span during the second period, and two on the power play to close out the game. Six goals ended up being the biggest lead of the night as Midland countered with their only two tallies halfway through the middle frame. Minot State filled the net and did not stop on a night where they outshot the Warriors 46-18. Leading goal scorer Reid Arnold did what he does best as he registered two more goals to improve his season total to 16. Troy Hamilton is right behind him after getting his 13th of the year. Logan Rands, Brayden Pawluk, Reece Henry, and Joey Moffatt also scored for the Beavers in the win. Carter Barley was excellent at setting up his teammates, with three assists for the captain. Jake Anthony returned in net for the Beavers after some time off, as he picked up 16 saves on 18 shots. Minot State played well defensively in front of him, only allowing one shot on net in the final period of regulation. Both teams will meet again today for a 7:30 p.m. (CT) puck drop.
—————————————————-
 
MSU WOMENS HOCKEY
 
MINOT, N.D. (MSU) – Despite a strong effort early on from the Beavers, the first period proved to be a killer one as Minot State women’s hockey returned to action for the first time in over a month. Their first game of 2024 was a big test against the No. 1 nationally ranked Midland Warriors. The No. 8 Beavers (11-10-0) fell to Midland University (21-0-1) by a final score of 4-2. Period one was scoreless for almost halfway through until Midland struck twice in less than four minutes to round out the action after 20 minutes. Scoring would turn out back-and-forth the rest of the game, with Minot State getting the first goal in the second and third periods to cut multiple Midland leads down to one. In the end, MSU could not find the equalizer as Midland’s 2-0 lead proved to be a major difference maker. The Warriors were able to match the Beavers goal-for-goal for the remainder of the game. Midland now has their fifth straight victory over the Beavers this season following their meeting in the 2023 ACHA National Tournament semifinals. Olivia Kirwan and Krissy Rink tallied the lone goals for the Beavers. For Kirwan, it was her second of the year. In a short-handed breakaway, Rink collected her sixth and took over the top spot in goals scored on the team. As far as good news goes for Minot State, Haylie Biever made her first start in net coming off injury. She grabbed 28 saves on 32 shots. The Beavers six-game winning streak came to an end tonight at the hands of Midland. Both teams will meet again today at Maysa Arena for a 7:30 p.m. (CT) puck drop.
—————————————————
 
UND HOCKEY
 
ST. CLOUD, Minn. (UND) – Senior goaltender Ludvig Persson stopped 34 shots to help No. 6/7 North Dakota defeat No. 13 St. Cloud State, 5-3, on Friday night from the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center in St. Cloud, Minn. The goaltender was stellar in his return to the net, stopping a season-best 34-of-37 fired his way to help the Fighting Hawks (16-6-1, 7-4-0 NCHC) vault into first place in the conference standings with 25 points and give the visitors only their second win in the last nine games in St. Cloud. Sophomore forward Jackson Blake exploded for a pair of goals and an assist for his sixth game of the season with three points while extending his point streak to five straight. Forwards Cameron Berg (1G, 1A) and Owen McLaughlin (2A) also notched multi-point outings while defenseman Jake Livanavage dished out a pair of helpers for his second-career game with two assists. North Dakota will go for the series and season sweep over St. Cloud State tonight at 6:07 p.m. from the HBNHC.
————————————————–
 
MINOTAUROS
 
MINOT, ND – The Minot Minotauros scored a shutout win in Aberdeen last night with a 3-0 tally over the Wings. Niklas Ketonen got the Tauros on the board in the first period, while Nicholas Sewecke and Trevor Stachowiak added third period scores. Lukas Swedin made 27 saves for the Tauros who increase their lead in the NAHL Central Division to 13 points over Bismarck. The Tauros will try to complete the weekend sweep over the Wings tonight in Aberdeen.
————————————————
 
WILD-PANTHERS
 
SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Kirill Kaprizov scored two of Minnesota’s five power-play goals, Ryan Hartman also had two goals, and the Wild beat the slumping Florida Panthers 6-4 on Friday night. Joel Eriksson Ek and Mats Zuccarello also had power-play goals for the Wild. Brock Faber had three assists and Matt Boldy had two. Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 10 of 11 shots he faced before leaving due to an injury with 9:28 left in the second period. Filip Gustavsson came on and finished with 21 saves to get the win. Aaron Ekblad, Eetu Luostarinen, Anton Lundell and Gustav Forsling scored for Florida, which lost its fourth straight for the first time this season. The five power-play goals allowed tied a Panthers record, done three times previously — the last in 2006. It also matched the most by any team in the NHL this season; Dallas scored five on the way to beating Minnesota 8-3 on Nov. 12. The Wild play at Carolina on Sunday.
———————————————
 
VIKINGS-COUSINS
 
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Kirk Cousins plans to be ready to return for practice in the spring wherever he ends up playing next season. Cousins continues progressing from a torn Achilles tendon that ended his season after eight games. He’s set to become a free agent following six years with the Minnesota Vikings but the team wants him back and the feeling is mutual. “My expectation is that I’ll be able to practice during OTAs as normal,” Cousins told the AP on Wednesday. “But the question will be, is it worth it? And so you have to weigh that a little bit. But my goal would be that I’m saying I can go and you guys are going to have to stop me because I feel that good. If I’m not allowed into the full-team drills, I know I can do basically a full-speed practice on the field next to it is pretty much my goal. But 7-on-7, there’s nobody around you. It’s a safe drill. So at a minimum, I would think that’s a drill that, as a pocket-passing quarterback, would be very doable. And that’s kind of the beauty of the Achilles injury is that you can get back and you can get going again in a way that isn’t as crippling as if it was a back injury or something that’s a little more critical, like your shoulder or your elbow.”
 
Cousins called his recovery “a real positive process” and said the healing is on track. He spoke with Aaron Rodgers prior to having surgery. Rodgers tore his Achilles tendon in the first quarter of the first game and was able to return to practice just 77 days later but he wasn’t cleared to play and the New York Jets were out of the playoff race anyway. “He obviously kind of blazed the trail with being able to get back on the practice field so quickly and kind of set a high bar,” Cousins said. “I think he’s given me and a lot of people who have torn their Achilles a lot of hope and encouragement that it can be a quick return and you can be back to your old self without really too much lost time. Hopefully both of us are playing next year and we don’t even remember that we tore it a year ago.”
 
Cousins threw for 2,331 yards with 18 touchdowns and five interceptions, finishing third in the NFL in passer rating (103.8). He led the Vikings to a 4-4 record before he was injured. The team went 3-6 with Joshua Dobbs, Nick Mullens and Jaren Hall starting in his place. Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah already said he wants Cousins to return and plans to offer him a new contract. Coach Kevin O’Connell and star wide receiver Justin Jefferson also made it clear they want Cousins in purple and gold. “I appreciate their support, and the feelings are mutual in terms of being so grateful that I’ve gotten to play with Justin and been coached by the great coaches I’ve had,” Cousins said. “So, it goes both ways. And, I think that’s part of the feeling in Minnesota for a while has been we have a good locker room and we all really enjoy the group we have and the work we’ve done together.” Cousins, who turns 36 before next season, can’t be franchise-tagged. He said winning will be his priority as he determines his future. “That will kind of always be the priority but what’s interesting is how unpredictable winning can be,” he said. “There are teams every year that you think should be in the Super Bowl, and they don’t even make the playoffs. And then there’s teams that you think had no business making the playoffs and they’re making it to the second or third round.”
 
Cousins, a favorite among fans and teammates, has been showing a fun side to his personality in recent years from going shirtless with a thick gold chain around his neck to singing a duet with Kelly Clarkson in a tribute to Tom Brady at the “NFL Honors” show last year. Now, Cousins is swapping his helmet for a chef’s hat, partnering with Tostitos to give fans a chance to win a Super Bowl experience that includes tickets to the game and and a VIP reservation at Tost by Tostitos with tableside service by the four-time Pro Bowl QB. “I’ll be showing up to prepare and serve the food at the restaurant, so it should be a lot of fun,” Cousins said.
 
 

Read more...