WDA teams poised to make a run at a state girls' basketball title

FARGO – Tip off for the Division AA girls’ basketball tournament will be Thursday, March 13 in Fargo. The last WDA team to win the tournament was Minot High in 2022. The conference certainly has some strong candidates to capture the title this season. The quarterfinals have (4W) Bismarck Legacy taking on (1E) West Fargo Horace. (3W) Minot High meets (2E) Fargo Davies (2W) Mandan  faces (3E) G.F. Red River and (1W) Bismarck Century meets (4E) Fargo Shanley. Fargo Davies is the defending champion. Tournament website

Here’s a look at the WDA’s four participants.

(1W) Bismarck Century (23-1)
Points Per Game: 58.0
Points Allowed Per Game: 48.6
Record against state tournament teams: 3-5

After a one-year absence, the Patriots are back in the state tournament. The squad had an impressive run in the West Region Tournament, winning the title with a victory over WDA regular season champion Minot High in the semifinals and a come-from-behind victory over Mandan in the title. 
Why Century will win the title? The squad is playing its best basketball of the season. Since the calendar flipped to February, the Pats have found a new level of play. Century is 9-1 in its last 10 games and are a confident bunch. Senior Zoie Austin is the leader and had a terrific region tournament. She is averaging (15.5 ppg), but its her all-around game which bolsters the team. She can rebound, pass and play defense. Her 3.2 steals a game were among the best in the WDA. Junior Abby Fosland has also stepped up.  She averages 13.5 points and 3.8 assists a game. Sophomore Olivia Klimpel puts in just under 10 and collects 7.2 boards. When the team has good ball movement on offense, it poses problems for defenses. 
What may trip them up? The big stage of a state tournament. As mentioned, its been two seasons since Century played in the tournament. And although it had a great showing at regionals, the state event is a different vibe. With the exception of Austin, the rest of the group will experience the tournament for the first time. Can the squad maintain its postseason momentum?

(2W) Mandan (18-6)
Points Per Game: 53.7
Points Allowed Per Game: 46.1
Record against state tournament teams: 6-3
The Braves started their season on fire, winning their first nine games and it continued with a spot in the West Region Tournament title game and a trip to the state tournament for the first time since 2020. Indeed, its has been a turnaround year for the proud program under first-year coach Shannon Copas. But there is still plenty more to play for.

Why Mandan will win the title? Well, the squad has proven it can string wins together and it will need three more this week. And two, its lineup features size. However, the team will be without the service of all-conference selection McKenna Johnson. The 6-2 senior was injured in the final minutes of the region title game against Century and won’t be available to play. That is a big blow and her scoring, rebounding and overall experience will be missed. That means 6-1 freshman AnnaClaire Bugbee and 5-11 Kimi McAllister and 5-11 Anna Lyles will play a more significant role in the team’s game plan. And others may also see more court time, including 6-1 eighth grader Ali Reiner and 6-0 junior Madysen Schwind. The Braves’ big lineup has caused issued for opponents near the basket. And if teams struggle to score from the outside, it will hard pressed to do it in the paint.
Offensively, Mandan has a half-dozen players who average seven or more points a game. With Johnson out, that puts more emphasis on everyone stepping up point production. But the squad has depth. Senior Ziah GreyBull averages 10. Juniors McAllister, Sarah Helderop and senior Sapphire Lablanc are also regular point producers. 
What my trip them up? Struggles to score. In five of its six defeats, Mandan mustered up 55 points or less. Can the team’s score-by-committee approach come through.

(3W) Minot High (23-2)
Points Per Game: 73.0
Points Allowed Per Game: 50.8
Record against state tournament teams: 6-2

Minot High won the state title in 2022 with a pair of eighth grade phenoms in LeeLee Bell and Maggie Fricke. It was the start of something special for the Majettes program. And although the team has not been in the title game since, it  has earned conference and region titles. And it has had its hardships. Fricke missed last postseason due to injury and was lost for this season with another leg injury. And then midway thru this season another veteran, Karew Lamoureux, went down to injury. Despite these setbacks, Minot High continues to battle and be among the top programs in the state. So, despite a third seed, this squad is very much a state title contender.
Why Minot High will win the title? The squad is battle tested. The team is making its fourth consecutive state tournament and boasts the best player in the state in LeeLee Bell. The junior is averaging 27.5 points per game to go along 11.4 boards and 50 percent field goal percentage. Plus she adds three assists per game and two steals per game. And just for good measure, she is among the state’s top free throw shooters at over 85 percent. Yes, she can be a one-person wrecking crew with her ability to dribble and drive to the hoop, post up or hit a long-range three pointer. The supporting cast includes Kinley Bartsch. The sophomore is among the top perimeter players in the state and averages about 10 points per game. Junior Eve Knutson chips in with 7.6 ppg. and Senior Sydney Aberle nets 7.0 ppg and six boards and three assists. Freshman Everette Deschamp adds six points scoring. So the team has options to score. But it's also disciplined on the defensive side and doesn’t get outworked.
What may trip them up? Closing out close games. While Minot High has piled up the wins this season, it could find itself in much closer contests at the state tournament. The teams is 1-2 in games decided by five points or less.

(4W) Bismarck Legacy (18-6)
Points Per Game: 63.8
Points Allowed Per Game: 53.0
Record against state tournament teams: 5-3
Since it became a varsity sport, the Sabers have qualified for every state tournament, and won the state championship in 2017. Getting back to the title game is goal every season and the squad is eying a spot in the finals again after a solid regular season.

Why Legacy will win the title? It has a dynamic duo. Senior region senior athlete of the year Brooklynn Felchle and sophomore Marlee Falcon provide quite a 1-2 punch for the program. Felchle’s 17.7 points and 9.2 rebounds per game and Falcon’s 16.9 points and 9.9 boards a contest make Legacy a difficult squad to defend. Felchle’s strength is her footwork and ability to score in the paint. Falcon has a shooter’s touch from the perimeter. And the team is at its best when it can feast inside and outside the arc. However, the squad has strong role players in sophomore Ava Lucas and senior Whitney Welk who are good at distributing the ball. And senior Abby Burman and sophomores Sadie Hollar and Sammy Watson have helped rebound and chip in on the score sheet. All together, the Sabers have a well-rounded bunch. 
What may trip them up? Inconsistency. Over the last couple weeks the team has been in a win-lose-win-lose pattern. Can it find the consistency needed to play solid ball on both ends to string three wins together?

Photo courtesy of Loralyn Joyce (Century vs. Mandan)