Mahnomen-Waubun Girls Basketball upsets Kittson County Central

The Mahnomen/Waubun Thunderbird Girls Basketball team used an outstanding defensive effort to shut down the Kittson County Central Bearcats in a 56-49 upset victory in the Section 8A Girls Basketball quarter-finals at the Ralph Engelstad Arena in Thief River Falls Saturday.

FIRST HALF –
It was a slow start for both offenses, as each team was held to just two points in the first two minutes. Both defenses played aggressively, with each side forcing a couple of turnovers. The Thunderbirds broke the early tie with a baseline jumper from Lexi Pazeternick. The Bearcats answered back with a putback under the rim from McKinley Folland to tie it at 4. The Mahnomen-Waubun full-court press helped spark a 4-0 run for the Thunderbirds, capped off with a deep corner 2 from Kenley Syverson., Pazeternick tied it again at 8 each moments later on a baseline layup. After a long scoreless drought. Ailyah Vig went one of two from the line to put KCC up 9-8 with 11 minutes left in the half. Morgan Turn added two more on a steal and breakaway, which increased the Bearcat lead to 11-8. Greta Kuznia added a three for KCC, which was answered by a Thunderbird 2 to make it 14-10 with 9:08 left in the first. The Thunderbirds brought it to within a point with nice perimeter passing and a Syverson 3, but the Bearcats answered with a quick layup to stay ahead 16-13. Kaydence White broke another almost three-minute scoring drought to make it 18-13 with about 5 minutes remaining. Syverson hit two free throws on the next possession to answer back. KCC made it 20-15 on a contested Kuznia bucket, but she was unable to make the and-1 with 3:33 left. The Thunderbirds again made it a one-possession game with a layup inside of two minutes remaining. Syverson made two free throws to make it a one-point game with just a minute left. The Bearcats were sent to the line twice over the next twenty seconds and only made one of four attempts to make it 21-19. A Berlyn Strege baseline layup put the Bearcats up 23-19, and the KCC defense made a big defensive stand to keep the score there going into halftime.

SECOND HALF –
It was another slow offensive start in the second half. The Bearcats started the half 0-for-5 shooting, and Mahnomen-Waubun had a fast break chance ended by a traveling call over the first two minutes. The Thunderbirds took the lead to spark an 8-0 run moments later, after a Savannah Keezer 3 got the offense on track. Dakya Smith added the next 5 to make it 27-23 Thunderbirds. Strege answered back with a three-point play to bring the Bearcats within 1 at 14:48. Lily Peterson gave KCC the lead back at the free throw line at 28-27 with 13:28 left. It was answered by the Thunderbirds with a 7-0 run spanning the next 2:30, as they took a 34-28 lead with 11 minutes left in the 2nd. The Bearcats then went on an 8-1 run to retake the lead at 36-35 with 7:37 left. Strege made a floater to put KCC back up, which forced Mahnomen-Waubun to burn a timeout. When play resumed, Morgan Turn drew a foul and hit both free throws to extend KCC’s lead to 38-35. The Bearcat scoring run was ended when Mahnomen-Waubun’s Dakya Smith made a tying three with about 6:30 to go. Weaver added another layup to put the Thunderbirds ahead. Peterson tied it right back up for the Bearcats moments later, as her layup made it 40 each with about 5:50 remaining. Syverson, Gordon, and Smith each contribute to a Mahnomen-Waubun 7-0 run to put them up 47-40 with around 4 to go. A KCC layup moments later was answered by a Keezer triple to go up 50-42 with about three minutes left. Despite a few late Bearcat points from Turn, the Thunderbirds were to close out a 56-49 upset win over KCC.

Mahnomen-Waubun improves to 17-11 on the year and will take on Sacred Heart in the Section 8A semi-finals on Tuesday. Kittson County season comes to an end with a 24-3 record and they say goodbye to five seniors – Aliyah Vig, Lily Peterson, Berlyn Strege, Morgan Turn, and McKinley Folland.