VCHS boys win over Northern
Valley City used a 13-2 run during a three minute span in the second quarter to take control of the game on the way to an 81-68 win over Northern Cass in Region 1 boys basketball at the Hi-Liner Activity Center.
The first quarter was back and forth for the most part. There were two ties in the quarter, but Northern Cass never was able to take the lead away from Valley City. In one 94 second stretch, Talon Larson and Zach Sykora made back-toback baskets on two occasions. In both instances, the Jaguars Hudson Rietschel made threepointers to keep Northern Cass close. His second three-pointer made it 12-10 Valley City with 2:15 to go in the first quarter. But Valley City would score five of the last seven points in the quarter to lead 17-12 after one.
In the second quarter,
the two teams exchanged baskets in the first minute before Valley City went on its run. A turnaround jumper by Carver Pederson started the run with 6:40 to go in the quarter. Bryson Heck capped it off with the first of his four threepointers that made it 3216 with 4:05 remaining in the half.
While Valley City was getting contributions from all five starters in the quarter and scored 26 points, they could find no answer for Trey Husar. The junior scored all 16 points in the quarter for the Jaguars. A Husar free throw with 5.7 seconds left in the second quarter made the score 43-28 at halftime. Junior Bryson Heck said after the game about Husar, “No one could stop him,” Heck said. “We would put a couple of guys on him but it really didn’t matter who was guarding him, he would get his points. He got some good contested shots off and made them.”
In the third quarter, the Jaguars got the lead
down to ten by scoring the first five points of the quarter. The Hi-Liners would counter with a 16-8 run to take an 18 point lead. A threepointer by Heck started and ended the run. His three-pointer with 3:10 to go in the quarter made it 59-41 Valley City. In the final minute of the quarter, Eggert, who scored ten points in the quarter, hit threepointers on successive trips down the floor. In between, Husar made two free throws giving the Hi-Liners a 65-47 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
In the first 75 seconds of the fourth quarter, Eggert, and Sykora both hit three-pointers. A layup by Eggert with the eurostep gave Valley City its biggest lead of the game 73-50 with 6:45 to go in the quarter.
Fittingly, Eggert capped off the Hi-Liner scoring with a twohanded, baseline dunk off a nice pass from Sykora with 3:25 to go in the fourth quarter making the score 81-60.
Valley City did not score again and the Jaguars ended the game on a 8-0 run. Northern Cass outscored the Hi-Liners 21-16 in the fourth quarter, ironically Husar did not score in the quarter and finished with 31 points.
The Hi-Liners had four players reach double figures. Carson Eggert led the way with a varsity career high 28 points. He added ten rebounds for the double-double, four assists and two steals. Bryson Heck and Carver Pederson both had 14 points. Pederson had nine rebounds and three assists. Heck had five rebounds and four assists. Zach Sykora had eleven points and a team high five assists. Talon Larson had eight points and five rebounds, Jack Dieterle chipped in six points and four boards.
The Hi-Liners are now 8-7 overall and 5-3 in Region 1. This win was the third in a row for Valley City and seventh in nine games. Heck says they have improved in a couple of areas in this stretch.
“We have improved on our effort and energy,” Heck said. “Our energy was low at the start of the year, but now we are playing harder and better.”
Next for the Hi-Liners, they travel to Fargo to face Oak Grove Tuesday, February 13th.
The Hi-Liner JV got 20 points from Finn Dockter leading four players in double figures for a 71-43 win. Jack Dieterle had 14 points, Miken Mattson had 13, and Jack Samuelson had eleven. Also in the scoring column, Adon Berntson had five, Teagan Zaun had four, Andrew Sykora and
Taylor Middlestad each had two.
The Valley City CSquad team could not overcome a twelve point first quarter deficit and fell to Northern Cass 5043. Zander Compson’s 13 points paced the HiLiners. Andrew Sykora had nine, Ky Mattson had eight, Aeden Stanton Ring and Taylor Middlestad each had five and Zach Gielser chipped in three.