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Set nerves aside

Slow start, strong finish for Bombers in opening round

Alex Eisen/MDN Lewis & Clark-Berthold sophomore Thomas Burke (10) attacks the rim with Mohall-Lansford-Sherwood defender Berkley Santos (left) in his way Friday evening in a boys basketball District 12 game at the Minot Auditorium.

Giving up the first seven points isn’t ideal, but No. 4-seeded Lewis & Clark-Berthold (15-4) set aside its early struggles to soar past No. 5-seeded Mohall-Lansford-Sherwood, 64-37, on Friday night in the first round of the boys District 12 basketball tournament.

“I think we came out a little tight and credit to Mohall, they made some big baskets in the first quarter,” L&C-B coach Chris Brown said. “Proud of my boys and how we stuck to the game plan and they didn’t get nervous.”

The Mavericks (9-11) jumped out to the aforementioned 7-0 lead to start the contest, but the Bombers were quick to respond with eight straight points to take their first lead. Lewis & Clark-Berthold held a 16-14 lead after the first eight minutes.

“Nope,” Brown said if he had to tell his guys anything after the slow start. “I kind of had that feeling we were going to come out a little tight. First game on the big floor and things, but we just relaxed and played our basketball.”

The lead changed hands multiple times in the second quarter. Senior guard Alex Nelson drained a 3-pointer to give the Bombers a five-point lead, 21-16. That was matched by a pair of triples by Mavericks’ senior guard to give MLS the lead once again at 24-23.

The Bombers closed out the first half on a 9-2 run with senior Cody Hamilton hitting from beyond the NBA 3-point line with the clock approaching zero. Lewis & Clark-Berthold led 32-26 at halftime.

A 3-pointer from junior Chase Gates got MLS to within three points, 34-31, but that was matched by a 3-pointer and three-point play from Bombers junior Reese Hennessy. Plus, another triple from senior Keaton Borud.

Hennessy led all scorers with 17 points. Nelson and senior Garrett Hanson each put up 13 points for the Bombers. Senior Statler Olson had a team-high 12 points for the Mavericks.

MLS sophomore Isaac Undlin got his own rebound on a runner and put it back up and in to beat the buzzer at the end of the third quarter, 47-35.

Started with a couple of buckets in the paint from senior J.T. Ross, the Bombers closed out the game by outscoring the Mavericks 17-2 in the fourth quarter to take the 64-37 victory.

Lewis & Clark-Berthold will come up against No. 1-seeded Our Redeemer’s in the semifinals this evening at 6 p.m. at the Minot Auditorium. While MLS falls to the other side of the bracket to face No. 8-seeded South Prairie in a loser-out match at 3 p.m.

“We have to slow down their guard play and we got to rebound the basketball because they are really good on the boards,” Brown said about ORCS. “We got to be ready to play tomorrow.”

Alex Eisen covers Minot High School, Minot State athletics and high school sports. Follow him on Twitter @AEisen13.

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