Photo by Al Christianson/Special to the MDN Bishop Ryan's Ben Bohl (3) lifts up a layup while Rugby's Isaiah Johnson (32) defends him.

When Bishop Ryan hosted Shiloh Christian in December, some locals thought it could be an early preview of a Class B boys basketball state tournament matchup.

Turns out, they were right.

The Lions, champions of Region 6, will face Region 5 winners Shiloh Christian in the first round of the state tournament at 2:45 p.m. Thursday at the Bismarck Event Center in Bismarck. Ryan (23-2) is the No. 3 seed in the tournament, while Shiloh Christian (19-5) is unseeded.

In their Dec. 16 clash in Minot, Ryan won 54-50.

Shiloh Christian will present a different matchup this time around, as star forward Bartholomew Ogbu was deemed ineligible for the rest of the season by the North Dakota High School Activities Association in January. Ogbu was averaging double figures in scoring and rebounding. However, the Skyhawks will be bolstered by the addition of 6-foot-9 junior forward Macauley Young, who did not play against Ryan due to injury. This season, Young is averaging 17 points and 12 rebounds per game.

“They’re a good team,” Lions coach Jeremy Feller said. “It will be a little different than our first match because Ogbu won’t play, but the 6-foot-9 Young will. They’ll have a little more size this time, but they lose an athletic presence with Ogbu. Obviously, they have shooters we have to guard. We look at them as a similar team as Our Redeemer’s or Des Lacs Burlington. We just have to guard people and dictate the pace.”

This is the second year in a row Ryan has qualified for state. The Lions finished sixth at the state tournament in 2017.

“Last year Ryan lost its first round game, so the kids want to go down there and get that first win out of the way,” Feller said. “It’ll be a big step in the right direction. Hopefully, we can find a way to do that. Our Region is tough to get out of year after year, so we’re definitely battle-tested.”

The Lions are led by junior guard Ben Bohl, who averages 19.6 points, 7.5 rebounds and two steals per game, all team-highs. Meanwhile, junior guard Mason Hedberg averages 16.4 points per game and is a 63 percent shooter from the floor.

Senior forward Anthony Vetter (14.1 points, 6.4 rebounds per game) will be playing in his first state tournament after having to sit out last year due to injury.

“I didn’t get to play, which was obviously sad,” Vetter said. “But to be back here with this crew of guys, I think we have a good chance of going down there and winning some big games. It’s a blessing that I can go from being hurt last year to have the opportunity to get back there.”

The Lions will also be making a late-season addition to their coaching staff. Former head coach Brock Teets will join the Lions on the baseline for the state tournament this season after resigning this fall, citing an increased workload at his company as the reason for his departure.

“It’ll be nice to add some depth there,” Feller said. “I made sure to tell our coaches that it’s not that I don’t trust them, it’s just nice to add a guy that has coached these kids before. It’s a guy I’ve always kind of looked up to in my career and he’s had a lot of success over the years.”

As a team, Ryan averages 71.2 points and 46.2 points allowed per game. The Skyhawks counter with 64 points for and 48 points allowed per contest.

The winner of Thursday’s matchup will face the victor of No. 2 St. John and Wyndmere-Lidgerwood Friday in the state semifinals.

Garrick Hodge covers Minot State athletics, the Minot Minotauros and high school sports. Follow him on Twitter @Garrick_Hodge