Jimmy Lafakis/MDN Kenmare head coach Mike Zimmer (center) high-fives senior guard Ashley Bauer (left) after the Honkers secured a 39-37 victory over Bishop Ryan at the Minot Municipal Auditorium. The Honkers moved to 2-0 on the season.

Kate Zimmer stepped up to the free throw line, took a deep breath and smiled. Her father, Mike, had a front-row seat to the action.

Mike, Kenmare’s head coach, also smiled as he watched his daughter seal a victory over Bishop Ryan (1-1) in Friday afternoon’s Shootout on the Prairie contest at the Auditorium. The freshman guard’s clutch free throw gave the Honkers (2-0) the 39-37 win.

The father-daughter duo wore ear-to-ear grins after the final buzzer, too. Mike beamed with pride in the handshake line.

“I’m impressed with our grit,” Mike said of the Honkers. “We’re pretty intense. They’ve been working hard, like I expected.”

The Honkers needed to grind all game. Although Kenmare led for most of the game, Ryan did not roll over.

Kenmare led 11-8 after the first quarter and 15-13 at the break. Points came at a premium, with each team accumulating pilfers in the process.

With 4:35 left in the third quarter, the Lions tied the game at 19-19.

“These early games that are close are just such a great learning experience for the (players),” Mike said. “You learn a lot right now. They’re going to pay off down the stretch, when you need to win to keep playing.”

Kenmare gained a 30-25 advantage in the fourth quarter after some more nip and tuck action. A few minutes later, each squad peppered some three-pointers in their respective baskets.

Kate kept her cool in the race to the finish.

“I was just trying to help my team win the game,” said Kate, who finished with a game-high 15 points. “I don’t think about it too much. I just try to play basketball and do what I’ve got to do.”

After Ryan turned the ball over with just 0.7 seconds on the clock, Kate went to the charity stripe and knocked down the first free throw. The Lions called a timeout.

Kate had one job — intentionally miss the second free throw. Her final attempt glanced off the rim, forcing Ryan to heave the ball.

The Lions’ last-ditch effort failed to draw iron. The Honkers flocked to their bench in celebration.

“We really work hard,” Kate said. “We really try to help each other out. We adapt well to a lot of situations that we encounter.”

Freshman center Brenna Stroklund (10 points) joined Kate in the Honkers’ double-figure club. Junior forward Megan Zimmer added eight points for Kenmare.

Ryan senior guard Maya Wald paced the Lions with 13 points.

“We learned that we can have some semblance of control,” Ryan head coach Roger Coleman said. “Playing the game at our pace, we did a great job of that. Our turnovers were probably half as many as we had the other night. We definitely did a good job there. We’ve got to be a little more scrappy and have some more want-to.”

Both teams will participate in today’s Shootout action at the Auditorium. The Lions will face Midway/Minto at 1 p.m., while the Honkers will play South Prairie at 7 p.m.

Jimmy Lafakis covers Minot High School sports and Class B high school sports. Follow him on Twitter @JJLII30.