Jimmy Lafakis/MDN Des Lacs-Burlington players on the bench celebrate after a made basket during Thursday night's win over Tioga in Des Lacs. The Lakers made 19 field goals in the 44-30 victory.

DES LACS — The Des Lacs-Burlington Lakers set the tone from the opening tip.

After the visiting Tioga Pirates (0-1) secured the tipoff, DLB (1-1) immediately ripped the ball away for a steal. The Lakers’ high-intensity defense served as the catalyst in Thursday night’s 44-30 victory.

“I never have to talk to my girls about their defensive intensity,” DLB head coach Tracy Bonn said. “They are always on. In fact, we need to worry more about reining them in. They are just athletes. They are good basketball players and they want to play ball hard. They always do.”

The Lakers pressed Tioga early in the first quarter. The aggressive defensive tactic forced the Pirates into several turnovers.

DLB’s unrelenting press created even more Tioga miscues in the later periods. After scoring some clutch baskets early in the fourth quarter, the Lakers locked up the wire-to-wire win.

“We’re learning a lot about when we can push the ball and when we’ve got to pull back and run our offense,” Bonn said. “Overall, I’m really, really pleased with what we’re seeing so far.”

The teams struggled to gain ground in the first half. The Lakers carried a 19-14 lead into halftime before grinding out a 27-19 advantage after three quarters.

From there, the Lakers energized the home crowd by scoring seven unanswered points in 45 seconds. Tioga forced some turnovers, but the Pirates had to play catch-up and failed to establish an offensive rhythm.

“They finally decided that they can compete with other teams,” Tioga head coach Mike Holm said of the Pirates. “They’re equipped. We’ve just got to find some more scoring. Defensively, we played a game. You can’t be dissatisfied with the first game’s effort. They’ve got a nice team. They’re big and strong.”

Junior center Brooklyn Benno led the Lakers with 11 points, while junior forward Brynley Benno added eight. Junior Maelyn Sanders scored a team-high eight points for the Pirates.

Tioga knocked down 11 field goals, but failed to make any 3-pointers. DLB made 19 shots, three of which came from long distance.

The Pirates shot 8-for-13 from the charity stripe. The Lakers converted on three of eight chances from the line.

“We’re learning that we really need to get out and run,” DLB sophomore guard MacKenzie Rist said. “That’s our kind of game. We have a deep bench. Everyone can get in. We can just get going and play our game.”

Both teams will play this evening. Tioga will travel to Ray for a 7 p.m. contest, while DLB will host Hazen at 7:15 p.m.

“I’m really proud of them,” Bonn said of the Lakers. “I tell them all the time, ‘If I had to worry about you working hard, I would be worried.’ But it’s something I never have to worry about with this group. We will be alright.”

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