Jimmy Lafakis/MDN Surrey senior forward Cody Fuchs goes up for a layup during Friday night's game against Burke Central in Surrey. The Mustangs notched a 65-43 victory over the Titans.

SURREY — Before the season began, Surrey senior forward Cody Fuchs realized the importance of defense. First-year head coach Robyn Vollmer’s new approach to defending required Fuchs and Surrey’s four other seniors to buy in.

Fuchs led the Mustangs (3-3) with 20 points in their 65-43 win over Burke Central (1-4) on Friday night. Although Fuchs and fellow senior Ryder Holien combined for 35 points, the Mustangs’ robust defense won the day.

“It’s a lot different from years past,” said Fuchs about the Mustangs’ mindset. “We just have to get into things. Movement is different, defense is different. We need to make the most of it.”

The Titans never found a comfortable rhythm. The Mustangs applied heavy ball pressure and forced a string of Burke Central turnovers in the first half.

After pushing the ball in transition, the Mustangs created several opportunities at the charity stripe. Surrey boosted its initial 21-5 lead to 37-15 before halftime.

“We work on defense a lot,” Fuchs said. “These past couple games, we’ve been pretty good on defense. Not top 10 in the state or anything, but we’re pretty good. I just hope that we can improve throughout the season and make it better.”

The Mustangs weren’t afraid to hustle after the 50-50 balls, either. If a loose ball bounced, a host of white jerseys pounced on the floor.

“We’re learning about each other,” Vollmer said. “The start of the season was a little bit rough, but we’re starting to get the hang of each other. It’s going a little bit more smoothly… This group of kids hustles a lot, and they’re a good group of kids.”

With each passing quarter, Surrey’s point total climbed. The Mustangs’ air-tight defensive efforts paved the way for easy points.

Surrey’s penetration paved dividends. The Titans failed to establish an offensive flow throughout the entire second half, and the Mustangs walked off their home court with a convincing victory.

“There are definitely some things we need to work on,” Vollmer said. “But at the beginning of the season, for starting and just getting in the flow of things, they’re doing a really good job.”

The Mustangs received contributions from all areas. Senior forward Clay Kummer finished with seven points, while senior guard Kolby Nelsen added six.

Burke Central junior guard Bo Thingvold paced the Titans with 15 points. Junior forward Caleb Erickson chipped in with 11. Thingvold and Erickson were the only two Titans in double figures.

“The intensity needs to be a lot higher,” Burke Central head coach John Christiansen said. “We told the boys, ‘Every other team is going to try and knock us in the face right away.’ We need to be the same. We need to come out with that same intensity, right in their face.”

Surrey will travel to TGU (4-2) for a 7:15 p.m. game on Monday, while Burke Central will welcome Ray (2-2) for a 7:30 p.m. contest on Thursday.

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