Jimmy Lafakis/MDN Minot senior center Caden Johnson dunks the ball in the second half of Friday's Class A basketball game against St. Mary's in Minot. The Magicians earned a 79-51 victory over the Saints.

On a night where the Minot High School boys basketball team treated its fans to a shooting clinic, the Magicians’ final basket brought the loudest cheers.

As the final seconds ticked off the clock, Minot junior guard Teagan Kinchen fired a corner 3-pointer. Kinchen’s basket in Minot’s (12-4, 11-4 WDA) convincing 79-51 victory over St. Mary’s (4-12, 4-11 WDA) became the cherry on top of Friday’s Pink Night sundae.

“I was just hoping I would make it,” Kinchen said. “My first varsity bucket. I was very happy when I made it. The whole crowd went crazy.”

The Magi cooked with gas in the game’s opening stages. After a strong start, Minot led 41-20 at halftime.

Defensive stops led to ample transition opportunities. When the Saints attacked the rim, the Magi’s strong interior defense halted their progress.

“We challenged our kids to have to guard the ball,” Minot head coach Dean Winczewski said. “We went out and guarded the ball. We did a good job on the glass, and we were able to transition it and play some offense. I thought we got pretty stagnant at times offensively. There’s some stuff there that we have to do better, but if you can guard like that, you’re going to give yourself opportunities.”

Senior guard Jaxon Gunville led Minot’s offensive surges. Gunville shot 12-for-16 for the game, including a blistering 8-for-11 (73%) from three-point range.

Although Gunville had the hot hand after being recognized for scoring his 1,000th point, the Magi’s proficient ball movement helped their cause. Winczewski emphasizes the importance of ball reversals, and the Magi shared the sugar against the Saints.

“It’s one of those things,” Winczewski said. “We’re so much better when we’re a team. It’s not just relying on (Gunville). The kids are smart enough that when (Gunville) is able to get going, we’ve got to be able to get him the ball.”

The Minot community came out in droves for the annual Pink Night contest. Before the game began, St. Mary’s head coach Brent DeKok gave an impassioned speech about his battle with cancer.

DeKok encouraged players and fans to keep faith in themselves and to aid him during his fight. A few moments later, the coach returned to his bench as the subject of a standing ovation from both sides.

“Cancer is a thing that, unfortunately, all of us have had to deal with in one way, shape or form,” Winczewski said. “I’ve had grandparents pass away and I’ve great friends of mine pass away. Coach DeKok is a great friend of mine, and he’s going through a battle. We can be a part of helping somebody and our kids getting a realization that it isn’t just about basketball. Basketball is awesome and winning is fantastic, but if we can help somebody else along the way, then all of this is worth it.”

Additionally, Winczewski took time to recognize the support from Minot’s fan base.

“Minot is unbelievable,” Winczewski said. It is phenomenal how they support basketball, support all of our sports and support other coaches. It’s an amazing community. They’re a sports-fanatic community, but they’re good people. When they say ‘North Dakota nice’, you hear that term all the time. They’re talking about Minot.”

As the fans hollered for Kinchen’s basket, Friday night’s message became even more clear — high school sports offer greater meanings than the final scores.

“It’s just crazy,” Kinchen said. “We’ve got so much support in this town. They love all of us.”

The Magi will welcome Legacy next Tuesday for a 7 p.m. tilt. Back on Dec. 20, Minot defeated the Sabers 72-61.

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