JAMESTOWN — After the first 18 minutes of Friday’s Class A contest against Jamestown, the Minot High School boys basketball team looked to be in business.

The Blue Jays (14-2, 13-2 WDA) found their rhythm in the second half. Jamestown rode the momentum and earned a 93-84 victory over Minot (12-6, 11-6 WDA) at Jerry Meyer Arena.

“After a really good first half, we struggled rebounding,” Minot head coach Dean Winczewski said. “We allowed them to get second and third chances.”

Jamestown shared the ball and finished with a 13-9 advantage in the assist column. The Blue Jays shot 17-for-23 (74%) on 2-point attempts and 12-for-26 (46%) on 3-point tries.

“We have to control the things we can,” Winczewski said. “The two most important things are defense and rebounding.”

A pair of senior guards went tit for tat on Friday night. Minot’s Jaxon Gunville scored 37 points, while Jamestown’s Boden Skunberg countered with 39 points.

Jamestown avenged its 74-61 loss to the Magicians back on Dec. 28.

Minot will welcome Watford City at 7:30 p.m. next Thursday for its penultimate home game. The Magi defeated the Wolves 93-40 on Jan. 3 in Watford City.

Majettes hockey drops 5-2 decision to Fargo North/South

Friday evening’s action was knotted up after one period, but the Minot High School girls hockey team (9-8-2, 7-8-2 N.D. League) eventually fell 5-2 to Fargo North/South (15-4-2, 12-2-2 N.D. League).

Minot’s Taylyn Cope drew first blood with her first-period goal on Minot’s home ice. Carson Abrahamson provided the assist.

Fargo North/South’s Josie Hell responded with an unassisted goal in the first period. Next, Jerica Friese tallied another unassisted score in the second period.

Friese scored another goal less than three minutes later, but Minot’s Abby Tallman assisted on Cope’s second goal.

Leading 3-2, Fargo North/South added some insurance goals in the third period. Evelyn Olson and Bella Ensrud contributed two more goals.

The Majettes will host West Fargo at 2 p.m. this afternoon.

Crookston ends MSU MBB’s

winning streak

The Minot State men’s basketball team wasn’t able to keep up with the hot-shooting Golden Eagles, falling to Minnesota Crookston for the first time in their last 17 matchups.

Crookston won 80-69.

The Golden Eagles got off to a fast start, leading 13-4 just four minutes into the game. Trevor Rothstein would breathe some life into the Beavers, hitting a 3-pointer that would spark a 10-0 run.

At the ten-minute media timeout, the game was tied at 18. The offense would be in full gear from there, with Minnesota Crookston leading 29-25 at the five-minute media timeout.

Coming out of the timeout, Minnesota Crookston would strike first with Harrison Cleary hitting a three-pointer to give them a 32-25 lead before Max Cody answered with a layup on the other end.

The Golden Eagles would score four straight, getting out to a 36-27 lead. The Golden Eagles would end the half outscoring the Beavers 7-2 to take a 43-29 lead into halftime.

Early on in the second half, the Beavers forced a turnover and turned it into a fastbreak bucket on the other end and then hit a three to crawl into the game a bit.

However, the Golden Eagles would answer right back and expand the lead to 51-34. At the fifteen-minute media timeout, the Beavers were trailing 51-36.

Out of the timeout, Stephane Manzi would hit a three. The triple would spark a 4-0 run, but the Beaver offense could not keep it up.

Malcom Cohen would hit one of two free throws to expand their lead to 56-40. Back-to-back layups for Minnesota Crookston would give them a 20-point lead, 60-40.

On the ensuing possession, Cody would hit a pair of free throws to spark a 7-0 run to cut the Golden Eagles deficit to 60-47. Over the next few minutes, Minnesota Crookston would retake control of the game, leading 68-48 with 6:40 to play.

Going into the five-minute media timeout, the Beavers trailed 69-52 with Cody headed to the free-throw line for a pair on the other side. Cody would go on to hit one of two.

The Beavers would continue to fight, going on a 7-1 run cutting the Golden Eagle lead to 71-55, but time was running out. A timeout was called with 1:58 remaining and the Beavers trailing 71-59.

The Beavers would cut it to 10, but there would not be enough time as Minot State ultimately fell 80-69.

The Beavers were led by Cody (21 points), Kyle Beisch (19) and Rothstein (11). Rothstein led the team with seven rebounds, and Cody had five assists.

— MSU athletics

MSU WBB topples Crookston, 77-66

The Minot State women’s basketball team rode hot shooting to a crucial victory for NSIC Tournament seeding over Minnesota Crookston on Friday evening. MSU won 77-66.

The first quarter started fast for both teams. Minnesota Crookston would call a timeout after a spurt to give the Beavers a 13-10 lead. From there, the offenses would grind to a halt. The quarter would end with Calli Delsman hitting a jumper to give the Beavers a 15-14 lead.

The second quarter would continue to be a close game with teams that could not get the lid off of the basket. That is until Bethany Theodore would hit a three to give the Beavers a 22-19 lead with just over six minutes remaining in the first half.

It would start raining three’s after that, first with Mariah Payne hitting one and then Minnesota Crookston answering with one of their own. A Haley Hildenbrand jumper would give the Beavers a 27-22 lead going into the five-minute media timeout.

Coming out of the timeout, the Beaver offense would continue to produce, taking a six-point lead with 3:13 to play in the half. Another basket by Hildenbrand would give the Beavers their largest lead of the game at 34-26.

With 1:18 to go, Minot State held a 36-26 lead before Minnesota Crookston hit a pair of free throws. Going into the locker room, the Beavers held a 38-30 lead.

In the third period, the Beavers would continue to play well. Payne hit a three to give the Beavers a 46-35 lead. Anna Counts would hit a layup on the ensuing Minot State possession to expand the lead to 48-35 leading to a timeout by Minnesota Crookston.

Heading into the five-minute media timeout, the Beavers led 48-37. Out of the timeout, the Beavers would continue the onslaught, scoring four straight before Minnesota Crookston would answer.

Minnesota Crookston would get into the bonus with over three minutes left in the third, allowing Minnesota Crookston to battle back and cut the Beaver lead to 54-47 before a buzzer-beater by Counts increased the lead to 56-47 going into the fourth.

Minnesota Crookston would begin the fourth hitting a three to cut the Minot State lead to six. That was until the Beavers would score seven unanswered started by a Lucy Chapman three expanding the Beaver lead to 65-52.

Minnesota Crookston would cut the Beaver lead to single digits at 69-60 with 2:30 to play, but that is the closest they would get. The Beavers held on over the last couple of minutes to pick up a 77-66 win.

Minot State was led by four players scoring in double figures. Delsman led with 17. Payne had 15, while Counts and Mollie Wilson each had 10 points. Delsman grabbed a team-leading seven rebounds. Payne had a double-double as she added 11 assists.

— MSU athletics