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Magi basketball loses heartbreaking state qualifier to Dickinson

Jimmy Lafakis/MDN Minot High junior guard Deonte' Martinez (right) shoots over Dickinson junior guard Jayden Hocker (left) in the first half of Saturday's WDA Tournament state qualifier at the Bismarck Event Center. The Midgets seized a 70-68 win over the Magicians.

BISMARCK — Donning No. 24 in orange and black, Dickinson’s Kobe Krenz activated his clutch gene down the stretch.

Krenz finished Saturday’s WDA Tournament state qualifier game with 11 points on 4-for-12 shooting, but the No. 5-seeded Midgets (14-10) eked past No. 3-seeded Minot High (16-8) in a thriller. Krenz made his clutch shots, but the 70-68 contest was ultimately won and lost on the boards.

Dickinson controlled the glass all night and finished with 23 offensive rebounds. That figure matched Minot’s overall rebound total.

“They just rebounded better than we did,” Minot head coach Dean Winczewski said. “They wanted the ball more. We guarded at times, but at times, we didn’t. They made plays down the stretch and we didn’t. We got sloppy and had some really poor possessions. It cost us.”

A deeper dive into the rebounding category displays the Midgets’ 53-23 rebounding advantage. Krenz (11 points, 10 rebounds), Jaiden Wright (19 points, 17 rebounds) and Tallon Klatt (21 points, 13 rebounds) recorded double-doubles.

Dickinson committed 13 turnovers, while Minot tallied just seven. Minot junior guard Deonte’ Martinez scored 20 points, while senior guard Jaxon Gunville dropped a game-high 24.

“They are a great team,” Gunville said about the Midgets. “They are balanced and they score the ball. They have really good guard play, so they’re a tough team to match up with.”

With 5:23 remaining in the first half, a Dickinson 3-pointer gave the Midgets a 31-21 lead. After the ensuing timeout, Minot scored eight unanswered points.

The Magicians played the vast majority of the first half without senior center Easton Larson, who picked up two fouls before four minutes had elapsed. However, Minot senior guard Tucker Olson swished a 3-pointer before the halftime buzzer sounded.

Olson, Larson and Gunville account for three of Minot’s seven seniors. Derry Lentz, Caden Johnson, Johnny Butz and Cole Broen comprise the rest of the group.

“They’re awesome kids,” Winczewski said. “They all have a huge part in why our basketball program is what it is. It’s been a frustrating couple of seasons, but that can’t put a damper on how awesome these kids are and the work they put in.”

The Magi made strong moves to the hoop in the second half, but Dickinson peppered in counterpunches. The Midgets’ tenacious rebounding kept their state tournament hopes afloat.

With Dickinson leading 70-66, the Midgets were called for their second delay of game violation the half. Gunville made both free throws with 18.8 seconds on the clock.

After a broken play led to a baseline inbound, the Midgets collaborated on a game-sealing steal. The Magi did not commit a foul, and Dickinson dribbled out the clock.

“Playing basketball at Minot High has been something I’ve looked forward to since I was probably four years old in my driveway,” said Gunville, a Minot State men’s basketball commit. “Just shooting and playing in pretend moments like these in my driveway. I had different outcomes in those situations, but we’ve just got to take this lesson and use it toward life. We’ll work hard for the things that we want.”

Certainly, Minot’s senior group will leave some large shoes to fill. Although the Magi fell short of the state tournament for a third straight season, Winczewski offered these final thoughts.

“I’ll remember how great our kids are and how much work they put in to learn how to compete,” he said. “Unfortunately, so many people judge a season by three days. We had opportunities to win all three, and we just didn’t do enough down the stretch in two games to be able to get it done. It’s not a failure of a season. It’s just that you come up a few points short at the end. It’s tough, it’s hard to deal with. But after a few weeks here, you can really focus back on how awesome the kids were and go from there.”

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

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