Sue Sitter/PCT Velva’s Kaden Chadwick scoops up the ball as players hit the floor in the championship round of the Region 6 Class B Boys Basketball Tournament in the Minot State Dome March 11.

A 59-43 win against the Velva Aggies in the championship round of the North Dakota Region 6 Class B Boys Basketball Tournament secured a spot at state for the Bishop Ryan Lions at the Minot State University Dome March 11.

In the championship round, the Lions met the Velva Aggies, a team with one major upset to their credit who were hoping for another. Velva hadn’t made an appearance since the early 2000s. Even more years had passed since they’d taken a trip to state.

The upset Velva hoped for didn’t come. After Velva’s Ben Schepp landed the first bucket of the game, the Lions took the lead with a three-pointer from Bishop Ryan’s Brady Feller. The Lions would stretch their one-point lead to 16 as the first half went on before Velva struggled to gain ground in the second quarter. The Aggies came back from an 18-4 deficit to outscore the Lions in the second quarter. Velva’s Ian Sandy scored three buckets in a row, interrupted by two-pointers landed by Bishop Ryan’s Joshua Will and Carson Merck. Next came a three-pointer landed by Velva’s Ben Schepp, and another three-pointer from Preston Kraft that beat the halftime buzzer. The Aggies shrank the Lions’ lead to 11 points and the half ended with 29-18 on the scoreboard in the Lions’ favor.

The next two quarters saw both teams battle furiously. Players slid on the floor in attempts to get control of the ball. The Lions’ lead grew and shrank then grew again in the fourth quarter. Defense from Carson Merck, who would score 12 points for the game kept the Aggies from more and more shots. The Lions’ Brady Feller would lead the points total for all players with 18. Kaden Chadwick topped all Aggies’ scores with 11. The Lions stretched their lead again to 16 points, ending the game with a 59-43 win.

Lions Coach Brody Bosch said after the game, “We knew Velva was a good team and they would try to take the ball away from Carson and Brady. Luckily, we have a number of players who can step up and score.”

Bosch said the Lions planned to get in a week of practice to be ready for state.

Velva Coach Isaac Sondrol said of his team, “I’m proud of them. We haven’t been in this (championship round) in, I think, 55 years and they worked really hard to get us there.”

“My hat’s off to Coach Bosch,” Sondrol added. “He’s a very good coach, and (the Lions) are going to make some hay at state.”

In the consolation round, the Mohall-Lansford-Sherwood Mavericks defeated District 11’s Rugby Panthers 49-38. The number one-seeded Panthers impressed with their three-point shot accuracy, which included a buzzer-beater by junior Bryceton Deplazes to tie the game at 13 apiece at the end of the first quarter. However, turnovers continued to plague the Panthers as they had in the semifinals.

The Mavericks turned 17 of their 49 points into turnovers. Six Panther points came from turnovers. Although the Mavericks had the Panthers within striking distance for most of the game, they pulled ahead for good in the last minutes of the fourth quarter. Joe Savelkoul scored at the top for the Mavericks with 11, matching the 11-point total from Rugby’s Kory Vetsch.

After the tournament, officials named players to the All-Region 6 team. On the region roster were Bishop Ryan’s Feller; Velva’s Chadwick; Schneibel and Foster of Rugby; Undlin of MLS; Carson Haerer of Bottineau; Walker Braaten of Westhope-Newburg; Zach Hendrickson, Our Redeemer’s Christian School; Will Mayo, Surrey; Rylan Olson, Des Lacs-Burlington; Lance Pitner, South Prairie and Joe Roberts of Nedrose.

Hendrickson was named Region 6 Outstanding Senior Boys Basketball Player. Bosch received the Region 6 Coach of the Year Award.