Adam Papin/MDN Kylie Simpson (2) hoists the Division A, Region 3 trophy in celebration with her Bottineau Stars teammates, as they celebrate their victory over the South Prairie-Max Royals on Thursday.

The Bottineau Stars outscored the South Prairie-Max Royals 20-7 in the fourth quarter of the Division A, Region 3 championship game to win the region title 66-33 and advance to next week’s state tournament in Minot.

Kylie Simpson and Kyra Beckman each scored 19 points for the Stars and Hallie Nero added seventeen in the win. Beckman also added 14 rebounds to complete the double-double.

South Prairie-Max jumped out to an early lead in a back-and-forth first half, leading 18-16 after one and 29-28 heading into halftime. The Stars tied the game at the end of the third quarter before pulling away in the fourth with a 9-0 run.

The game was tied 13 times and had nine lead changes. The difference in the game was Bottineau’s 25 points off of turnovers, while South Prairie-Max only had seven. The Stars also scored 16 second chance points to the Royals’ four.

Skotti Beck led South Prairie-Max with 15 points and Bre Rose had 11.

With the win Bottineau automatically advances to the Division A State Tournament, while South Prairie-Max will head to the state play-in games on Saturday.

No. 6 Turtle Mountain 40, No. 5 Rugby 35

The Turtle Mountain Bravettes advanced to the first ever State Play-in Games on Saturday, defeating the Rugby Panthers 40-35 in the Division A, Region 3 third-place game. The Bravettes outscored the Panthers 12-1 in the second quarter to take control of the game, and then were forced to withstand a furious comeback in the second half to advance.

Rugby used a four-point advantage in the third quarter, and a two-point edge in the fourth, but it wasn’t enough to overcome their second quarter deficit.

Emberyln Poitra sealed the win with a free throw with two seconds left in the game that put the Bravettes up by four, making it a two possession game. Poitra led Turtle Mountain with a 12 point, 16 rebound double-double, while teammate Quinn Laducer finished with 10 points and eight rebounds.

With the loss, Rugby falls two wins short of returning to the state tournament for a second-straight year.

Elise Fahnestock was the lone Rugby player to finish in double figures, scoring 12 points in the contest.

2024 Division A, Region 3 Honors

Girls Basketball

All Region Team

Bottineau: Kyra Beckman, Hallie Nero and Kylie Simpson.

Des Lacs-Burlington: Ava Brown, Kaylee Werner and Logan Ystaas.

Nedrose: Kaydee Boyce and Lilly Nelson.

Rugby: Lacie Deplazes and Rylee Fahnestock.

South Prairie-Max: Skotti Beck, Brianna Rose and Rylee Routledge.

Stanley: Clancy Hornberger.

Senior Athlete of the Year:

Kylie Simpson, Bottineau.

Coach of the Year: Michael Vandal, Bottineau.

Athletic Director of the Year:

Scott Grochow, Rugby.