The pregame energy levels by players and fans was high. The game energy was just as high. That high level of energy favored the game plan of the Firebirds and their swarming defense. In the end, the lead garnered in the first quarter was the difference in an otherwise evenly matched game. Devils Lake took home the win 68-53 in the end.

The tip off was controlled by Devils Lake and the first points scored were also by Devils Lake. The first three minutes of play were highlighted by turnovers and missed shots. The adrenaline rush took nearly the first quarter to run its course.

The full court press by the Firebirds led to an early 7-4 lead. Good passing mixed with the full court press kept the advantage for Devils Lake who took the 20-7 lead into the second quarter.

“That was huge,” said Devils Lake head coach Justin Klein. “The energy did support our game plan starting out, and they (South Prairie-Max) played man defense to start the game. Our girls had some good shots from that.”

The South Prairie-Max Royals finished their season as the 2024 NDHSAA Division A Girls Basketball State Runners-up.

The Firebirds kept the defensive pressures on the Royals but South Prairie-Max began working the ball into the paint more and the inside attack had Devils Lake in foul trouble early in the second quarter. At the 6:04 mark of the second quarter, Royals’ freshman Rylee Routledge, an all-tournament team selection, left the game with an injury and didn’t return.

By the 5:12 mark, South Prairie-Max was in the bonus and shooting free throws. Despite adjustments and the foul trouble for Devils Lake, the Firebirds were able to maintain the point cushion and went to half time with a commanding 39-25 lead over the Royals.

“I felt like the girls began to deal with the pressure well,” said Mosser. “We began moving around the press in the second quarter and that changed the game. I knew this game would go down to the wire though.”

Devils Lake had 21 points off turnovers by halftime and 16 points from fast breaks. The FIrebirds also had 16 points off the bench as well. South Prairie-Max matched up well in the paint with 16 points compared to 18 for the Firebirds.

The third quarter started with Devils Lake continuing the defensive pressure while South Prairie-Max picked up the shooting tempo. Missed shots, missed free throws and turnovers did not allow the Royals to make up the lost ground. While South Prairie-Max did match Devils Lake score for score, the 13 point deficit from the first quarter was still affecting the game going into the fourth quarter and the Firebirds led 53-43.

“They (Royals) switched to a zone defense in the second half and that was harder to find scoring opportunities,” said Klein. “By the end of the game though, it seemed like they got tired and we had such energy off our bench.”

The final quarter of play the needs were clear. The Royals would need to outscore the Firebirds by ten points while Devils Lake needed to continue the pressure, causing turnovers until the end of the game. The Firebirds began milking the shot clock to kill time while the Royals started pushing the ball into fast break situations. With both crowds increasing the level of noise, any miscue was huge while any basket or steal was just as impactful.

A media timeout at the 5:07 mark had the gap narrowed to 56-49 with the Firebirds at four fouls and the Royals at 2 fouls. Possession belonged to South Prairie-Max. After the inbounds pass, a drive to the basket resulted in the fifth foul for Devils Lake and the score narrowed to five at 56-51. Both teams traded baskets, missed shots and possession changes.

Devils Lake continued to milk the shot clock as time ran off the board. The Firebirds hit a three point shot with 1:20 to go and forced a turnover at the 1:15 mark and held a 63-53 lead over South Prairie-Max.

The fouling commenced for the Royals. The ten point lead stretched with each made free throw.

Devils Lake had nine players score in the game. Freshman Tylie Brodina led all scoring with 25 points. Juniors Camryn Fritel and Claire Heilman added 13 and seven points respectively. The Firebirds were 22-55 from the field, 6-16 from three point range and 18-26 from the free throw line.

South Prairie-Max had eight players score in the game. Sophomore Bre Rose had 12 points while fellow sophomore Skotti Beck added ten points. The Royals were 19-38 from the field, 5-14 from three point range and 10-14 from the free throw line.

The Royals had 30 turnovers while the Firebirds had 30 points off turnovers. Both teams had 29 rebounds and both teams were nearly identical at 19-20 fouls.