Mike Kraft/MDN Minot High guard Patrick Shanahan tries to create separation as West Fargo Sheyenne’s Cayden Smith defends during the first half of a basketball game at Magic City Campus on Saturday, Dec. 13.

Had it not been for the sub-zero temperatures outside, the coldest thing in the Minot area might have been the first-half shooting at Magic City Campus on Saturday, Dec. 13.

Neither Minot High nor West Fargo Sheyenne could buy a basket in the opening 18 minutes of their non-conference contest, missing shots from both behind the 3-point line and at the rim. But while the temperatures outside remained bone-chilling, the Magicians’ offense heated up and found enough of a scoring touch in the second half to push past the Mustangs, 62-54, giving head coach Jeremy Brandt a victory in his home debut.

The Magicians (2-1) more than doubled their scoring output in the second half after being held to just 20 points at halftime. They had scored 80-plus points in each of their first two games this season.

“Last week we shot the ball pretty well and we didn’t experience having to play through that side of it where we weren’t making shots, so we talked about that at halftime,” Brandt said. “One of the things we preach to the guys is about body language no matter what’s going on.”

The two teams combined for just 16 total field goals in the opening half, with neither cracking double digit points until a free throw from Tayvin Archer gave Minot High a 10-8 lead with 6:13 remaining. Despite losing the race to double figures, the Mustangs started knocking down shots and went on a 14-2 run over the next three minutes to build a 22-12 advantage – their largest of the game. Cayden Smith knocked down back-to-back 3-pointers and added another basket for a solo 8-0 run before Kayson Bernstein, Kyson Keller and Tanner Kratcha hit shots to cap off the spurt.

A 10-point lead felt insurmountable with the way the Magicians had been shooting the ball, but they took some much-needed momentum into the locker room by closing out the half scoring the final eight points to cut the deficit to 22-20. Patrick Shanahan and Alex Winczewski each contributed four points to the run.

“It gave us some momentum going into the half,” Brandt said. “Our kids felt a lot better about themselves after we were able to make that run rather than it being an eight- or 10-point game. I think it definitely gave our guys some confidence and maybe changed momentum in our favor going into the half. That probably ended as well as it could have in that first half.”

Minot High had not been satisfied with its defensive effort through the first two games, surrendering 91 points to West Fargo Horace and 87 points to West Fargo in consecutive days, but it was its defense on Saturday that kept the Magicians in the game while the offense struggled. Coming out of the locker room, the offense picked up the slack.

“Just locking in on defense probably helped us out the most,” Trueblood said. “We gave up 90 points last weekend, but this weekend we didn’t give up that many, so it definitely helped a lot because we weren’t shooting anywhere near as well as we were last weekend.”

The Magicians first basket of the game came from behind the 3-point line by Drew Jordan, but the team went on to miss the rest of its deep shots the rest of the half. In the second half, they opted to attack the rim instead, with Patrick Shanahan leading the charge.

“They were hedging off the screen and I know my quick first step is pretty good, so I was just beating them to the rim, getting off two feet and doing what I do,” Shanahan said.

The sophomore guard scored 12 of his game-high 18 points in the second half, with most of his baskets coming off drives to the lane. His third bucket of the second half gave the Magicians a 31-30 lead with 12:25 remaining and his only 3-pointer of the contest put them ahead for good at 38-35.

“We found something with Patrick being able to get to the rim. We shot it well enough last weekend where it felt like they weren’t going to help out a lot on our shooters at times. It opened the floor for Patrick to get to the rim. We were able to do that in the second half a bit more, especially with Patrick, and Oakley is such a floor-spacer too that it’s hard to help on our perimeter guys. When we had a run, that was what fueled it the most was being able to get to the rim and finish some of those shots we missed in the first half.”

Minot High knocked down 13 field goals in the second half and did the rest of its damage offensively at the free throw line, hitting 16-of-20 from the charity stripe. The Magicians built a double-digit advantage late in the second half as Trueblood and Archer combined for 16 points in the second half.

“We came back to the locker room and just discussed that it’s not like we’re not getting the open shots, we just have to have the confidence that if we’re not making them to just keep shooting,” Shanahan said.

Sheyenne started hitting shots a little too late to climb its way back into the game, knocking down five shots – three from distance – in the final two minutes while trailing by 10-plus points. The Magicians salted the game away at the free throw line down the stretch, making 10 of their last 12 freebies.

Archer and Trueblood joined Shanahan in double figures with 12 and 11 points, respectively. Jalen Gunville scored all nine of his points in the second half.

Smith led the Mustangs with 13 points. Chase Speelmon added 12.

Minot High begins West Region play when it travels to take on Bismarck St. Mary’s on Tuesday, Dec. 16, at 7:45 p.m.