Mike Kraft/MDN Minot High’s Kinley Bartsch gets fouled from behind by West Fargo’s Jada Johnson while going up for a layup in front of Lilian Wavrin (30) during the first half of a non-conference game at Magic City Campus on Saturday, Dec. 6.

No team is in mid-season form during its first game of the year, but that didn’t mean the Minot High girls basketball team didn’t look like the preseason No. 1 team and the popular pick to win the Class AA state title come March like most believe the Majettes are.

The Majettes had their lulls offensively from time to time, but their defense led to offense thanks to their full-court pressure, creating turnovers and turning them into fast-break points to help aid large runs in quick bursts.

That offense trickled down the roster, as 12 Minot High players recorded a point and eight knocked down 10 of the team’s 3-pointers in a 94-51 victory over West Fargo in a non-conference matchup at Magic City Campus on Saturday, Dec. 6, in the season opener for both teams. Senior forward Leelee Bell led all scorers with 21 points. Bell was one of five Majettes in double figures.

“We got a lot of good looks at the basket, offensively,” Minot High coach Jason Schwarz said. “I don’t think there’s any team that comes out the first game and shoots the lights out right away. We certainly had our spurts where we shot it really well, but not consistently. We had a few lulls in there, but that’s what basketball is: a game of ups and downs and swings in momentum.”

Minot High’s first offensive burst came early in the first half, powered by a trio of long-distance shots. Selia Stevick, Kinley Bartsch and Eve Knutson fueled a 9-0 run, each hitting a shot from behind the arc to put the Majettes ahead 19-4 with 13:10 left in the opening half.

The Packers (0-1) would hang around early, cutting their deficit down into the single digits past the halfway point of the half, getting as close as seven points before again witnessing how quick the Majettes (1-0) can pile up baskets in a short period of time. With the Majettes leading 26-17, having gone more than six minutes without anything more than free throws, Bell shouldered the workload for the first time in the game. The future Oklahoma Sooner scored seven unanswered points, capped off by a three-point play to build the lead back up to 14.

“When I feel like my team is cooling down and they need some shots to get going and they’re missing shots, that’s my time to come in and get their confidence up by me scoring and me kicking the ball to them,” Bell said. “That’s the time when I shine.”

West Fargo trailed by double figures the rest of the way.

Bartsch and Knutson each hit another trey before the half, as the Majettes stretched their lead to 21 by the break. Bartsch and Knutson each finished with 12 points.

Despite being a junior with plenty of varsity experience, Bartsch claimed to have been dealing with some pregame jitters, not just moments before tipoff, but the entire week. It didn’t appear to bother her, as she scored all 12 of her points in the opening 18 minutes.

“All day, all week, I’ve been nervous, but the coaches have been getting us prepared pretty well at practice, so we knew we would be ready when it came to game time,” Bartsch said.

Any slim chance the Packers had at a second-half comeback were quickly extinguished as Bell scored the first seven points out of the break and the Majettes opened on a 10-2 run to further extend their advantage to 63-34.

“All in all I was pretty happy,” Schwarz said. “We’re trying to do some things defensively this year. They’re trying to get adjusted to that and the pace of play we want to play at. That more than anything is probably what stuck out to me is how we were able to get out and really run and create some easy looks for ourselves in transition and the fast break.”

That pace allowed the Majettes more possessions, which led to more open looks and more quality scoring chances near the rim. Minot High finished with 34 total made field goals compared to 19 for the Packers. Everette Deschamp and Ariana Rood also finished in double figures for the Majettes.Deschamp scored 11 of her 13 points in the first half.

“Lots of people hit some shots and got some opportunities to score and that’s what will happen in transition,” Schwarz said. “You never know who is going to get the opportunity to lead the fast break and we did a good job of looking upcourt, taking a peek and getting the ball up ahead and just racing and getting the ball down the court before the other team could get there.”

Minot High received 27 points from its bench, led by nine from Stevick. Pearl Aberle, Ava Knutson and Jayla Pflepsen each contributed to the team’s 10 3-pointers off the bench.

“A lot of us had double figures,” Bell said. “Even our bench came in scoring. It was a great game for everyone.”

Minot High ‘s scoring output was its most since its season opener last year against the Packers, when it eclipsed the century mark in a 106-52 victory.

Delaney Augdahl led the Packers with 17 points. Jada Johnson and Norah Bakkegard each finished with 12.

Despite a solid effort defensively, the Majettes still believe that aspect of their game is a work in progress. They are looking to have more sustained pressure on the ball to lead to more turnovers, allowing their offense to get out in transition, leading to easy baskets.

“First game out there, we need to work on getting up and denying the ball, but as we continue on during the season, it will get better,” Bartsch said.

The Majettes host West Fargo Sheyenne on Saturday, Dec. 13, at 3 p.m. at Magic City Campus.