Beulah’s Braylen Schirado was named the Class A state tournament MVP after helping guide the Miners to their first state title since 2012 with a 49-48 victory over Central Cass in the championship game on Saturday, March 21, at the Fargodome. File Photo

The Beulah boys basketball team held its collective breath as its state title hoops was literally up in the air in the form of a last-second shot from Central Cass.

Andrew Ziemer’s 3-pointer for the Squirrels hit back iron and harmlessly fell to the court as the buzzer sounded, giving the Miners their first state championship since 2012 with a 49-48 victory in the Class A state championship game on Saturday, March 21, at the Fargodome.

Beulah (25-3) withstood a hectic final 45 seconds that featured two potential game-winning shots from the Squirrels sandwiched in between an inopportune turnover by the Miners.

The madness followed a missed free throw attempt by Beulah, with Central Cass possessing the rebound. Ziemer brought the ball up the court with Beulah’s Bensyn Schirado defending. Ziemer dribbled to the right side of the court and put up a fadeaway shot from the corner that came up short. Beulah’s Philip Weidner grabbed the rebound – his 21st of the game – but flipped it over the head of Schirado. Weidner saved the ball from going out of bounds, but right into the hands of Kole Buhr at center court. Buhr got it to Ziemer, who split two Beulah defenders and got a good look at a championship-winning 3-pointer that was off the mark. Central Cass finished 4-for-27 from 3.

Beulah led 48-36 with 4:16 left in regulation before Central Cass (20-6) closed the game on a 12-1 run. The Miners trailed 12-11 after one and went into the locker room tied at 21 before taking a 39-31 lead entering the fourth.

Braylen Schirado led the Miners with 17 points. His younger brother finished with 14 and Weidner added 10. The Schirado brothers accounted for all five of Beulah’s 3-pointers.

The Miners held a 40-29 advantage in rebounds and were able to overcome 15 turnovers. Central Cass turned the ball over just three times.

Beulah entered the state tournament allowing 44.3 points per game, the best in Class A. The Miners held the Squirrels to 35.1 percent shooting.

Kash Lorenz led Central Cass with 16 points. Easton Holland and Ziemer finished with 12 and 11, respectively.

Beulah played three straight games at the state tournament with the contest decided by fewer than 10 points after playing just four such times in their first 25 outings – losing three. The fourth-seeded Miners opened the tournament with a 56-51 victory over No. 5 seed Wahpeton and secured a spot in the title game by knocking off top-seeded Devils Lake, 60-51.

Braylen Schirado was named the tournament MVP as well as the senior athlete of the year. Beulah head coach Brandon Schirado was named coach of the year. Braylen Schirado, Weidner, Lorenz and Ziemer were all named to the all-tournament team.

In the three placement games played earlier in the day, Dunseith took seventh with a 66-55 victory over Turtle Mountain in a rematch of the Region 3 championship, also won by the Dragons. Four Winds-Minnewaukan claimed fifth place with a 65-58 victory over Wahpeton. And in the third-place game, Devils Lake defeated Shiloh Christian, 63-48.

Easton Peltier (Turtle Mountain), Marial Deng (Four Winds-Minnewaukan), Carson Quam (Shiloh Christian), Mason Palmer (Devils Lake), Nelson DeCoteau (Dunseith) and Jack Gilbertson (Wahpeton) were named to the all-tournament team.