Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
The New Rockford-Sheyenne student section showed in force on Tuesday, Feb. 21 in their "Battling with Bailey" gear, after NR-S sophomore Bailey Jacobson completed her final round of chemotherapy on Monday, Feb. 20.
Kelsie Belquist turns to pass the ball out to an open teammate during the semifinal game against the North Prairie Cougars.
Kaiya O'Connor drives to the basket against the defense of Aubrey Kenner of Benson County.
The 2022-23 Super Region 4 girls' basketball tournament kicked off on Monday, Feb. 20 at the Sports Center in Devils Lake.
The New Rockford-Sheyenne Rockets went in as the #3 seed, and were set to play the #6 seeded Benson County Wildcats.
The Rockets seemed to have a slow, but steady start against the Wildcats.
In the first quarter, the Wildcats were led by Aubrey Kenner, who scored seven points, half of the first quarter score.
As for the Rockets, Kelsie Belquist was able to swish three field goals, along with a 3-pointer. Kaiya O'Connor hit two 3-pointers from beyond the arc to bring the lead to 17-14 after the first quarter.
But the Wildcats kept clawing back, mainly with fouls in the second quarter. Between Belquist, O'Connor and Ava Peterson, the Rockets scored 5-of-9 free throw attempts just in the second quarter.
At the half, the Rockets held a 6-point lead over the Wildcats.
And with the flip of a switch, the Rockets were in go-mode. Between Belquist and O'Connor, the Rockets scored a total of 13 points in the third quarter. The Rockets held the Wildcats to a mere 6 points.
The fourth quarter went the same as the third, with the Rockets scoring 11 to the Wildcats' two. The Rockets had defeated the Wildcats 56-34, earning a spot in the semifinals round of the tournament.
Top scorers for the Wildcats were Kenner with 12 and Kaitlyn Maddock with nine.
Scoring in double digits for the Rockets were Belquist with 24, O'Connor with 13 and Peterson with 12.
Semifinals vs. Cougars
Day two of the Super Region 4 tournament had a different outcome for the Rockets than the first day.
The Rockets were set to play the North Prairie Cougars, whom they had recently taken a 19-point loss to in regular season play.
Both the Rockets and the Cougars were struggling with their shots in the first quarter. The Rockets were down by two after the first.
The Cougars were ready to fight in the second quarter, scoring a total of 15 points. The Rockets scored a total of 2 points, taking a 15-point deficit at the half.
After the first half, the Rockets took a wake up call and started pushing forward. With two big 3-point shots by O'Connor, the Rockets had scored a total of 15 points in the third quarter, bringing the score to 25-32.
The fourth quarter brought lots of pressure and fouls by both teams.
With the many fouls by the Rockets, the Cougars were sent to the free-throw line to swish 8-of-8 free throws.
With a minute left on the clock, the Rockets went into full court pressure. This seemed to help with securing a few steals and scoring a few points, but it simply wasn't enough to catch the Cougars.
The Cougars had defeated the Rockets yet again, this time only by 5 points, 44-39.
Lead scorers for the Rockets were O'Connor with 11 and Peterson with 10. As for the Cougars, top scorers were Morgan Leas and Jenna Rosinski, each with 13.
With this loss, the Rockets would play the Four Winds/Minnewaukan Lady Indians for third place on Thursday, Feb. 23.
Super Region 4 Tournament
Quarterfinals
NR-S 56, Benson Co. 34
Monday, Feb. 20
in Devils Lake
NR-S: 17 15 13 11 – 56
BC: 14 12 6 2 – 34
NR-S: Kelsie Belquist 24, Kaiya O'Connor 13, Ava Peterson 12, Lora Wobbema 4, Katie Allmaras 3. Totals: 23 FG, 5-9 FT, 10 fouls. 3-pointers: O'Connor 3, Belquist 1, Allmaras 1.
Benson County: Aubrey Kenner 12, Kaitlyn Maddock 9, Isabella Engstrom 4, Ella Fossen 3, Kale Williams 2, Kaylee Knatterud 2, Lacie Fautsch 2. Totals: 14 FG, 5-7 FT, 12 fouls. 3-pointer: Maddock 1.
Super Region 4 Tournament
Semifinals
NR-S 39, N. Prairie 44
Tuesday, Feb. 21
in Devils Lake
NR-S: 8 2 15 14 – 39
NP: 10 15 7 12 – 44
NR-S: Kaiya O'Connor 11, Ava Peterson 10, Madisen Myhre 7, Kelsie Belquist 7, Lora Wobbema 2, Katie Allmaras 2. Totals: 16 FG, 3-6 FT, 12 fouls. 3-pointers: O'Connor 3, Belquist 1.
North Prairie: Jenna Rosinski 13, Morgan Leas 13, Lidia Motl 5, Morgan Casavant 4, Elizabeth Smith 3, Hailey Peltier 2, Karesse Heinz 2, Rylee Hanlan 2. Totals: 16 FG, 12-13 FT, 16 fouls. 3-pointers: Smith 1, Motl 1.
