Sue Sitter/PCT Panthers forward Joran Jundt moves away from a trap set by the Bottineau Stars’ defense in the District 11 title game held on Feb. 12 at Velva High School.

Rugby Panthers moved closer to securing a spot at the North Dakota Girls Class B State Basketball Tournament when they won the District 11 title in Velva on Feb. 12.

After a bye game when the tournament kicked off on Feb. 10, Panthers met the Towner-Granville-Upham Titans on the court in Velva High School’s gym on Feb. 11.

The Titans brought a scrappy game with them, fresh from a Feb. 10 win over the Nedrose Cardinals. Ashley Martodam, a TGU player who co-ops with Rugby High in spring for track, proved a force to be reckoned with. Martodam finished with the highest point total for the team.

Still, the Panthers dominated the game from the start. Coach Jennifer Brossart went deep on the bench and each rotation resulted in shots made for Rugby. Panthers forward Kendyl Hager started the offensive, landing a three-pointer early in the first quarter, which ended with a 15-9 Panthers’ lead.

Panthers stayed on Martodam in the second quarter, finding foul trouble and giving her two trips to the free throw line.

Rugby ran circles around TGU’s defense, with forward Anna Johnson adding a three-point shot to another one by Hager. Mykell Heidlebaugh added another three points from afar, plus two buckets from inside the paint. With seconds to go in the half, forward Brooke Anderson sank a bucket of her own to solidify the 32-16 Rugby lead.

Both teams turned up the pressure in the third quarter. With more coverage on Martodam, TGU’s Bostyn Bailey took opportunities to score seven points, including a three-point shot. But there was little they could do to stop the Panthers.

Johnson landed her second three-pointer for the game and went to the free-throw line twice after Titans’ defenders tried to stop her. Johnson saw a perfect free-throw percentage in the game.

Heidlebaugh landed four-of-four free throws in the quarter, one drawn on a layup she landed. Panthers would add 17 points to their lead, with the Titans adding 15.

Rugby sealed its victory with 15 more points in the fourth quarter for a 64-41 win.

Panthers versus Stars

The next evening, Rugby would face rivals Bottineau Stars and a 1-2-2 defensive strategy designed to trap opponents into corners.

The Panthers took some time to get their bearings. The Stars jumped out to an early lead after Kylie Simpson landed a basket. After another one from Bottineau, Heidlebaugh landed one for the Panthers. Johnson landed a shot from the outside for three points, surrounded by Stars. Hager tried to make her way through the crowd only to be fouled and make one of two free throws. The Panthers trailed 6-9 after the first quarter.

The Panthers and Stars traded leads and steals for much of the second quarter before Heidlebaugh’s and Hager’s shots found their marks. Joran Jundt drew one foul and made two free-throw shots. Rugby would fight its way to seven points in the quarter while limiting the Stars to just two. The half ended with a narrow 13-11 Panthers lead.

“This gym has a little bit bouncier rims than we’re used to but we (adjusted),” Heidlebaugh noted after the game.

Panthers forward Joey Wolf sprang to action in the third quarter, landing one three-pointer before drawing two fouls from Stars. Wolf landed 75% of her free throws. Hager, Heidlebaugh, and Jundt all found their way around the Stars’ defense. The Panthers finished the quarter with a 27-19 lead.

The Panthers put more distance between themselves and the Stars in the fourth quarter, adding 13 more points to the board while limiting the Stars to seven. Rugby’s defense managed to neutralize top Stars threat Kyra Beckman, keeping her to just four points in the entire game. The Panthers limited their fouls as well, catching only four to the Stars’ nine.

Panthers left the court with a 40-26 win and the 2022 District 11 title.

Rugby players named all district, senior athlete award

District 11 Tournament Manager Steve Dunsrud named Heidlebaugh, Hager and Johnson to the 2022 District 11 All District Team. Dunsrud also presented Johnson with the 2022 District 11 Senior Athlete of the Year Award.

After winning, Johnson said, “It feels amazing to be chosen the senior athlete of the year.”

Brossart said she was “proud of these girls.”

Brossart described the season as “tough. I’m really looking forward to a good week of practice,” she added.

“I thought we handled the press (from Bottineau) well this time. We didn’t really turn the ball over. I thought when we got in the half-court offense, we didn’t try to press things and just try to get a quick score,” Brossart added.

As for the Panthers’ apparent case of the nerves in the first quarter, Brossart said, “At halftime, we talked about it. I told them, ‘You’ve just got to bide your time.’ We just told them to relax and let the game come to you. We don’t have to force it.

“We talked to these girls about dragging it out,” Brossart said of Rugby’s strategy. “The teams will hang with us for the first half, but we’ve just got to keep wearing them down. I think the girls did a much better job responding with the ball in the second half. We didn’t have many turnovers in the second half.”

Brossart added, “A lot of times, I think these girls feel a lot of pressure. And I’m happy they didn’t foul. We had three fouls at the start of the second quarter. It’s just experience. It’s discipline. And I’m proud of these girls. I’m proud of Anna Johnson for getting senior athlete of the year. She put in the time. She earned it.”

Brossart said the team would take advantage of its week off after districts “to get in the gym and practice.”

Onto Region 6 Tournament

Panthers head to Minot Auditorium on Feb. 21 for the Region 6 Tournament. In their first tournament game scheduled for 3 p.m., the Panthers will play Our Redeemer’s Christian High School. Both Heidlebaugh and Brossart noted Rugby hadn’t played against the Knights in its regular season.

“Sometimes, I think that’s better (that they haven’t played against them before),” Brossart said. “We’ve just got to keep playing well. I’m really just looking forward to getting into the gym for five days and working on some stuff.

“But, all in all, I’m just proud of these girls, the way they held (Beckman) to four pointes, for their defense, and how Joey Wolf came through in the second half. I’m proud of Mykell Heidlebaugh and Anna Johnson and Kendyl Hager for making the all-district team. I’m just really proud of them,” Brossart added.