Roughrider Tournament tips off with Beach, Bowman, Killdeer and Trinity advancing

Dec. 21—DICKINSON — The 51st Annual Roughrider Basketball Tournament was delayed for a week due to the ongoing snowstorms blanketing the area. However, when the tournament finally tipped-off, the gymnasium was filled with the sounds of cheering fans and sneakers squeaking on the hardwood floor as eight Region 7 teams took to the court, ready to showcase their skills and begin their journey towards tournament victory.

Beach def. Hettinger-Scranton 72-46

HS — 8-12-7-19 — 46

BEACH — 23-21-16-12 — 72

In the opening game of the tournament, the Beach Buccaneers squared off against the Hettinger-Scranton NightHawks. The Buccs would ultimately secure a 72-46 victory. Beach dominated the first half, scoring 44 points and shooting well from the perimeter.

Beach's successes relied heavily on Trey Swanson, who led Beach with 25 points and 12 rebounds, recording a double-double for the game. Swanson has grown into his role and is known for his impressive skill set and athleticism. His formidable presence on the court, dominates both outside and inside the paint.

Justus Baker also contributed 20 points for Beach. Baker is quickly setting the tone for Region 7 and has become a powerful finisher at the rim and a skilled rebounder, consistently crashing the boards to secure possession for his team. In addition to his inside game, Baker has a refined shooting touch and the ability to knock down shots from beyond the arc.

Hettinger-Scranton had two players in double figures, but struggled with their shooting percentage with Maddox Pierce and Bennet Jorgenson each scoring 11 points. Despite their efforts, the NightHawks were unable to secure the win, finishing the game with 29 total rebounds.

Beach:Trey Swanson 25, Justus Baker 20, Elijah Holkup15, Shem Baker 8, Dane Farstveet 2, Shawn Murphy 2

Hettinger-Scranton:Maddox Pierce 11, Bennet Jorgenson 11, Blake Larson10, Forrest Forthun 6, Tyler Wilson 4, Malachi Dilse 4

Bowman County def. Richarton-Taylor 78-24

RT — 2-5-5-12 — 24

BC — 21-34-16-7 — 78

The second game featured the Bowman County Bulldogs facing off against the Richarton-Taylor Raiders in a game that would see the Bulldogs dominate with a final score of 78-24.

The Duffield brothers, Bohden and Bishop, led the way for the Dawgs, scoring 15 points each and displaying their scoring prowess. The Duffields were efficient from the field, taking advantage of open looks and attacking the rim to get easy baskets.

Caisen Dohrmann led the Raiders with 12 points, showcasing a unique ability to create scoring opportunities against a clearly superior Bowman County. However, despite his best efforts, Richarton-Taylor struggled to keep up with Bowman County's pace and fell behind early in the game. The final score reflected Bowman County's dominance on both ends of the court, with their strong defense contributing to the lopsided victory.

Bowman County: Bohden Duffield 15, Bishop Duffield 15, Aiden Thompson 11, Kirklan Meschke 10, Roman Fossum 7, Trevor Andrews 5, Coy Marmon 4, Jackson Fischer 3, Noah Njos 2, Jonah Njos 2, Gavin Lambourn 2, Nathan Dix 2

Hettinger-Scranton: Caisen Dohrmann 12, Kane Rivinius 3, Logan Kessel 3, Braydin Hazen 2, Marcus Cuevas 2, Matthew Aune 2

Killdeer def. Heart River 62-60

HR — 17-16-17-10 — 60

KILLDEER — 14-18-16-14 — 62

The third game would prove to be a nail-biter, pitting the Killdeer Cowboys narrowly defeating the Heart River Cougars in a tightly contested 62-60 pairing. Both teams battled back and forth throughout the game, with neither team able to pull away for a significant lead.

The Cowboys' Jaxon Reese had a standout performance, recording a double-double of 22 points and 10 rebounds while showcasing versatility on both ends of the court. Owen Schleppenbach contributed 16 points and 6 rebounds for Killdeer, providing solid support for Reese.

Heart River kept the game close, with Cade Wyant leading his team with 19 points and Austin Buckman and Beaudon Krueger scoring 14 and 12 points, respectively. The Cougars also had 15 steals, with Buckman contributing a game-high 6 on the night.

In the end, Killdeer's strong inside presence and clutch shooting were the difference, securing a hard-fought victory.

Killdeer: Jaxon Reese 22, Owen Schleppenbach 16, Cooper Banger 9, Redsky Star 6, Jekori Dahlem 4, Nekori Dahlen 3, Chase Kling 2

Heart River: Cade Wyant 19, Austin Buckman 14, Beadon Krueger 12, Mason Kessel 8, Evan Walter 6, Carson Wyant 1

Trinity def. New England 66-31

NE — 6-4-7-14 — 31

TRINITY — 21-17-16-12 — 66

In the final game of the opening day of the 51st Annual Roughrider Basketball Tournament, home court advantage would see the perennial favorites in Trinity Titans dominate the New England squad with a final score of 66-31.

Cade Hoherz led the way for the Titans, scoring a game-high 21 points and showcasing his scoring ability from all areas of the court. Hoherz was most efficient from the field, consistently finding open looks and knocking down shots to help his team pull away.

New England struggled to keep up with Trinity's pace, with Cayden Valenta doing his best to lead his team with 12 points. Despite his efforts, New England couldn't overcome the deficit and fell behind early in the game. The lopsided score reflected Trinity's dominance on both ends of the court, with their strong defense and efficient offense leading to a convincing victory.

Trinity: Jake Shobe 16, Cade Fitterer 12, Anthony Spradley 7, Thomas Jacobs 7, Jace Kovash 6, Luke Shobe 6, Ty Dassinger 4, Camden Kubas 3, Kaden Ham 3, Nick Sobolik 2

New England: Tallen Binstock 9, Noah Madler 5, Brock Ehlis 4, Jarren Rafferty 4, Theodore Kirschmann 3, Justin Kathrein 2, Matthew Bock 2, Mark Fitterer 2

Thursday's games at the 51st Annual Roughrider Basketball Tournament in Dickinson will feature the semi-finals matchup between Beach and Bowman County at 3 p.m., followed thereafter by Killdeer versus Trinity at 4:30 p.m.

Beach and Bowman County will look to advance to the championship game, with both teams coming off strong victories in the first round. Killdeer and Trinity will also face off in the semi-finals, with both teams looking to continue their winning ways.

The consolation bracket will see Hettinger-Scranton take on Richardton-Taylor at 6 p.m., followed by Heart River versus New England at 7:30 p.m.