East Region basketball: Fargo South tops Fargo North in OT for East girls title

Fargo North's Mia Lopez, center, tries to maintain possession of the ball from Fargo South's Meghan Roehrich, left, and Erica Everson, right, during the North Dakota Class A, East Region girls basketball tournament Saturday at the Alerus Center in Grand Forks.Carrie Snyder / The Forum

By news@inforum.com

March 06, 2010 at 11:02 PM

GRAND FORKS - The Fargo South girls basketball team began overtime with its leading scorer, Meghan Roehrich, on the bench with five fouls.

Thankfully for the Bruins, they still had the East Region player of the year - Siri Burck.

Burck, a 6-foot senior guard, scored four big points in overtime to lead Fargo South to a 62-59 victory over Fargo North in the championship game.

"I felt like I needed to step up and lead the team," Burck said. "I wanted to slow things down and take control."

Burck's reverse layup and short pull-up jumper early in overtime gave the Bruins a lead they wouldn't relinquish.

"Siri had a spark in her eye in overtime," South coach Craig Flaagan said. "We did a great job executing in overtime without our best player on the floor. We haven't had to play a whole lot this year with Meghan on the bench."

It was the Bruins' fifth straight East Region tournament championship.

"That means a lot," said Burck, who finished with nine points, 11 rebounds and five assists. "To go a whole career without losing (in the region tournament) is a great accomplishment."

South needed a strong last-minute effort in regulation just to force overtime. North forward Angie Waller scored in the post to give the Spartans a 51-46 lead with 1:45 remaining in regulation. But South scored the game's next five points, highlighted by a basket in the post by Raquel Wellentin, who Burck found all alone underneath after a drive to the basket, with three seconds left to tie the game at 51.

"South had a couple of kids, who haven't had to step up too much this year because of Meghan, find a way to get it done," North coach Derek Ouren said. "And Siri Burck is the East Region player of the year for a reason. She stepped up and made big shots."

After Burck's strong start to overtime, the Bruins still had to cling on to a slim lead late despite leading by six with 33 seconds left.

North trimmed the overtime lead to three with 26 seconds left on a three-point play by Alyssa Dehne. The Spartans then cut it to 60-59 with 20 seconds left with two free throws from Waller.

But the Bruins closed the win with a free throw each from Alley Fisher and Sara Rydell.

Roehrich, who fouled out with 46 seconds left in regulation, led the Bruins with 24 points. Fisher added 12 points.

North, which defeated South once during the regular season to snap the Bruins' 47-consecutive region winning streak, was led by 13 points apiece from Alyssa Dehne and Angie Waller. Dehne, who also had six assists, had a desperation halfcourt shot at the buzzer rim in and out at the end of regulation.

Half: FS 28, FN 25.

End of regulation: FS 51, FN 51.

FS: Roehrich 24, Fisher 12, Burck 9, Felch 7, Moffett 5, Wellentin 4, Rydell 1.

FN: Dehne 13, Waller 13, Reinholz 10, Wixo 8, Lopez 5, Teschendorf 4, Scherer 2, Larson 2, Skunberg 2.

All-Eastern Dakota Conference team

Stephanie Mertens, Devils Lake

Hannah Elshaug, Devils Lake

Sophie Kenney, Fargo Shanley

Nicole Carew, Fargo Shanley

Alyssa Dehne, Fargo North

Angie Waller, Fargo North

Meghan Roehrich, Fargo South