MINOT – In the end, nothing beats experience – even when it seems like your basketball dreams are about to be crushed.
Central Cass, with seven experienced seniors on its roster, avoided that nightmare by relying on its experience and poise to claim its first North Dakota state Class B girls basketball title on Saturday night – taking a dramatic 58-55 overtime win over top-ranked Thompson at the Minot State Dome.
The Squirrels had to survive a buzzer-beating 3-pointer by Thompson’s Olivia Dick to send the game to overtime. The senior banked in the 3-pointer in front of the Thompson bench, giving the Tommies the momentum after their prospects of winning looked dim in the final seconds of regulation.
But Central Cass was able to regain the momentum midway through overtime.
“When they hit that three-pointer, we talked in the huddle that they made a couple of good shots at the end but this was our overtime,” said Central Cass coach Jay Bachman. “Our experience in that situation was huge. We were calling out plays we hadn’t called all game and they were working.
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“We’ve come so close to this so many times. It’s so nice to get that first one. And it couldn’t happen to a better group of girls.”
In overtime, Central Cass seniors found a way to rally from a 55-52 Thompson lead with 2:44 to go. Tournament MVP Decontee Smith hit a free throw to cut Thompson’s lead to 55-53. On the Squirrels’ next possession, Klaire Cotton converted a three-point play, giving Central Cass a 56-55 advantage.
Smith closed out the scoring with a putback with 1:27 to go for the final score. It was the last of her 17 rebounds to go with her 25 points.
The Tommies couldn’t convert on their final possessions, denying them their first Class B title in school history.
No more than eight points separated the teams at any point. Central Cass led for 15 minutes, Thompson 12. And the game was tied for nearly eight minutes, making for a classic title game.
The Central Cass players didn’t let the buzzer-beating basket in regulation get to them in overtime.
“We played an overtime game against Rugby (Friday night), so this wasn’t new to us,” said Smith. “We came out with fire and intensity in the overtime.”
Klaire Cotton finished with 13 points for the 23-3 Squirrels while Delaney Cotton added 12.
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While Central Cass relied on its experience, Thompson came close to winning a state title with its youth. Freshman Addison Sage led the Tommies with 18 points while Kya Hurst, another freshman, added 17. Dick, with her memorable 3-point bank shot at the end of regulation, finished with 12.
“I was proud of our effort from the get-go,” said Thompson coach Jason Brend. “It didn’t look good at the end of regulation but our kids kept fighting and they got us those extra four minutes.
“But you have to give Central Cass so much credit. Their experience paid off, maybe in overtime. I think that was a big factor. They’ve been in so many games like this before.
“This is something we can learn from and build on as well.”
Central Cass 58, Thompson 55, OT
Halftime: Thompson 25, Central Cass 23
Thompson — Olivia Dick 12, Clara Stevens 6, Kya Hurst 17, Jordyn Tozer 2, Addison Sage 18
Central Cass — Klaire Cotton 13, Victoria Richter 1, Taylor Siverson 4, Delaney Cotton 12, Decontee Smith 25, Avah Cotton 3
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