Washburn takes second at McLean County Tournament
By Adam Thomas, BHG News Service
Early season tournaments are a first look at how a team can cope with the ‘three games in three days’ atmosphere that will ultimately decide their fate at the end of the season. For the Washburn Cardinals, it was a fight the entire way. Holding off Hettinger and then out-hustling Bismarck JV on their way to the championship game, Washburn ran into a Turtle Lake-Mercer-McClusky Trojan team that was rolling on too many cylinders to halt. The Cardinals ended the weekend by taking second place after a 43-63 championship game. "It was a fun weekend. It’s been a few years since Washburn has played in the title game of the McLean County tourney," said Cardinal Head Coach Trevor Sinclair. In the first round of the tournament, the Cardinals met the Hettinger Black Devils. Taking a nine-point lead into the final quarter of the game, Washburn held down any Black Devil hopes for a come-from-behind win. Despite being outscored in the fourth quarter, the Washburn defense was strong enough to close it out for a 39-35 win. Kier Vander Wal topped his team’s scoring with 11 points followed by Jeff Rasmussen with 10 in the Hettinger game. Camden Moran pulled down eight rebounds as well.
