February 22, 2018
One upset to go
By Jerry W. Kram
The Mandaree Warriors girls basketball team is used to being the underdogs. According to Head Coach Matthew Yellow Wolf, that has made them just fight all the harder. That attitude has paid off so far in post-season basketball tournaments.
After losing their first game in the District 15 Tournament to Trenton, the Warriors have reeled off four straight victories, putting them on the cusp of their first trip to the North Dakota State Class B Girls Basketball Tournament in school history. After beating Williston Trinity and upsetting number three seed Parshall to earn a place in the Region 8 Tournament, the girls toppled District 16 Champion Stanley Blue Jays 73-65 and avenged their loss to the Trenton Tigers 61-45.
To make it to state, Yellow Wolf and his team have engineer one more upset. They will take on the Watford City Wolves in the Championship Game on Thursday.
“Mandaree girls have never made an appearance at state,” Yellow Wolf said. “That’s every team’s goal. So if we do, it would be the first time ever.”
After losing their first game in the District 15 Tournament to Trenton, the Warriors have reeled off four straight victories, putting them on the cusp of their first trip to the North Dakota State Class B Girls Basketball Tournament in school history. After beating Williston Trinity and upsetting number three seed Parshall to earn a place in the Region 8 Tournament, the girls toppled District 16 Champion Stanley Blue Jays 73-65 and avenged their loss to the Trenton Tigers 61-45.
To make it to state, Yellow Wolf and his team have engineer one more upset. They will take on the Watford City Wolves in the Championship Game on Thursday.
“Mandaree girls have never made an appearance at state,” Yellow Wolf said. “That’s every team’s goal. So if we do, it would be the first time ever.”
