PHD Playoff Central (ND): The Ten Best
What are the ten best games in North Dakota this evening? We break down our list as North Dakota prepares for a big day of basketball at the Class B level.
- Bottineau and Des Lacs-Burlington were both ranked at some point this year but both lost a lot of close games down the stretch. One of these squads will go home knowing their year was not what they wanted it to be while the other will be banked on the winning streak and ready to work for state.
- Velva and Our Redeemer tip off in the Minot Dome at tentatively 7:30 this evening. Velva is a 14 win team that has struggled greatly with the Knights twice this year losing by 18 in one game, and 19 in the other. Is the third time going to be most difficult? Or is Our Redeemer just that much better and expected to handle this contest by about 20 again?
- Cavalier and Thompson played an excellent game exactly a month ago with Thompson winning 71-67. Thompson fell out of the rankings because of close losses to HCV and Grafton/St. Thomas at the end of the year, but they are a state contender. That said, they have to get through a team they struggled with in the previous game.
- NDSCS hosts Kindred and Richland in an excellent 4-5 game. Richland won the first game 59-48 and Cole Myers was the most impressive player on the floor scoring 18.
- One of the most underappreciated Class B teams is Langdon/Edmore/Munich who is 18-4. The Cards have been forgotten a bit because of the early season loss to Midway/Mento and they struggled with Dunseith and St. JOhn, but LEM has beaten everyone they were expected to since December 12th. Tonight the opponent is New Rockford-Sheyenne, a team LEM beat by 21 earlier in the year.
- 8th ranked Dunseith has to deal with a 13-9 Benson County club that has won 4 of 5 games heading into tonight.
- Number one ranked HCV faces 13-9 Midway/Mento which is a reasonably tough first playoff game for a top seed. HCV won the first go-round 54-44.
- The Washburn Cardinals are a 12-9 team that has won seven of nine. Shiloh Christian is battle tested though so a solid first opponent in the playoffs won’t scare them.
- Carrington has crushed Kidder County twice this year and they get a third chance this evening. Kidder County has only beaten one team with a winning record this year for their 11-10 record but that win was late in the year against Ellendale. Could Carrington get surprised tonight?
- Ellendale is 16-6, the Imperials of Napoleon are a .500 club. Ellendale is the favorite but the Imperials have won 7 of their last 10.