5 Takeaways: Fargo Davies uses late-game surge to defeat West Fargo Sheyenne
Fargo Davies cemented itself as the best team in the state Friday, knocking West Fargo Sheyenne from the ranks of the undefeated, using a late surge to open up a nip-and-tuck affair on the way to a 77-62 victory. Here…
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Continue ReadingFargo Davies cemented itself as the best team in the state Friday, knocking West Fargo Sheyenne from the ranks of the undefeated, using a late surge to open up a nip-and-tuck affair on the way to a 77-62 victory.
Here are five takeaways from the contest:
- Davies gets a lot from a lot of different people
Fargo Davies went into the season with a lot of talent and experience and while it’s not surprising that the Eagles look like a legitimate state title favorite, they’ve seemingly separated themselves from the field thanks to contributions from so many guys. They are loaded. Braeton Motschenbacher is probably their best player and leading scorer. He was awesome against Sheyenne, scoring 26 points and knocking down four 3-pointers and six free throws. Cole Hage took over for a stretch in the first half on his way to scoring 13 in the game. Jaden Klabo battled foul trouble for big chunks of the night, but still finished with 10 and was great defensively. Harrison Thom knocked down a couple big shots late and was terrific defensively. But more than their starters, the Eagles get quality play from complementary guys like Cameron VanDam, Ty Satter and Justice Noel.
- Sheyenne went cold from deep late and it proved costly
Make no mistake, Fargo Davies didn’t run away with a win the way the score might indicate. It was 60-56 with six minutes to go and the Eagles used an 11-0 run over a three-minute stretch late to take a 71-56 lead to all but put the game away. In that crucial stretch, the Mustangs missed makeable 3-pointers (including two that went in-and-out). Davies switched up its defense, using a 2-3 zone but more than anything, it seemed like the Mustangs may have just panicked a bit once they got down 10 or so. They missed a couple really makeable shots and compounded the deficit with a few ill-advised ones, letting the score snowball.
- Braeton Motschenbacher won the point guard battle
Neither Davies nor Sheyenne have a true primary point guard. And it mostly makes both teams better as the offenses are very balanced and full of shot-creators and playmakers. Motschenbacher and Christian Kuntz serve as the closest thing to their respective team’s point guard and in the first matchup between the two teams, Motschenbacher was the better player. He scored a game-high 26 points but more than that, it was the timing of his points. He knocked down three 3-pointers in the first half, helping Davies build its lead. Then with the Mustangs clawing back in the first half, he scored team’s final five points of the half to stave off a big momentum switch. And with the Mustangs nipping at the Eagles’ heels the entire second half, it was Motschenbacher providing big shots in critical spots. He keyed the 11-0 run with a 3-pointer and two assists and he balanced attacking, setting up the offense and picking his spots extremely well. Kuntz finished with 17 points but struggled to find any rhythm for most of the game and when he did get it going, the game was seemingly out of reach.
- Is there a weakness for either of these teams?
This one isn’t to suggest that either team is perfect. But in comparison to the competition, is there something other teams can expose against these two teams? I don’t think Fargo Davies did anything from a schematic standpoint that indicated a decisive advantage in any one area. The Eagles have a bunch of good players, hit shots and made plays. Sheyenne had chances to make shots and didn’t knock them down. There doesn’t seem to be anything lacking with either team at least glaringly. I wonder if the Eagles almost have too many good players because there can be times where they have a distinct advantage and almost seemingly forget to get the ball to certain guys at times. Cole Hage was arguably the best player on the floor in the first half and was mostly invisible on the offensive end in the second half. Jaden Klabo looked unstoppable at times when he was on the floor, but didn’t get a lot of touches overall. Ultimately these are first-world problems and in a roundabout way, it’s essentially saying the only team that might really be able to beat Davies is Davies. The Mustangs don’t have great size are a little 3-ball dependant but with the way they share the ball, they get good 3-point looks. Kuntz is terrific usually. Tyler Terhark is one of the best players in the EDC. Chuck Dubois has emerged as a very valuable floor-spacing big man and while Blake Berg struggled Friday night, he’s one of the steadiest guards in the EDC. The Mustangs get a lot from various places.
- Big Picture?
This game featured two of the three or four best teams in the state and for about 32 minutes, it lived up to the billing. The Eagles turned on the jets late and the Mustangs seemingly ran out of gas but it shouldn’t really change the opinion of either team’s ultimate potential this year. Davies should be considered the favorite in Class A North Dakota. The Eagles probably shouldn’t lose more than a game or two in the regular season and they have all the components to win a state championship. If there’s a group of teams that can realistically compete with them on that plane, Sheyenne is right there. The Mustangs at their best are good enough to beat anybody. When state rankings come out, they shouldn’t be lower than third despite this loss.