Linton, ND (NewsDakota.com) – The Oakes Tornado boys’ basketball team traveled to Linton Thursday night to take on the Linton-HMB Lions in an instant classic that saw the Lions come out on top 77-76. Senior Lucas Schumacher hit a half-court shot as time expired, one of nine threes on the night, to give the Lions the victory.
It was a game of runs, as the teams alternated the lead at the end of each quarter. The Tornadoes took the early lead, getting seven first quarter points from senior Steele Hansen and five apiece from fellow seniors Ashton Biesterfeld and Garret Meehl.
Oakes, ND (NewsDakota.com) – The Oakes Tornado boys’ basketball team hosted the Carrington Cardinals on Tuesday night and were not very gracious hosts, dominating the game for a 65-31 victory on Parents’ Night. The game was close for most of the first quarter, but the Tornadoes were able to stretch the lead to seven at the end of the quarter before opening things up to take a 39-14 lead into halftime.
The second half was mainly a case of playing out the string, as the Tornadoes took a 34-point lead into the fourth. The win means that the Tornadoes will finish the regular season with a 4-2 record in District 5, although the season continues into the last week of February with non-district games.
Ellendale, ND (NewsDakota.com) – The Oakes Tornadoes boys’ basketball team traveled to Ellendale Friday night to face the Cardinals in the 75th annual Cowbell Game, and the Cardinals withstood a furious comeback to hang on for a 58-53 win. The win gives Ellendale 43 Cowbell wins to the Tornadoes’ 32.
The game started out as a dogfight, with the lead changing several times in the first quarter until the Cardinals seized a 12-8 lead at the end of the quarter. Ellendale mainly kept control, even as the game stayed close, leading 29-24 at halftime before extending the lead through the third to head into the fourth quarter with a 46-34 lead.
Oakes, ND (NewsDakota.com) – The LaMoure-Litchville/Marion Loboes came roaring into Oakes after a big weekend win but left with their tails between their legs after getting handed a 64-46 loss to the Tornadoes Tuesday night.
The game was a back-and-forth affair through the first quarter, with the Tornadoes taking a 14-12 lead into the break. The lead only grew from there, however, as the Tornadoes led 31-22 at the half and led by as many as 20 in the fourth quarter.
The Tornadoes used the fast break and their athleticism advantage to get out and get easy baskets, with sophomore Joey Heim getting a pair of fast-break layups back-to-back in the first quarter. The Tornadoes kept the pace up until the last few minutes, when they stalled to run the clock.
Oakes, ND (NewsDakota.com) – The Medina-Pingree-Buchanan Thunder visited Oakes on Saturday, and both the boys and the girls were stopped by the Tornadoes in two very different games.
The girls were up first, and the Tornadoes wasted no time coming out strong, taking a double-digit lead in the first quarter. Senior Sadie Hansen scored 16 points in the first quarter, outscoring the Thunder by herself, as the Tornadoes led 22-12. The game never got closer than that, as the Tornadoes led 35-21 at halftime and won the game 60-36.
Junior Ryleigh Martin was virtually the entire offense for the Thunder until the fourth quarter, scoring 15 points in the first half on her way to 20 for the game. No other Thunder player scored more than four.