Ranchers edge Thunder in consolation round by two

Josh Moser was feeling the luck of the Irish in the Friday, March 17 consolation semifinals.

In contrast to his frustrating opening round game in which he scored just five points, the basket was looking big for the M-P-B senior point guard in the first half.

Moser shot 11-for-11 from the floor and finished 13-for-15 while scoring 34 points, but Powers Lake/Burke Central’s Tyson Enget and his teammates were equally up to the task.

The Region 8-winning Ranchers matched the Thunder in a very closely-contested game, and it wasn’t until the final shot from Rylen Wick clanked off the rim that PL-BC could sweat out a 64-62 triumph.

Enget scored 30 points for the Ranchers, who took on Thompson in the Saturday consolation championship.

“We had our shot to win it at the end, but it didn’t go, and that’s the way it goes sometimes,” said Coach Bob Young. “It was an entertaining game from start to finish, and it was disappointing for us not to come out on top.”

While Moser was doing his thing, Enget was a one-man statistical force for PL-BC, also adding seven rebounds, eight of the team’s 10 assists, and five steals.

The Rancher star’s backcourt-mate, fellow senior Gracin Schroeder, scored 13 points.

Wick put up a 17-point stat line for the Thunder, though not nearly as efficient as Moser (6-for-20 from the field), and also pitched in for 11 rebounds and two blocks.

State Class B Boys’ Basketball

Tournament, Bismarck

Consolation Round

Powers Lake/Burke Central 64,

M-P-B 62

M-P-B 12 15 18 17 62

PL-BC 17 15 11 21 64

M-P-B: Josh Moser 34, Rylen Wick 17, Sawyer Wanzek 5, Gage Magstadt 2, Adam McClellan 2, Mark Thomas 2. Totals: 23-49 FG, 8-16 FT, 15 fouls. Three-pointers: Moser 5, Wick 2, Wanzek.

PL-BC: Tyson Enget 30, Gracin Schroeder 13, Jaden Bullinger 6, Beau Kearsley 6, Luke Fraunfelter 4, Lucas Parslow 3, Joston Grubb 2. Totals: 25-55 FG, 10-15 FT, 10 fouls. Three-pointers: Enget 2, Schroeder, Parslow.

M-P-B Additional Stats

Rebounds: Wick 11, Moser 7, Wanzek 6, Magstadt 3, McClellan 2, Roper Foerderer and Thomas 1.

Assists: Magstadt and Thomas 2, Moser, Wanzek and Wick 1.

Steals: Moser and Wick 1.

Blocks: Wick 2, Magstadt and Moser 1.

PL-BC Additional Stats

Rebounds: Enget 7, Kearsley 6, Bullinger 5, Schroeder 4, Fraunfelter, Grubb and Parslow 1.

Assists: Enget 8, Fraunfelter and Kearsley 1.

Steals: Enget 5, Fraunfelter and Schroeder 2.