Minot North Pulls Away Early in 89-80 Win Over Jamestown Blue Jays

Minot North senior guard Brayden Blikre opened with a 3-pointer in the first seconds and led the Sentinels with 28 points as Minot North poured in 51 first-half points and never trailed in an 89-80 victory over the Jamestown Blue Jays at Jerry Meyer Arena on military appreciation night. The Sentinels’ early barrage produced a 51-38 halftime edge that Jamestown could not erase.

Minot North converted 33 field goals and went 14-19 from the free-throw line while holding Jamestown to 31 field goals and 8-14 at the stripe. In addition to Blikre’s four 3-pointers, Brady Vigested added 21 points and Traydon Bachmeier scored 16 for the Sentinels; TJ Hjelmstad hit three triples and finished with nine points.

Jamestown received 24 points from Kleinjan, who made four 3-pointers; the box score listed him as Jamison, while another report named him Jordan. Eric Van Berkom scored 22 and opened the second half with seven straight points to trim the margin to six, but Jamestown never got closer than that in the second half. Gradin Thorlakson scored nine, Edison Walters had seven, and Abel Dolokelen contributed six in the loss.

The Blue Jays trailed 51-38 at intermission after failing to slow Minot North’s early shooting and ball movement. Jamestown’s second-half push featured Van Berkom’s run but fell short as Minot North matched the Blue Jays’ 42 second-half points and closed out the game 89-80. Jamestown committed 20 team fouls; Minot North was charged with 16.

The defeat extended Jamestown’s skid to five straight losses and left the Blue Jays in a precarious position in the WDA standings, with the team noted as 4-15 overall and 2-14 in conference play and sitting 10th in the league. Minot North’s record around the game was listed at 3-16 overall and 3-13 in conference play; the Sentinels had lost to Jamestown earlier in the season in Minot before the road loss in Jamestown.

On the same night, the Jamestown girls produced a program-high offensive night, exploding for a 97-42 victory over Minot North. Freshman guard Macey Neumiller led the girls with 20 points, junior Milan Martin hit five 3-pointers and scored 18, and senior Haley Attleson added 17. The girls’ 97 points were the most the Blue Jays have scored in a single game this season.

Jamestown faces a critical doubleheader Friday against Williston at the Jamestown Civic Center; the girls’ matchup has been reported at 5:45 p.m., schedule listings show a 7:45 p.m. varsity slot, and coverage of the doubleheader is slated to begin around 5:30 p.m. on the Jamestown 107.1 Sports YouTube Channel. A win against Williston remains necessary if Jamestown is to keep any chance of hosting a West Region play-in game.