Mar. 11 -- JAMESTOWN -- The Hankinson boys' basketball team went on a big first quarter run and that allowed them to get a big 71-45 win over Medina/Pingree-Buchanan in the 2025 NDHSAA Class B Region 1 Tournament Semifinals on Tuesday, March 11, at the Jamestown Civic Center.
The Thunder took an early 6-4 but the Pirates responded to go on a 16-0 run through the remainder of the quarter, punctuated by two three-point plays from Raeshaun Earl to take a 20-6 lead into the second quarter.
The Thunder attempted to battle their way back into it in the second quarter, getting it down to 22-10 early but the Pirates continued to respond with runs of their own. The Pirates had a chance to extend their 33-17 lead at the first half buzzer but Earl's shot was blocked.
In the first half, the Pirates shot 50% from the field, 3-for-9 from three and 2-for-2 from the free throw line. The Thunder shot 8-for-25 from the field, 0-for-7 from three and 1-for-4 from the free throw line. The Thunder dominated on the boards in the opening half, outrebounding their opponents 19-10 overall, 10-7 on the defensive board and 9-3 on the offensive glass.
The Pirates' biggest advantage came in their ability to take advantage of Thunder miscues with the two-seeds scoring 16 points off 12 Thunder turnovers. The Thunder scored two points off four Pirates giveaways in the first two quarters.
Early in the third quarter, the Pirates were able to stretch their lead out to 43-20 and they were able to push it out further before the Thunder's Chase Ova hit two threes to send the game into the fourth with the Pirates up 59-34.
The Pirates outscored the Thunder 12-11 in the fourth quarter to get the win.