United Tribes Clinches Region XIII Tournament Hosting Rights with Win over Williston State College
Thunderbirds win third straight 84-80
In a thrilling matchup on Monday night, United Tribes secured their position as hosts for the Region XIII Tournament by defeating Williston State College with a final score of 84-80. The victory marked the end of a successful three-game home stand for the Thunderbirds.
The Thunderbirds burst out of the gate with an impressive 14-2 run in the first half, building a 31-14 lead early on. However, Williston State College fought to get back into the game, narrowing the margin to 44-40 by halftime.
In the second half United Tribes managed to extend their lead to 59-50 with 14 minutes remaining. Yet, the Tetons would not go away taking a brief lead of 72-71 following a three-pointer by Mekhi Marks from the corner with just over six minutes left on the clock.
United Tribes regained their composure and surged back into the lead courtesy of a drive to the basket by Ty Moccasin, followed by a transition layup by Mark Fassett, pushing the score to 75-72. Down the stretch Houston Davis made some clutch shots to maintain the lead. Riley Spoonhunter's free throw with 13 seconds remaining ultimately sealed the hard-fought victory for United Tribes.
Davis had another huge game, tallying an impressive 27 points and contributing 7 rebounds to the winning effort. Cayden Redfield also continued his stellar sophomore year, nearly matching Davis with 25 points and 7 rebounds of his own.
United Tribes now looks ahead to a challenging road matchup against Dakota College Bottineau on Wednesday evening at 7:30.