Wahpeton and Northern Cass met Thursday in a rematch of last season’s triple-overtime classic in the Region 1 boys basketball semifinal, giving fans a potential playoff preview as we inch closer to March Madness.
Wahpeton won the 2025 postseason clash 69-62 at the Scheels Center, delivering one of the most exciting playoff performances in school history.
The No. 4-ranked Huskies emerged victorious again Thursday in a 69-59 home win that featured a bevy of lead changes and scoring runs. Both teams entered the contest with a 4-2 record, making it a pivotal matchup in Region 1.
Wahpeton faced a 36-33 halftime deficit, but stayed competitive behind a strong paint performance by senior center Alex Comings and his 10 first-half points.
The Huskies took their first lead at 42-40 with five minutes remaining in the third quarter on a Treyton King layup.
Senior guard Brayden Steffens was held without a three in the opening half, before drilling two of them in the third quarter as Wahpeton built a nine-point lead.
The momentum was short-lived, as the Jaguars closed the quarter on a 7-0 run which cut the Huskies lead to 51-49.
Northern Cass continued its run into the fourth, scoring 12 unanswered to grab a 54-51 lead on a corner three from Brooks Crockett. Steffens stopped the bleeding with an elbow jumper to reclaim a 55-54 Huskies lead with 5:34 remaining.
King became the fourth Husky in double figures, scoring his 10th and final point when he banged home a baseline three to give Wahpeton a 60-56 lead with 3:49 left — a lead they would not relinquish.
Steffens led Wahpeton with 20 points and his backcourt mate Jack Gilbertson added 15.
The x-factor for Wahpeton came in the form of 6-foot-5 Alex Comings, who dropped a career-high 18 points and delivered at the free-throw line throughout.
Parker Zieske paced the Jaguars with 17 points and Crockett scored 16.
