DICKINSON - The Minot High boys basketball team placed three scorers in double figures en route to a 65-52 win over Dickinson on Saturday at the DHS gymnasium.
Kyle Gerding had a team-high 17, Brian Bloms dropped in 13 and Brandon Van Dusen added 12 to pace the Magicians (4-0 overall, 2-0 West Region).
"We're a very balanced team," Minot head coach Dean Winczewski said. "That will make us hard to handle during tournament time, because we do have so many kids that can score the basketball."
Minot trailed in the game just once - 1 minute, 2 seconds into the game after Dickinson senior guard Alex Huschka knocked down a 3-pointer. From there, the Magicians went on a 10-2 run during the next two minutes.
Dickinson's (3-1, 1-1) biggest blemish was its 23 turnovers. Minot committed 14 turnovers. Midgets coach John Wilson said playing nearly perfect is the key to beating a top-five team.
"When you play a team as good as that, you have to make sure you take care of the basketball and you don't give them second-chance points," Wilson said. "You have to play flawless when you play a good, veteran team like that."
With nine minutes left in the first half, Minot held a 22-10 lead and continued to build on it, leading 38-25 at halftime.
"We came out of halftime with confidence," Huschka said. "None of us were down on each other. We just needed to go back out there with same fire we started the game with."
Dickinson kept biting at Minot's heels after a quick six-point run to start the second half. Huschka supplied a 3-pointer and a layup, while sophomore guard Mark Erickson added a free throw. Erickson scored nine points and junior guard Parker Egli came off the bench for six.
But Minot proved why it's ranked near the top of Class A, responding with an 8-0 run to build a 49-33 lead.
Dickinson continued its attempt to climb back, but Minot answered at every opportunity. Erickson swished a 3-pointer with 2:23 left in the game, but Minot's Austin Frank - playing in his first game after a three-game suspension - answered from beyond the arc. Frank ended with nine points.
"We got real sloppy the second half," Winczewski said. "We didn't share the ball as well and it became 'My turn, I need to make a play.' Instead of just doing little things that we are capable of."
The Magicians closed out the game with a 5-1 advantage. Gerding scored Minot's five points from the free-throw line.