Ryan Ladika/MDN Tochi Udekwe, left, scored seven points in Ryan’s Monday win over Westhope/Newburg.

For the Bishop Ryan Catholic School lady Lions, their Region 6 quarterfinal matchup with Westhope/Newburg represented a chance to right a wrong and atone for an early blemish on their 2021-22 campaign.

The two clubs met in their respective season-openers Nov. 30, and the Sioux emerged on the right end of a 48-39 final score.

With the benefit of the regular season behind them and the time to become more set in their ways, the Lions exacted their revenge at the Minot Auditorium Monday evening, downing Westhope/Newburg by a 54-40 final score, marking the first regional victory in head coach Roger Coleman’s tenure.

“It was the first game of the year, we were just getting used to stuff,” said senior Berkley Lundeen. “Getting jitters out, new girls trying new positions, so I think we came out today, we’ve grown a lot as a team. We played really hard, we ran the court well, and we have new girls in new positions. It was just great, we played really well and I’m proud of these girls.”

Led by Ellie Braaten’s hot start and a milestone to go with it, the Sioux grabbed the early momentum. The junior guard answered a Sydney Upton field goal with three of her own, the third of which marked the Sioux’s first 3-point shot of the night and clinched the 2,000th point of her career.

Braaten added a pair of free throws to give her each of Westhope/Newburg’s first nine points before Nevaeh Juntunen extended the Sioux lead to 11-2 with 5:07 left in the first quarter.

Down by nine with under five to go in the initial frame, the Lions clawed their way back into the contest, outscoring Westhope/Newburg 11-4 the remainder of the frame led by seven more Upton points. A Chinelo Udekwe two-point shot with 11 seconds left brought Ryan to within two, 15-13.

“Basketball’s a game of runs, we’ve been down before, we’ve been in plenty of games, we’ve been in overtime games,” Coleman said. “They just know that if we start playing the way we can, we’re going to get back into the game.”

The Lions had only just begun their first-half comeback. Ryan allowed only one field goal throughout the second quarter, a 2-point shot by Kimberly Tabarez, and outscored the Sioux 11-2 in the frame.

Upton drilled her second triple of the game in the quarter, and Chinelo Udekwe and Berkley Lundeen combined for eight points to propel the Lions to a 24-17 halftime advantage.

Tabarez snapped the Sioux’s seven-minute scoreless drought with two more points early in the third quarter, bringing her club to within seven points at 26-19, but the Lions continued their offensive barrage.

Chinelo Udekwe found the inside of the rim from beyond the arc, and Tochi Udekwe notched six more points to lead the Lions during the quarter. Bolstered by a pair of late Upton free throws, Ryan entered the final eight minutes of play leading 41-25.

The Sioux cranked out eight unanswered points to begin the fourth quarter, four from both Braaten and Tabarez. Upton and Magee Rovig quickly halted their try for a late rally, though, opening the Lions’ lead back up to 15 with seven of their own to preserve the eventual 14-point win.

“It feels amazing, we have lost the first round of regionals ever since I’ve played basketball, so it just feels really good to get past the bridge,” Lundeen added. “We’re excited to play tomorrow and just keep going with our season.”

Upton notched a game-high 25 points in the winning effort, and Chinelo Udekwe added 11 more. Braaten finished with a team-high 20 for the Sioux. With the victory, Ryan advances to a Region 6 semifinal matchup with Rugby Tuesday evening at 6 p.m.