Kari Gibb/MDN Minot High senior Payton Schell leads the team in scoring and is second in rebounding for the Magicians as they wind down their regular season play and prepare for post season action.

The Magicians and Majettes each posted wins to start this week over Williston on the road. The boys won 76-28 while the girls took the road win 79-65 on Tuesday.

The Minot High basketball teams are down to six games left on the 2024-2025 season. Both the Majettes and Magicians are at Dickinson today with a trip to Jamestown next Tuesday, February 11, as the playoffs approach. Both teams are ranked and expected to make a run for top billing at the state tournament.

The Magicians are ranked second in the last polls behind Bismarck Century. The Minot High boys are 10-2 in Western Dakota Association (WDA) play and 13-2 overall. Century sits atop the WDA standings at 12-1, 15-1 overall. Mandan is at 8-4 in WDA play and 11-4 overall along with Bismarck High and Bismarck Legacy.

The Magicians are led by Payton Schell with 23.3 points per game (ppg) and 326 points total this season. Aric Winczewski is close behind him at 18.6 ppg and 261 total points for the year. Grayson Schaeffer rounds out the top three in scoring with 10.4 ppg and 145 total for the season.

One of the strengths of the Minot High boys is rebounding with Landon Bedell leading the way with 28 offensive boards and 77 defensive rebounds limiting second chance points for the competition. Schell is close behind with 29 offensive and 68 defensive boards. Both Winczewski and Schaeffer bring 68 and 66 rebounds respectively to the tally as well.

The Majettes are the top ranked team in the state polls and have been the entire season. The Minot High girls are 11-1 in WDA play and 15-1 overall. In second place is Mandan at 10-2 in WDA, 13-2 overall with Legacy in third place at 10-3 in WDA and 13-3 overall.

Leelee Bell leads the team in scoring with 27 ppg and 378 total points so far this season. Maggie Fricke has 21 ppg as she works back into the playing time while Karew Lamoureux averages 10.2 ppg while Eve Knutson and Sydney Aberle each add 7.6 ppg in the team effort.

Bell also leads the team in rebounding with 42 offensive and 118 defensive boards. Aberle has added 32 offensive and 63 defensive rebounds while Knutson has 59 total and Kinley Bartsch brings 54 total rebounds to the stat line. Limiting second chance points for the opponents is a key factor for each of the Minot High teams.

The Magicians face Century on the road in the second to the final game of the regular season on February 21, and Legacy at home on February 25 to end the season. Those games will be critical to the final WDA standings going into the playoffs.

The Majettes have Mandan on the road on February 18 and host Legacy at home to end the regular season for final WDA standings and seeding going into the playoffs.

The 2025 NDHSAA Division AA Boys Basketball State Tournament is scheduled for March 13-15, 2025 in Fargo while the 2025 NDHSAA Division AA Girls Basketball State Tournament is scheduled for March 13-15, 2025 in Fargo as well.