Big win over Deubrook Area ends regular season

WHITE – “We played a top 10 Deubrook team on the road and came away with a victory. It was a very back and forth game. With Xavier Bien hitting a 3 in the closing minute for the go ahead basket. We played with great effort and unselfishness as a team.
It came down to a Xavier Bien 3-point go ahead basket with 34 seconds on the clock for the Fliers to win over Class B 10th rated Deubrook Area on Monday, February 23.
“It was a very back and forth game,” said Flier coach Brendan Sheppard.
“We played a top 10 team on the road and played with great effort and unselfishness as a team,” he said.
The game was won 52-51 in White on the LeRoy DeBeer Court ending the Fliers’ regular season at 13-7.
Flandreau opened the game hot with eight unanswered points before the Dolphins got in the scoring column with a solo free throw around the five minute mark.
The teams were tied at 10 as the first quarter closed. Deubrook began to find the hoop in the second quarter using a trio of three pointers and ended the half ahead 23-19.
Midway through the third quarter, the Dolphins led by as much as nine but the Fliers kept in the game and despite being held for over three minutes without a score, found themselves down by five, 41-36, after three quarters.
Flandreau held the Dolphins to only 10 final quarter points and shoveled in 16 for the one-point victory. The Dolphins were held scoreless the final 2:30 of the game and a buzzer beating shot by them was unsuccessful.
Topping the Flier scoring was Luke Sheppard with 20 points, Kody Kneebone with 13 and Bien with 10. Off the glass, Sheppard had eight rebounds, Tate Hammer had seven and Alex Poitra, six.
Chance Schoenfeld was the top Dolphin scorer with 19 points with Braxton Bednarek making 11.
The Fliers did commit 15 turnovers to the Dolphins’ nine and despite the hosts having 6’9” Schoenfeld on their roster, Flandreau out rebounded them 35-27.
Flandreau shot 41 percent from the field to the Dolphins’ 38. Sheppard dished out five assists and Kneebone made four.
“We have played a ton of close games this season and that should be beneficial as we enter postseason play,” added Sheppard.
Flandreau’s post-season began on Tuesday as the #2 seed hosting #7 Garretson in the first round of the 3A Region. Winner will advance to play on Thursday at the top seed site of either Baltic or Tri-Valley.
Flandreau’s JV team ended their season with a win, 54-20 over the junior Dolphins. Jake Hamilton put in 11 points and Nathan Ross added 10.