After a surprising West Region, in which Jason Horner’s Mandan Braves earned the #1 seed, Thursday night was time to see if the Braves could do something that their lady counterparts are known for, making it to state and winning. One of the keys for the Braves is their 6′ 7″ junior, Bryan Kielpinski. As Kielpinski goes, the Braves go. The Braves, from the charity stripe, were at 72.7%, meanwhile their opponent on the other side, the Fargo North Spartans, shot only 40% for the night. The Braves were just 12.5% from 3-ball land, while Fargo North was at 25%. Jordan Maurer took home the top scoring for the Braves with 17 points, followed by Kielpinski with 15. The Spartans out rebounded the Braves with 37 to 36. The top rebounder for Mandan was Kielpinski with 8, followed by Maurer with 7. Final Score: Mandan 51, Fargo North 46. Mandan will battle DHS tonight, in the last game of the evening.
