Oakes has enjoyed a three-game homestand but will soon have to dust off their road jerseys. They will face off against the Sargent County Bulldogs at 7:00 p.m. on Monday. Hopefully Oakes focused on turnovers this week since the team gave up 17 on Thursday.
Last Thursday, Oakes was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap as they fell 49-45 to Maple River. The loss was a bit of a surprise, as Oakes came into the contest with a sizable advantage in MaxPreps's basketball rankings in their respective home states (they are ranked 42nd in North Dakota, while Maple River is ranked 157th in Minnesota).
The loss doesn't tell the whole story though, as several players had good games. One of the most active was Lily Thorpe, who scored 12 points along with five rebounds and two steals. Another player making a difference was Kassidy Jackson, who scored 11 points along with two steals.
Meanwhile, Sargent County put another one in the bag on Thursday to keep their perfect season alive. They breezed by Enderlin on the road to the tune of 65-32. Sargent County has made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won seven matches by 22 points or more this season.
Oakes' defeat dropped their record down to 8-3. As for Sargent County, their win was their sixth straight on the road dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 10-0.
Oakes skirted past Sargent County 56-54 in their previous matchup back in January of 2023. Will Oakes repeat their success, or does Sargent County have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
