E-K-M Rebels are Region 3 girls basketball champions

BISMARCK, N.D. (KFYR) - The Entzi family is a basketball family. Rory is a Hall of Famer at the University of Mary. This week, he’s going to be coaching his daughter in the Class-“B” State Tournament.

Edgeley-Kulm-Montpeiler is the champion of Region 3. The Rebels earned the right to play in Minot this week after beating Linton-HMB last Friday in Jamestown. When the realization of making it to state becomes a reality, it can be an emotional moment. Coach Entzi explained it to us:

“When the clock hit zero, I almost didn’t believe it hit zero, and so, I won’t lie, the emotion just got the best of me,” said Rory Entzi, E-K-M head coach. “I think I’ve slept two hours a night for the last, I don’t know, 2-3 weeks, so I’m not going to lie, part of the emotion just might be I’m exhausted. I did this as a boys coach in 1994 in my second year and when you’re young you think this won’t be that hard. It’s really hard so you have to thank the Lord when you get this chance, and the girls just made the most of it.”

The Rebels got a huge game from Mataeya Mathern in the title game. She hit a big shot at the end of the half and ended with 30 of the team’s 41 points.

“We played them earlier in the year and they were a good team and they really improved, so we kind of knew it was going to be a tough game and we kind of fought from behind the whole game,” said Entzi. “And this group of girls just never quit and they believe in each other and we knew it was going to be hard and we just kept plugging away. It was kind of funny, she was like, ‘Do I shoot it if I get it?’ And I’m like, ‘Just play the game and if you’re open, let it loose, so that’s really all I can tell you.’ Sometimes as a coach you just get out of the way and let them do their thing.”

E-K-M plays Thompson in the first round on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. CST at the Minot State Dome.

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