Bishop Ryan headed to state with win over Velva - Valley News Live - KVLY/KXJB - Fargo/Grand Forks

Bishop Ryan girls basketball coach Julie Stewart has been preaching the importance of solid defense since the beginning of practice in the fall.

That defense-first mentality carried the top-ranked Lions to a 63-49 victory over Velva in the Region 6 championship game Thursday at the Minot Municipal Auditorium, sending Ryan back to the state tournament for the second straight year.

The Lions (24-0) forced 16 turnovers and limited the Aggies to 27.7 percent shooting to set up a state quarterfinal game against Region 4 champion Benson County on Thursday at the Fargodome. Despite the high stakes and the electric atmosphere, Stewart had a simple message for her team before the game.