LAMOUR COUNTY, N.D. (KFYR) – One member of this year’s Lions All-Star team is no stranger to playing in the big game: Mataeya Mathern has led EKM to two consecutive state tournament appearances and led the Rebels to the finals this spring.
“I want to always cherish the memories we made during my time in high school,” Mathern said, “I know we weren’t as successful as we would have liked the season before, but we definitely used it to our advantage and worked harder. And losing our first game at the state tournament my junior year definitely motivated us to go further in the state tournament the following year, and then we ended up going to the state title game. It’s an experience we’ll never forget.”
Keenan Konshak is the coach of this year’s A/B All-Star team. He is the head coach at Mayport CG and played against Matherne and the Rebels in the B title game.
“Obviously, she’s one of the best players in the state. I thought we had a pretty solid game plan, but we ended up putting our best athlete, Riley Satrom, on her and she got her in foul trouble. Her best skill is driving to the basket and her right hand drive is very strong,” Konshak said.
Many of the players who played alongside Mathern would say she was a cohesive force on the team.
“Oh yeah, she’s great. She’s so funny. I know our AAU team and we all get along really well and she definitely helps bring us together. And like now, on Day 1, she’s bringing a lot of us together that are from different places and different classes,” Lions 2024 A/B all-star Jessica Morgen said.
“She’s stubborn and a hard worker. When things aren’t going well, she doesn’t give up and she keeps trying hard. That’s what I like about her and I had her on my AAU team. When we were feeling down or things weren’t going well, she’d say, ‘Hey guys, hang in there.’ She never gives up and that’s what we needed,” said 2024 Lions A/B All-Star Kylie Simpson.
Mathern’s future in the sport continues at the D-1 level, as she plans to head to Grand Forks to play for the Fighting Hawks.
“When I visited, I felt like I was home and I loved the atmosphere. Playing in my home state was also a big factor in my decision. They want to rebuild their program, build a winning culture and bring energy to practice. I was really excited and wanted to be a part of this effort to rebuild the program and have a winning season,” Mathern said.
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