The 2023-24 season came to a dramatic close as Mitchell, Hamlin and Howard won championships at the State Boys Basketball Tournaments this weekend.
SIOUX FALLS — Gavin Hinker’s layup with 30 seconds to play helped the Kernels defeat the Lynx for the Class AA championship at the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center on Saturday night.
Hinker’s game-winner came at the end of a wild game that saw the Lynx and the Kernels combine for six lead changes in the fourth quarter. Brandon Valley took an 11-10 lead at the end of the first quarter but Mitchell opened the second quarter with an 8-0 run to take a 23-18 lead into halftime.
The Lynx tied the game at 30-30 with Aiden Zerr’s layup with 2:49 left in the third quarter but Mitchell held onto a 35-34 lead going into the fourth quarter. Neither team had a lead larger than three points in the final quarter and Josh Olthoff tied the game at 44-44 with his layup with 2:30 to play.
Landon Dulaney made one of two free throws to give the Lynx a 45-44 lead with 46 seconds left but Hinker scored the game-winning basket and Olthoff missed a jumper and a 3-pointer at the horn to end the game.
Gavin Soukup led the Kernels with 16 points while Hinker had nine points and eight rebounds. Markus Talley had nine points, five rebounds and four assists while Colton Smith had seven points.
Heydi Anderson had 13 points and six rebounds for the Lynx while Olthoff had 13 points and seven rebounds. Brayden Miller had 11 points and Dulaney had four points and five assists.
Mitchell shot 47 percent in the game including 3-of-13 (23%) on 3-pointers. The Kernels made 3-of-6 (50%) free throws, grabbed 24 rebounds and committed nine turnovers.
Brandon Valley shot 42 percent from the floor including 4-for-13 (31%) on 3-pointers. The Lynx made 11-of-14 (79%) free throws, grabbed 23 rebounds and committed 10 turnovers.
The Kernels finished the season with a record of 23-1 while the Lynx finished 18-6.
RAPID CITY — Hamlin pulled off one of the biggest upsets in State Tournament history as they beat previously undefeated Sioux Falls Christian in overtime during the Class A championship game at Summit Arena at The Monument on Saturday night.
Hamlin opened the game with a 9-3 run on the way to a 14-10 lead at the end of the first quarter. Hamlin’s lead grew to double-digits on Tyson Stevenson’s layup with 3:27 left in the second quarter and the Chargers took a 27-15 lead into halftime.
Hamlin’s lead jumped up to 34-19 on a 3-pointer by Easton Neuendorf with 5:51 left in the third quarter but Sioux Falls Christian closed the third quarter on a 13-4 run to trail 38-32 going into the fourth quarter.
The run continued as Sioux Falls Christian opened the fourth quarter on a 13-2 run that saw them take the lead on Cole Snyder’s 3-pointer with 4:37 left in regulation and go ahead 45-40 on a 3-pointer by Brant Wassenaar with 3:50 remaining.
Hamlin battled back with buckets by Jackson Wadsworth and Neindorf to make it a 45-44 game. After Griffen Goodbary’s layup put Sioux Falls up 47-44 with 36 seconds left, Stevenson knocked down a 3-pointer with 20 seconds left in regulation and sent the game to overtime tied at 47-47.
The extra frame was a defensive battle as Sioux Falls Christian went ahead on Goodbary’s jumper with 2:52 remaining. Stevenson made it a 49-48 game with on a free throw with 2:30 left and Snyder made it a two-point game again on a free throw with two minutes to play.
Stevenson tied the game on a layup with 44 seconds to go but grabbed his miss on the free throw and was fouled by Jude Vandonkersgoed.
Stevenson made both ensuing free throws and a 3-pointer by Vandonkersgoed with 12 seconds left went off the iron and into the hands of Evan Stormo. After grabbing the rebound, Stormo turned the ball over and gave Sioux Falls Christian one last shot but a 3-pointer by Goodbarry was off the mark and Wadsworth knocked down another free throw to secure the state championship.
Stevenson led Hamlin with 16 points. Neuendorf had 12 points and Stormo had nine points and six rebounds. Wadsworth and Zach Vanmeeteren each had seven points.
Goodbarry finished with 19 points and 10 rebounds. Wassenaar had 18 points and Vandonkersgoed had nine points. Cole Snyder finished with six points.
Hamlin shot 45 percent from the floor including 6-of-17 (35%) on 3-pointers. Hamlin made 5-of-9 (56%) free throws, had 24 rebounds and committed nine turnovers.
Sioux Falls Christian shot 35 percent in the game including 6-of-21 (29%) on 3-pointers. Sioux Falls Christian made 10-of-12 (83%) free throws, grabbed 30 rebounds and committed 13 turnovers.
Hamlin finished the season with a 23-3 record while the Chargers went 25-1.
ABERDEEN — The Howard Tigers took home the Class B title after defeating De Smet in overtime at the Barnett Center on Saturday night.
The Tigers led 13-11 at the end of the first quarter and took a 24-22 lead into halftime. The Tigers extended their lead to 39-35 going into the fourth quarter and took a seven-point lead on Colby Claussen’s 3-pointer to open the final frame but De Smet worked its way back and tied the game at 46-46 with 4:30 to go in regulation.
The Bulldogs took a 49-48 lead on Kadyn Fast’s free throws with 1:04 left in the fourth quarter but Luke Koepsell answered with two of his own free throws to put Howard back on top 50-49 with 52 seconds left.
Luke Koepsell made two more free throws to give the Tigers a 52-50 lead with one second left in regulation but George Jensen hit a two-point shot at the buzzer and sent the game into overtime.
Howard took an early lead on a free throw by Taiden Hoyer with 2:25 left in overtime but Britt Carlson gave the Bulldogs a 55-54 lead on a 3-pointer with 1:09 to go. But Luke Koepsell was clutch down the stretch making a pair of free throws with 22 seconds to give Howard the lead and two more free throws with 11 seconds to go to put the game away.
Kolt Koepsell led the Tigers with 24 points and 13 rebounds while Luke Koepsell had 16 points. Colby Claussen and Logan Mentele had eight points each.
Kadyn Fast led the Bulldogs with 18 points while Carlson and Trace Van Regenmorter had 11 points each. Tom Aughenbaugh had seven points and George Jensen had six points.
Howard shot 56 percent in the game including 5-for-10 (50%) on 3-pointers. The Tigers made 17-of-19 (89%) free throws, grabbed 29 rebounds and committed 14 turnovers.
De Smet shot 38 percent in the game including 9-for-19 (47%) on 3-pointers. The Bulldogs shot 10-for-12 (83%) on free throws, grabbed 16 rebounds and committed eight turnovers.
Howard finished the year with a record of 23-3 while De Smet had a record of 22-4.
