RAPID CITY – A year ago, Sioux Valley and Dakota Valley squared off in a Round of 16 matchup for the right to go to the 2017 Class A state tournament and the Panthers upset the Cossacks.
A year later, with the teams facing off under the bright lights of the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center in Thursday’s Class A Boys Basketball State Tournament last quarterfinal game, the Cossacks made sure similar history didn’t repeat itself as third-seeded Sioux Valley knocked off No. 6 Dakota Valley in convincing fashion, 75-55.
Sioux Valley’s first possession of the game set the tone of the night to come as Trevor Hanson buried the Cossacks opening shot from long range, a theme expressed by head coach Bill Vincent after the game.
“We talked to the guys, to be fearless coming out of the gates,” said Vincent. “We rolled the dice, trying to get some early touces and looks, and when that happens, you really get the inside game going.”
Tied at 6-6 early, Sioux Valley went on a 10-0 run, which included a pair of 3-pointers, forcing a Dakota Valley timeout.
The lead would shrink down to seven late in the first half, but with the Cossacks’ hot shooting from beyond the arc, Sioux Valley built a 39-25 halftime advantage, while shooting 8-of-15 from downtown in the first half.
The Cossacks pushed their lead to 26 after three quarters, and from that point, it was merely a matter of what the final margin would be.
And in a three games in three days state tournment, the extra rest the starters received by getting to watch the final few minutes from the friendly confines of the bench could prove beneficial long term.
“Our assistant coaches had our guys ready to go for what was coming at them, and I’ve got to thank our coaches a ton – and our players – for coming out and executing,” Vincent said.
Sioux Valley finished 12-of-28 from 3-point range, while Dakota Valley struggled from deep, making only five of their 27 attempts from behind the arc.
Free-throw shooting also proved costly for the Panthers, as Dakota Valley only made 12-of-24 from the charity stripe, while Sioux Valley went 7-for-10.
Trevor Hanson poured in 21 points on 7-of-12 shooting, knocking down all three of his attempts from behind the arc. He also snared eight rebounds.
Trevor Olson added 20 points on 8-of-15 shooting including four makes from range.
Max Nielson notched 12 points while dishing out six assists, a stat not lost to Vincent, who expressed approval of his sophomore guard’s poise.
“He (Nielson) did a great job in handling the pressure thrown at him.”
Jack McCabe scored 16 for the Panthers and Charlie Cox added 10 – the only two Dakota Valley scorers in double figures.
Sioux Valley (21-2) takes on second-seeded Madison in the 8:45 p.m. game Friday, after the Bulldogs knocked off No. 7 seed Pine Ridge, 82-59.
Dakota Valley (17-7) takes on Pine Ridge in the second game of the consolation session.
RAPID CITY – Three of the four top seeds advanced as fifth-seeded Tea Area provided the only upset with a 76-63 win over No. 4 Crow Creek.
Top-seeded Sioux Falls Christian didn’t have any trouble in an 80-46 win over Red Cloud and second-seeded Madison used a strong third quarter to down Pine Ridge, 82-59.
The Chargers and Titans meet for the second time this season – Christian won 60-57 at Tea on Jan. 23 – in the first championship semifinal at 7 p.m.
Red Cloud and Crow Creek open consolation play at noon.
• Sioux Falls Christian 80, Red Cloud 46
The top-seeded undefeated Chargers powered past Red Cloud, 80-46, to advance.
Christian led 18-15 after a quarter before taking a 38-23 halftime lead and then extending its advantage to 57-33 through three quarters.
Koln Oppold poured in a game-high 21 points while Mitchell Goodbary added 17 points and nine rebounds for the Chargers, who improved to 23-0.
Jesse Jensen led the Crusaders, 20-4, with game-highs of 14 points and seven boards as Russell Leader Charge and Alejandro Rama contributed 12 points apiece.
• Tea Area 76, Crow Creek 63
The fifth-seeded Titans provided the only upset of the day although they led from start to finish in upending Crow Creek, 76-63.
Tea Area built a 23-14 lead after the first eight minutes; was up 43-34 at halftime; and increased its advantage to 58-45 heading into the fourth as five players notched double figures in scoring.
Noah Freidel finished with 22 points, nine rebounds and five assists while Kaleb Joffer had 15 points, Kade Stearns 13, Justin Hohn 12 and Chris Morales 11 as the Titans improved to 18-5.
Luke Wells posted a double-double with game-highs of 28 points and 11 rebounds for the Chieftains, who dropped to 20-4. Joe Sazue added 15 points before fouling out.
• Madison 82, Pine Ridge 59
The second-seeded Bulldogs led 22-15 after one and 38-29 at halftime before taking control with a 26-9 third-quarter surge to send Pine Ridge to the consolation bracket.
Jaxon Janke posted a double-double of 30 points and 10 rebounds to go along with five steals and three assists for Madison, 22-1. Jadon Janke added 16 points, four dimes and six boards while Aaron Fiegen contributed 15 points.
Joseph O’Rourke’s 18 points led the Thorpes, who dropped to 17-6. Corey Brown chipped in with 16 points, nine rebounds, four steals and three assists as Halin Bad Bear finished with 12 points.
SDPB photo: Sioux Valley’s Trevor Hanson gets a shot off over the defense of Dakota Valley’s Brennan Moran during the Cossacks’ 75-55 opening round win over the Panthers at the Class A Boys’ Basketball State Tournament on Thursday night at the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center.
