BROOKINGS – With the postseason on the horizon, the Bobcats are playing as if to make a deep run as they downed Yankton, 61-56 in an Eastern South Dakota Conference matchup on Tuesday night at Bob Jostad Gymnasium.

“This is how strong AA basketball is; Yankton currently is the 16th seed – they only have five wins, but they’ve played everybody tough and you can see they are a good basketball team – I thought they played at a high level tonight and it was a grind game for us,” said Bobcat head coach Lynn Frederick. “We had to answer on just about every possession – I was pleased with our kids’ effort and their focus. Our team’s had different players step up – Grace (Eggebrecht) played big (in the) second half; Micheala (Jewett) had a nice game; and I thought our guard play was pretty good.

“Yankton tried to get the ball inside and they did a good job of that. We went to a little bit of zone and I thought that helped us change it up a little bit – when we went back to man, our kids did a great job the last 3 minutes in our man.

“A good win – a good, tough win – for us, and I think that should be a confidence builder for our kids.”

Kelsey Oswald’s basket with 6:48 to play tied the game at 43-43 for the ninth tie score of the contest, before Grace Eggebrecht scored five straight points to put the Bobcats back in the lead for good.

Eggebrecht scored down low twice – and added a free throw for an old-fashioned three-point play on the first basket – as Michaela Jewett and Carolyn Hieb picked up the respective assists for a 48-43 edge with 4:10 on the clock.

Madison Wuebben knocked down a 3-pointer to pull the Gazelles within two, but Jewett answered on the Bobcats’ next possession to make it 51-46 with 3:20 left.

Maddy Hochstein scored in the paint to make it a one-possession game, but it was Jewett again to push the ‘Cats’ lead back to five at 53-48.

A pair of free throws by Sadie Fedders got the Gazelles within 53-50 before Hieb notched another assist when Eggebrecht  converted in the lane with 90 seconds to play.

After Madison Wuebben knocked down a 17-footer at the top of the key, Jewett responded with a basket in the lane for a 57-52 Bobcat edge with 45 seconds left.

Eggebrecht blocked Jessica Reinhardt’s shot attempt on Yankton’s next possession and Ava Burns collected the rebound and was fouled.

Burns, who finished 6-of-6 at the foul line, pushed the Bobcat edge to seven points at 59-52 with 24 seconds left, and then, added two more with 11 seconds to play.

Wuebben provided for the final margin with 3 seconds on the clock and the ‘Cats held onto the ball for the win as time ran out for the five-point win.

Jewett’s double-double of 17 points and 11 rebounds led the Bobcats, who improved to 10-9 overall and 10-6 in the ESD. Eggebrecht also netted 17 points while Burns finished with eight.

Maddy Hochstein scored a game-high 20 points for the Gazelles, who dropped to 5-14 on the season and 5-10 in the conference, as Wuebben chipped in with 10.

On Saturday, Brookings closes the regular season at Sioux Falls Roosevelt. Tipoff is at 7 p.m.

BROOKINGS 61, YANKTON 56

Yankton (5-14, 5-10 ESD)

Maddy Hochstein 9-13 2-6 20, Payton Wolfgram 1-4 0-0 2, Madison Wuebben 4-11 0-0 10, Sadie Fedders 2-5 4-4 8, Emily Oswald 0-5 0-0 0, Kelsey Oswald 2-4 0-0 5, Jessica Reinhardt 3-6 2-2 9, Madie Cordell 1-3 0-0 2. Totals 22-51 8-12 56. 

Brookings (10-9, 10-6 ESD)

Grace Eggebrecht 7-11 3-4 17, Michaela Jewett 6-14 2-2 17, Megan Gilk 2-5 1-2 5, Carolyn Hieb 2-3 0-0 6, Ava Burns 1-2 6-6 8, Alli Gordon 1-5 0-0 2, Peyton Evans 1-2 0-0 2, Emma Hardin 0-0 0-0 0, Johanna Miller 2-2 0-1 4. Totals 22-44 12-15 61.

Yankton 14  10  12  20  –  56

Brookings 10  14  15  22  –  61

3-point goals – Y 4-12 (Wolfgram 0-3, Wuebben 2-4, Fedders 0-1, E. Oswald 0-1, K. Oswald 1-1, Reinhardt 1-2); B 5-12 (Jewett 3-5, Gilk 0-1, Hieb 2-3, Burns 0-1, Gordon 0-2). Rebounds – Y 27 (Fedders 7); B 30 (Jewett 11). Assists – Y 12 (Fedders 3); B 12 (Hieb 5). Steals – Y 6 (Fedders 2); B 4 (Gilk 2). Blocks – Y 1 (Cordell); B 3 (Jewett 2, Eggebrecht). Turnovers – Y 12; B 14. Total fouls – Y 15; B 11. Fouled out – None. Technical fouls – None.