By MELLETTE — As the clock was ticking down in the closing moments, Leola/Frederick head coach Brock Pashen went down the length of his bench high-fiving players, coaches and staff members.
“It’s just such a special group and such a special thing to happen to Leola/Frederick,” he said.
The Titans, the No. 6 seed in the Class B boys SoDak 16, advanced to the state basketball tournament for the first time since 2004 with a 72-56 win over 11th-seeded Potter County on Tuesday, March 5 in Mellette.
“I’m just so dang proud of our kids and all the hard work they put in to get here. This is fun, man, just crazy, and it really hasn’t sunk in yet,” Pashen said. “Watching them mature throughout the year has been something else. It’s just awesome to see them have this type of success.”
Leola/Frederick’s Brayden Sumption drives to the hoop past Potter County’s Carter Luikens during their SoDak 16 boys basketball game Tuesday, March 5 in Mellette. Aberdeen Insider photo by Robb Garofalo
Potter County got out to a quick start in the first quarter and held a seven-point lead with a little over three minutes left. Leola/Frederick employed a full-court press, but the Battlers were able to throw the ball over the top of it and score in transition.
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Ryder Falkenhagen had 14 points in the first half for the Battlers.
“I just told our guys that the game was being played at our pace and it will show up, just keep playing hard,” Pashen said. “I mean, Falkenhagen, he’s a dude and made some crazy layups, but we said don’t make it worse by fouling, just keep getting after it.”
Potter County head coach Bryce Hall saw fast break opportunities from the Titans press and was able to take advantage early. The relentless pressure, however, caught up with his team as the Titans outscored the Battlers 30-19 in the second half.
Falkenhagen was held to one bucket after halftime to finish with 16 points.
“We knew they ran that four up on the press and felt like we could get over the top and we did a few times,” Hall said. “Credit to them, they shot the ball well from all parts on the court with multiple guys, and, yeah, may have worn us down a bit to where we had too many loose passes that went for turnovers. I mean, we were there, but in the third quarter we didn’t shoot it well, and we just hurried a bit too much.”
Both teams were riddled by turnovers and poor passing, but the Titans cleaned things up a bit in the second half.
Sumption banks in three at end of first to give Titans momentum
Brayden Sumption scored 19 points for the Titans, knocking down five of the team’s 11 three-pointers. One banked off the glass as the first quarter buzzer sounded, giving his team a 24-22 lead much-needed momentum after a frantic opening eight minutes.
“I was just in the moment right there and felt like I needed to shoot that three, so I shot it and it banked in, and I was pretty excited it gave us the lead,” Sumption said. “I just felt like if we needed a big shot, I should take it and I did and luckily they went in.”
Pashen has seen his point guard step back and knock down three-pointers throughout the season and understands the significance of them being made at critical times.
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“That’s such a huge momentum shifter and can be demoralizing to the other team,” Pashen said. “You move him back off the line and he hits one and then a deeper one and you’re thinking, ‘Oh, man, it could be one of those nights.’ That was really cool, no doubt.”
Noah Kippley, who scored a game-high 24 points, gave props to the senior guard.
“Brayden really played great tonight, and he’s the one that really gets us around the press. He just does his thing and, when he gets the ball across half court, settles us in. He hit big shots and was just awesome,” Kippley said.
Kippley scored a majority of his points after tweaking his right ankle in the first quarter.
“Oh yeah, I kind of twisted it, sprained it in the first quarter. I think I may have landed on somebody else’s foot, but thanks to the trainer, she got me patched up, and I played through it. That was great,” Kippley said. “I wasn’t sitting out, I’ll tell you that. I mean, that was so fun, oh, man.”
Landon Larson added 12 points for the Battlers, while Jhett Simon scored 10. Gettysburg finished the season at 15-8.
Leola/Frederick is the No. 6 seed at the State B and takes on third-seeded Castlewood Thursday, March 14 at 7:45 p.m. in the Barnett Center on the Northern State campus.
“You know, we didn’t even talk about state at the beginning of the year, and then we won a few games and we were like, ‘Hey, we’ve got something brewing right now,’ but we had no idea this was going to happen. This is just awesome, really just a dream come true,” Kippley said.
Class B Boys SoDak 16
Tuesday’s scores
- No. 1 White River 65 ,No. 16 Highmore-Harrold 47
- No. 2 De Smet 61, No. 15 Timber lake 45
- No. 3 Castlewood 82, No. 14 Centerville 51
- No. 4 Wessington-Springs 54, No. 13 Waverly-South Shore
- No. 5 Howard 45, No. 12 Phillip 28
- No. 6 Leola/Frederick 72, No. 11 Potter County 56
- No. 10 Viborg-Hurley 73, No. 7 Faith 58
- No. 9 Gregory 62, No. 8 Dell Rapids St. Mary 46
Class B boys state basketball tournament
Barnett Center at Northern State University, Aberdeen
Thursday, March 14 quarterfinals
- No. 1 White River (21-2) vs. No. 8 Viborg-Hurley (18-5), noon.
- No. 4 Wessington-Springs (22-1) vs. No. 5 Howard (20-3), 1:45 p.m.
- No. 2 De Smet (20-3) vs. No. 7 Gregory (19-4), 6 p.m.
- No. 3 Castlewood (20-3) vs. No. 6 Leola/Frederick (22-1), 7:45 p.m.
Friday, March 15
- Consolation semifinals at noon and 1:45 p.m., championship semifinals at 6 and 7:45 p.m.
Saturday, March 16
- Seventh-place game, noon; fifth-place game, 1:45 p.m.; third-place game, 6 p.m.; championship, 7:45 p.m.
Groton Area punches ticket to State A with win over Dell Rapids
Members of the Groton Area basketball team celebrate their SoDak 16 boys basketball win over Dell Rapids as the Tigers advanced to the Class A state tournament. Watertown Public Opinion photo by Roger Merriam
Groton Area punched its ticket to the Class A state boys basketball tournament with a 69-55 win over Dell Rapids in the SoDak 16 Tuesday night in Watertown.
However, it was an eerie feeling for Groton head coach Brian Dolan prior to the start of the game.
Watertown was the site of the Tigers’ SoDak 16 game last year, which they lost.
“We were actually in the same locker room as last year, which was kind of weird since we were the higher seed and figured they’d move us, but, nope, same locker room as last year,” Dolan said. “We talked about it right there and then. We said, ‘Here we are guys,’ and reminded them this was where this season started. All the work, sacrifice, dedication we put in this year, it all started last year right in that locker room.”
Balanced scoring proved to be a huge advantage for Groton, the No. 8 seed in the SoDak 16, as four of its five starters reached double figures.
“Anytime you get scoring like that you have a very good chance to win most games,” Dolan said. “It really was a team effort by our guys from start to finish. Jacob (Zak) had some early foul trouble, Colby Dunker comes in, scores five points. I thought Keegan Tracy did a tremendous job with the ball when he had opportunities. Hey, you know, we felt we belonged on this stage, and we finished the job and get to play another week at state.”
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Tracy had 14 points while Ryder Johnson had a team-high 20 points and six rebounds.
“Ryder just attacked the rim tonight,” Dolan said. “Dells face-guarded Lane (Tietz) all game, and Ryder did what he does. He went to the rim, grabbed some offensive rebounds and scored on some put-backs. He’s done that pretty much all year.”
Jack Henry led Dell Rapids with a game-high 23 points. Tad Tjaden contributed 10 as the Quarriers finished the season 17-6.
“That kid’s a stud. He’s going to play football at SDSU, but he played really well,” Dolan said of Henry. “To be honest, it wasn’t our cleanest game defensively, but we were able to speed them up, and I think they got a little tired. Our ball pressure and turnovers off that pressure was good for us.”
The Tigers, the No. 7 seed in the state tournament, will play second-seeded Hamlin Thursday, March 13 at Summit Arena in The Monument in Rapid City. The Chargers knocked off Groton 58-36 in the first game of the season in Hayti.
“We’re a much different team than the one they beat, but I have nothing but respect for them and their program,” Dolan said. “Look, we’re not excited to be at state. We have a job to do, and our guys know that and they’re ready to do it.”
Class A Boys SoDak 16
Tuesday’s scores
- No. 1 Sioux Falls Christian 64, No. 16 Sanborn Central/woonsocket 29
- No. 2 Hamlin 90, No. 15 Hanson 43
- No. 3 Sioux Valley 68, No. 14 Lakota Tech 57
- No. 4 Pine Ridge 67, No. 13 Cheyenne/Eagle Butte 29
- No. 5 Dakota Valley 67, No. 12 McLaughlin 32
- No. 11 Vermillion 68, No. 6 Hot Springs 59
- No. 7 Rapid City Christian 82, No. 10 Milbank 66
- No. 8 Groton Area 69, No. 9 Dell Rapids 55
Class A boys state basketball tournament
Summit Arena at The Monument, Rapid City
Thursday, March 14 quarterfinals
- No. 1 Sioux Falls Christian (23-0) vs. No. 8 Vermillion (16-7), noon MT.
- No. 4 Pine Ridge (21-1) vs. No. 5 Dakota Valley (20-3), 1:45 p.m. MT.
- No. 2 Hamlin (20-3) vs. No. 7 Groton Area (19-4), 6 p.m. MT.
- No. 3 Sioux Valley (21-1) vs. No. 6 Rapid City Christian (20-3), 7:45 p.m. MT.
Friday, March 15
- Consolation semifinals at noon and 1:45 p.m. MT, championship semifinals at 6 and 7:45 p.m. MT.
Saturday, March 16
- Seventh-place game, noon MT; fifth-place game, 1:45 p.m. MT; third-place game, 6 p.m. MT; championship, 7:45 p.m. MT.
Class AA boys state basketball tournament
Denny Sanford Premier Center, Sioux Falls
Thursday, March 14 quarterfinals
- No. 1 Mitchell (20-1) vs. No. 8 Sioux Falls Jefferson (12-9), noon.
No. 4 Sioux Falls Roosevelt (15-6) vs. No. 5 Sioux Falls Washington (14-7), 1:45 p.m.
No. 2 Harrisburg (18-3) vs. No. 7 Watertown (13-8), 6 p.m.
No. 3 Brandon Valley (16-5) vs. No. 6 Huron (13-8), 7:45 p.m.
Friday, March 15
- Consolation semifinals at noon and 1:45 p.m., championship semifinals at 6 and 7:45 p.m.
Saturday, March 16
- Seventh-place game, noon; fifth-place game, 1:45 p.m.; third-place game, 6 p.m.; championship, 7:45 p.m.