By Dylan Hofer had a breakout game and Aberdeen Christian used a 19-2 run in the second half to pull away for a 60-44 high school boys basketball win over Gettysburg Thursday, Jan. 15 at the Aberdeen Christian Gym.
The Knights struggled from the field early in the game, trailing 19-10 after the first quarter.
“I felt like we executed everything we wanted to on the offensive end except the most important thing, which is making shots,” said Christian head coach Matt Rohrbach.
The Knights closed the gap to 29-25 by outscoring the Battlers 15-10 in the second quarter.
“From a coaching perspective, it was hard to be mad at the guys’ first-half performance because we got the shots we wanted,” Rohrbach said. “It wasn’t one player doing too much or a lack of focus, it’s the reality of the game of basketball that you’re not gonna make every shot. We started to find some late in the half, which helped.”
The Knights took that momentum and pushed the tempo in the third quarter, beginning a 19-2 run with the game tied at 34. After two free throws gave them a 36-34 lead, Loyall Smith Wade came up with a steal and dish to Jack Eichler for a layup that made it 38-34. Hofer followed suit with a steal and assist to Eichler to boost the lead to 40-34.
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“Loyal and Dylan really put the pressure on (Gettysburg) during that run for us. Their defensive pressure changed the game,” Rohrbach said.
Hofer helped lead the charge offensively, finishing with 19 points, nine rebounds, and five assists.
“Dylan was incredible, and this was a big game for him, no doubt. Like we say, ‘Playoff Dylan’ was in full attack mode tonight, and it was fun to watch,” Rohrbach said.
Christian, now 7-1, will begin a four-game-in-seven-days stretch Saturday, Jan. 17 at the Pheasant Shootout in Redfield.
Slow start sends Roncalli to loss at Sisseton
Sisseton outscored Aberdeen Roncalli 19-12 in the first quarter and held on for a 65-60 victory Thursday, Jan. 15 in Sisseton.
The free throw line proved to be a difference in the game as Sisseton made 23 of 30 shots, while the Cavaliers were six of 12.
“We had six fouls on the offensive end of the floor, whether it was offensive rebounding or illegal screens, and you can’t afford to give possessions away,” Roncalli head coach Dan Gallagher said.
He said the Cavaliers struggled offensively in the first half, waiting for the ball rather than setting screens to get guys open. Things were better in the second half, but it took too long to find a flow, Gallagher said.
Freshman Creighton Fisher continues to impress for the Cavs.
He scored 10 of Roncalli’s 12 first-quarter points and knocked down three of the squad’s eight three-pointers to finish with a team-high 19 points.
“Creighton got off to a great start and is playing with a ton of confidence right now,” Gallagher said. “He’s a tough kid that’s willing to do whatever it takes for us to be successful. He’s starting to find ways to get great looks at the basket, and he’s being very aggressive to get to the rim.”
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Jesse Hernandez, Roncalli’s top scorer, was held scoreless in the first quarter, but found his rhythm and finished with 17 points.
“They made Jesse work for his shots, like most teams are going to. He’s a shooter, and we have to live with him taking some shots others might see as questionable because he’s got that it factor and can just hit shots from anywhere on the court,” Gallagher said.
Brett Hanson led Sisseton with 20 points, going eight of nine from the free throw line.
The Cavaliers travel to Tiospa Zina Tuesday, Jan. 20.
Thursday, Jan. 15
- Groton gave up just two points in the first half in cruising to a 83-9 win against Tiospa Zina. Ryder Johnson and Keegan Tracy scored 15 and 14 points respectively for the Tigers. Johnson scored the 1,000th point of his prep career.
- Warner built a 14-point halftime lead and picked up a 53-34 victory over Langford. Brennan Wolf-Donat notched 16 points for the Monarchs, while Noah Bakeberg had 10.
