The Weekend Elite – Big Games/Big Stars/Big Performances
Who were the weekend stars across South Dakota? PHD gives you our seven, and it’s seven big names performing strong in big game situations.
Another solid opponent, another Lennox victory. Not only are the Orioles 11-1 on the year and ranked 5th but they are 6-1 against teams with winning records after beating Platte-Geddes on Friday. Leading the way was six-foot-1 senior point guard Josh Arlt with 29 points on 10 of 20 shooting. Arlt knocked out six threes grabbed six boards (all on the defensive end ending P-G possessions) and had three steals.
Who is the top senior prospect in the state of South Dakota? Is that Andrew Bergen of Aberdeen Central or is it Kobe Busch of Huron? We’ve listed both in the top spot in the past year. In the head to head match-up on Saturday, Huron won 58-49 and the Tigers had a serious upper hand. Huron started slow but Busch took his game straight at Central turning the momentum with a three possession scoring run of his own followed by repeated appearances at the foul line making 12 of 14. Busch scored 26 while the Tigers held Bergan to a single field goal make.
Facing the number one ranked Viborg-Hurley team, De Smet put together a convincing 67-56 victory in the Corn Palace making their case for top team in Class B. Six-foot-2 Kalen Garry was unstoppable barely missing an attempt despite extra attention. It’s one thing when a big scores on 11 of 16 shots but when a guard or wing sinks six three-pointers and all their foul shots it’s quite noteworthy. Kalen, a sophomore, totaled 30 points in a big game situation.
Number one St. Thomas More faced a stiff challenge against 4th ranked Sioux Valley and picked up a 57-48 victory Saturday. Who was at their best on the big stage against a big opponent with the state watching? Senior forward Ryder Kirsch. Kirsch had a double-double of 25 points and 11 boards but it was his clutch foul shooting down the stretch that really helped put the team over the edge. Sioux Valley didn’t have an answer for his face-up ability plus Kirsch moved the ball creating eight open shots for teammates (five of which fell for scores, and assists for Ryder).
Seventh ranked Aberdeen Christian beat Corsica-Stickney 70-59 and six-foot guard Andrew Rohrbach did as much as a player can do to push his team to a big win. Andrew chased down seven boards, he created numerous shots for others which turned into three assists, and he knocked out five three-pointers of his own in the Corn Palace scoring 24 points for a key win.
It was a big weekend for the Canton C-Hawks and six foot senior guard Kayden Verley. The team ended a three game losing streak back to back wins and Kayden, a South Dakota committed football prospect, may have the USD basketball staff thinking “winter walk-on? (mostly a joke as that’s become a rare item in college sports). Verely not only scored 40 of his team’s 58 points in a one point win over Beresford, he grabbed a dozen boards and became the school’s all time leading scorer in the win.
Second ranked Sioux Falls Christian was angered by a Thursday night loss to Vermillion. The response? A ten point win over ranked Madison led by 23 points and eight boards from their 6-foot-7 senior leader. Who would that be? Zach Witte, another future USD football player getting it done on the hardwood. Tomorrow night Witte and the Chargers take on Tea Area.