This is our new series in which we provide you with a recap of South Dakota Sports from the day prior while you start your afternoon. So sit back, relax, and enjoy the stories.
It’s December 18th, and Christmas is right around the corner, but I think South Dakota Basketball might be the gift that keeps on giving. Last night’s marquee matchup, Roosevelt vs. Washington, made ESPN and what a game it was! I am very excited to get started on this blog!
Boys: Class AA #1 Roosevelt falls to #4 Washington
There is a lot to unpack here but let’s start with this: The Rough Riders were down 17 points in this game but fought back to tie and to take the lead. That right there shows that they are one of the top teams in the state. That grit is hard to come by and I don’t think this loss hurts them in the long run, however I do think it boosts Washington.
First, that pass from Joe Uttecht to Kael Miedema…yeesh!! If you missed it, go check out SportsCenter Top 10 and you’ll see it. I, personally, was very impressed with how poised Uttecht was throwing that pass, especially with Koor Kuol in his vision defending him on the baseline. But like a star QB, Uttecht threw the pass perfectly while a defender was closing in.
Overall, I think this 63-61 victory shows that there are a lot of teams that can play elite basketball in Class AA. The favorites might have been Roosevelt and Yankton in the preseason, but the Warriors just proved they can hang with anyone.
Boys: Parker’s Carter Robertson, Gregory’s Coy Determan Ball Out
Carter Robertson dropped 34 points in a 77-70 victory over Elk Point-Jefferson and Coy Determan had a 23-11-10 triple double last night!
Robertson’s point total was the highest I saw tonight, and it’s not too often that a player gets to be that dominate. But, my goodness, Determan needs to take it easy on some defenses. First he scored 43 points against Mt.Vernon/Plankinton, and now this?! When I saw that stat line, I will say the first thought was “damn, that has to be a mistake”, but from what I’ve heard about this kids’ game, his line in the 59-23 victory over Colome was as real as it gets!
Boys: #2 Yankton vs. #3 Brandon Valley
Did you think marquee basketball was over?! Heck no!! The #2 Bucks travel to Brandon tonight to take on the #3 Lynx. I think Matthew Mors had some excellent games out in West River, even if he did have to deal with some weird defense. (If you haven’t seen, there is a video going around twitter that has a significant number of flops from defensives trying to draw fouls from Mors)
But I think this game will be the game we really see how much Matthew has improved from last season. I was told he was the most explosive player he has ever been, and he showed it with a few dunks early in the season. Now, let’s see if he can lead the Bucks to victory tonight.
Will this be as good of a game as Roosevelt v. Washington? It might be tough to top, but it’s rare to get this much good basketball, so we should enjoy it!
Girls: #1 Winner vs #5 West Central
Switching over to the girls’ side, we have another ranked matchup for this Friday…Aren’t this games fun?!
I think Winner is the most dominate team in South Dakota this season, though Corsica-Stickney might have a word or two to say about that. Winner will show tonight how much talent they really have, but I won’t sleep on West Central, as the Trojans have a talented team themselves. This is going to be exciting!
Girls: Next Ranked Team To Lose In Class B
Speaking of dominance, when is a ranked team going to really fall in Class B? Corsica-Stickney, Castlewood, De Smet, Ethan and White River, have a combined win-loss record of 11-1 according to the SDHSAA website. That one loss comes from De Smet, and it’s at the hands of Wolsey-Wessington. As for the other 4, all we have seen is dominance across the board, and I think Corsica-Stickney has a real chance of going undefeated this season.
Either way, if and when these teams reach the state tournament, I would expect pretty small numbers in the loss column.
Ranked Teams Performances
Here’s a list of all the games ranked teams played last night.
Boys
Class AA
- #4 Washington , #1 Roosevelt
Class A
- #5 Sioux Valley 61, Baltic 54
Class B
- #3 Platte-Geddes 86, Burke 60
Girls
Class AA
- #4 Brandon Valley 57, Yankton 42
Class A
- #1 Winner 65, Burke 32
- #3 Hamlin 36, Groton Area 33
Class B
- #1 Corsica-Stickney 54, Sanborn Central/Woonsocket 31
- #2 Castlewood 48, Arlington 34
- #3 De Smet 48, Estelline/Hendricks 26
- #4 Ethan 63, James Valley Christian 24
Final Thoughts
What can I say except that it’s fun to see a full day of basketball with so many great teams in it. One final game to watch on the boys side might be #5 Harrisburg vs Watertown…Watertown is a dangerous team, be on the look out for a good game here and quite possibly an upset.
Other than that? Support your team via livestream, radio, or any way you can and enjoy your Friday!
As always, we do are best to include what we can, but we can’t include everybody. We enjoy the support you bring, and next week we will be adding more analysis and recap on SD Sports!
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