RAPID CITY, S.D. — In a game that never strayed far from reach, fourth-seeded Hamlin delivered when it mattered most.
Behind a dominant fourth quarter from Boden Stevenson, Hamlin erased a late deficit and held off No. 5 Groton Area for a 65-61 victory in the opening round of the Class A Boys Basketball State Tournament on Thursday at Summit Arena.
Stevenson poured in a game-high 27 points, including a pair of clutch 3-pointers and key free throws in the final minutes, as the Chargers (21-3) advanced to the semifinals.
Groton Area (18-5) led 43-41 entering the fourth quarter and briefly regained control midway through the period when Easton Weber’s third 3-pointer of the half put the Tigers ahead 55-54 with 2:46 remaining.
But Hamlin answered immediately.
Stevenson drilled a go-ahead 3 with 2:21 left to give the Chargers a 57-55 edge, then buried another triple with 34 seconds remaining to stretch the lead to four. He added two free throws in the final seconds to seal it.
Jackson Wadsworth added 20 points for Hamlin, doing much of his damage at the free-throw line, while Jack Stormo contributed eight points and five assists. The Chargers shot a blistering 52.6 percent from 3-point range (10-of-19), including 5-of-6 in the fourth quarter.
Groton Area was equally efficient offensively, shooting 54.5 percent from the field, but struggled to match Hamlin’s perimeter surge late.
Karson Zak led the Tigers with 23 points on an efficient 10-of-12 shooting night, while Gage Sippel added 12 points and six rebounds. Weber provided a spark off the bench with nine points, all coming on 3-pointers, including two critical makes in the final period.
The Tigers controlled much of the middle portion of the game. After trailing 11-9 at the end of the first quarter, Groton Area used a strong second quarter to take a 26-24 halftime lead, then carried that momentum into the third.
A buzzer-beating 3 from Weber at the end of the third quarter gave Groton Area a 43-41 advantage heading into the final eight minutes.
From there, it turned into a back-and-forth battle featuring six ties in the fourth quarter alone before Hamlin’s outside shooting ultimately made the difference.
Hamlin also capitalized on second-chance opportunities late, grabbing key offensive rebounds in the closing minute that helped extend possessions and draw fouls.
Despite the loss, Groton Area found success inside, outscoring Hamlin 32-22 in the paint and getting 11 points from its bench.
In the end, though, it was Stevenson and the Chargers’ hot shooting from beyond the arc that proved decisive.
Hamlin advances to the Class A semifinals, while Groton Area moves to the consolation bracket.