ABERDEEN, S.D. — Wall rallied in the second half to overcome a four-point deficit and knock off No. 3 De Smet 60-57 in the Class B Boys Basketball State Tournament on Thursday night.
Teelan Kjerstad led the Eagles with 31 points, hitting 10 of 19 shots, including 2 of 6 from three-point range, and going a perfect 9-for-9 from the free-throw line. Grant Wilkinson scored 40 points for De Smet, dominating inside with 19 rebounds, but it wasn’t enough to secure the victory.
Wall jumped to an early lead in the first quarter, outscoring De Smet 20-11, but the Bulldogs fought back in the second, closing the half trailing just 31-30.
The third quarter saw back-and-forth scoring, with De Smet briefly taking the lead, but Wall’s late rally in the fourth, capped by clutch free throws from Kjerstad and a key three-pointer by Emmet Dinger, sealed the win.
Dawson Handcock added six points and four assists for Wall, while Jace Mohr chipped in six points and a pair of free throws at critical moments. For De Smet, Noah Leuthmers added 11 points, and Kolby Sinclair contributed four.
The Eagles improved to 20-4 with the win, while De Smet fell to 19-5.
Wall will face No. 2 Freeman in the semifinals on Friday at 6:45 pm