RAPID CITY, S.D. – No. 2 West Central opened the Class A Boys Basketball State Tournament with a dominant 75-41 victory over No. 7 Cheyenne-Eagle Butte at the Summit Arena.
The Trojans (22-0) set the tone early, jumping to an 18-8 lead in the first quarter behind Connor Mebius, who scored nine points in the opening period. West Central’s pressure defense forced turnovers and created transition opportunities, while Mebius and Hayden Heier hit timely baskets to keep the Braves off balance.
West Central extended its lead in the second quarter, building a 32-14 halftime advantage. Will Kuhl’s scoring and rebounding, combined with contributions from Boche Knight and Bubba Kono, allowed the Trojans to dominate both the paint and the perimeter. Cheyenne-Eagle Butte struggled to find offensive rhythm, making just 30% of their shots in the first half. Damien Clown and Levi Elknation provided some offense for the Braves but couldn’t keep pace.
The Trojans’ dominance continued in the third quarter, outscoring Cheyenne-Eagle Butte 26-10. Mebius remained a constant threat inside, while Knight and Kuhl added key 3-pointers. Cheyenne-Eagle Butte’s Nicholas Woods II had a few offensive rebounds and free throws, but the Thunderbirds never cut the deficit below 20 points.
West Central controlled the fourth quarter, with Tanner Wagner, Carter Gross, and Austin Johnson chipping in, allowing the Trojans to maintain their lead comfortably. West Central finished the game shooting 51% from the field, compared with Cheyenne-Eagle Butte’s 30%, and outscored the Braves in nearly every statistical category, including points in the paint (50-18) and points off turnovers (23-4).
Clown led Cheyenne-Eagle Butte with 15 points, including three 3-pointers, while Elknation added 10. Mebius finished with 25 points and four rebounds for West Central, while Kuhl added 11 points and eight rebounds.