The Class A Boys Basketball State Tournament at the Summit Arena in Rapid City
Saturday, March 21, 2026
No. 2 West Central 66, No. 1 Sioux Falls Christian 56 – State Championship
Perfection is complete for West Central.
Behind a balanced scoring attack and a decisive second-half surge, top-seeded West Central finished off an unbeaten season Saturday night with a 66-56 victory over Sioux Falls Christian in the Class A boys basketball state championship at Summit Arena.
West Central (25-0) secured its third state title in program history — and first since back-to-back championships in 2000 and 2001 — while becoming the only undefeated boys or girls team in South Dakota this season.
Sioux Falls Christian, making its sixth appearance in the past seven Class A title games, finished 23-2, with both losses coming against the Trojans.
West Central never trailed, building a steady advantage behind efficient shooting and strong interior play. The Trojans shot 56 percent from the field and went 16-for-18 at the free-throw line.
Connor Mebius led the way with 20 points on 6-of-7 shooting while adding eight free throws. Will Kuhl contributed 15 points and four rebounds, and Hayden Heier added 13 points, including three 3-pointers. Boche Knight chipped in nine points and four assists.
After taking a 15-10 lead at the end of the first quarter, West Central pushed its advantage to 24-22 at halftime in a tightly contested opening half.
The Trojans created separation in the third quarter.
West Central opened the second half on a run fueled by inside scoring from Kuhl and Mebius, along with a late 3-pointer from Heier that helped stretch the lead to 44-37 entering the fourth.
Sioux Falls Christian briefly threatened in the final period. A basket by Canyon Prins and a steal-and-score from Cooper Strande cut the deficit to 49-47 with just over three minutes remaining.
But West Central responded immediately.
Heier knocked down a key 3-pointer to halt the momentum, and Mebius followed with back-to-back baskets to extend the lead. The Trojans then sealed the game at the free-throw line, where they were nearly perfect throughout the night.
Sioux Falls Christian was led by Ryan Dieleman, who scored 16 points and hit four 3-pointers. Prins added 13 points off the bench, and Carson Nickles finished with 12 points, including three 3-pointers. Brant Wassenaar added nine points and five rebounds.
Despite shooting a solid 51 percent from the field and 38 percent from beyond the arc, the Chargers struggled at the free-throw line (5-of-9) and committed 13 turnovers, which West Central converted into key scoring opportunities.
West Central also held a 34-28 edge in points in the paint and maintained control down the stretch, closing the game on a 17-9 run over the final three minutes.
With the win, the Trojans completed a wire-to-wire dominant season, ending any doubt about the state’s top team while denying Sioux Falls Christian another championship in its recent run of title-game appearances.
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No. 4 Hamlin 61, No. 3 Clark/Willow Lake 43 – 3rd Place
Hamlin used a dominant second half and a big night from Boden Stevenson to pull away from Clark/Willow Lake for a 61-43 victory in the Class A boys basketball state tournament third-place game Saturday at Summit Arena.
Stevenson scored a game-high 22 points on 10-of-15 shooting as Hamlin (22-4) turned a tight halftime battle into a decisive win with a 38-18 advantage after the break.
Clark/Willow Lake (21-4) led 25-23 at halftime after controlling much of the first half behind balanced scoring and three-point shooting. Jakob Steen and Emmerson Larson each knocked down early 3-pointers, while Chris Bevers added timely baskets to keep the Cyclones in front.
But the momentum shifted quickly coming out of the locker room.
Hamlin opened the third quarter with a surge sparked by Stevenson and Jackson Wadsworth. Wadsworth scored 17 points and went a perfect 8-for-8 from the free-throw line, helping the Chargers take their first lead midway through the third. A late 3-pointer from Aiden Abraham pushed the advantage to 45-39 heading into the fourth.
From there, Hamlin took complete control.
The Chargers shot 77.8 percent in the fourth quarter and opened the period on an 18-2 run to build a commanding 59-41 lead. Stevenson scored nine points in the quarter, including back-to-back 3-pointers that effectively put the game out of reach.
Hamlin finished the game shooting 53 percent from the field and dominated inside, outscoring Clark/Willow Lake 30-10 in the paint while also winning the rebounding battle 32-22.
Clark/Willow Lake struggled offensively down the stretch, shooting just 30 percent for the game and managing only four points in the final quarter.
Bevers led the Cyclones with 13 points, while Sullivan Felberg added 11 and Steen chipped in six. Larson also had eight points, including a pair of first-half 3-pointers.
In addition to Stevenson and Wadsworth, Abraham scored 10 points for Hamlin, and Trig Heinrich contributed six points and four rebounds.
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No. 8 St. Thomas More 63, No. 7 Cheyenne-Eagle Butte 40 – 5th Place
St. Thomas More seized control early and never let up, defeating Cheyenne-Eagle Butte 63-40 in the fifth-place game of the Class A Boys Basketball State Tournament on Saturday at Summit Arena.
The Cavaliers (19-6) built a double-digit lead in the opening quarter and steadily widened the gap behind a balanced offensive effort and a dominant performance on the glass.
Wyatt Gylten led St. Thomas More with 17 points, knocking down four 3-pointers while adding 11 rebounds. Broeden Sales finished with 11 points, and Baron Slusarski chipped in 10 as the Cavaliers placed four players in double figures or near it. Max Speed added nine points and a game-high 14 rebounds to anchor a 40-24 advantage on the boards.
St. Thomas More set the tone early, jumping out to a 19-8 lead after the first quarter. Gylten hit a pair of early 3-pointers, and Slusarski scored inside to help the Cavaliers create separation. Cheyenne-Eagle Butte struggled to find rhythm offensively, shooting just 32% for the game and 5 of 24 from beyond the arc.
The Braves (21-5) briefly found some traction in the second quarter, getting back-to-back 3-pointers from Levi Elknation to trim the deficit to single digits. But St. Thomas More answered late in the half, capped by another Gylten 3-pointer in the final seconds to take a 31-20 lead into the break.
The Cavaliers extended their advantage in the third quarter, pushing the lead to 46-30 heading into the fourth. Their interior play proved decisive, outscoring Cheyenne-Eagle Butte 30-14 in the paint and adding 17 second-chance points.
St. Thomas More put the game away in the final period, opening on an 8-1 run and stretching the margin past 20. The Cavaliers shot 58% in the fourth quarter and finished 45% overall.
Elknation led Cheyenne-Eagle Butte with 11 points, while Damien Clown added eight. The Braves committed 11 turnovers and were unable to generate consistent offense against the Cavaliers’ defense.
St. Thomas More also capitalized on extra opportunities, converting 14 points off turnovers and controlling the tempo throughout in securing the fifth-place finish.
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No. 5 Groton Area 61, No. 6 Stanley County 43, 7th Place
Groton Area jumped out to a fast start and never looked back, defeating Stanley County 61-43 in the seventh-place game of the Class A Boys Basketball State Tournament on Saturday at the Summit Arena.
Groton Area (19-6) set the tone early, shooting a blistering 83 percent from the field in the opening quarter while building a 22-8 lead. Karson Zak and Keegan Tracy fueled the surge as Groton scored on 10 of its first 12 shots and forced Stanley County into early turnovers.
Stanley County (20-5) struggled to find its rhythm offensively, finishing the game just 17-of-51 (33 percent) from the field and 6-of-26 from 3-point range. The Buffaloes never led and were unable to cut the deficit into single digits after the first quarter.
Groton Area maintained control in the second quarter, taking a 33-20 advantage into halftime. The Tigers continued to attack inside, outscoring Stanley County 32-18 in the paint for the game and capitalizing on 16 points off turnovers.
Stanley County showed some life in the third quarter behind Paxton Deal, who knocked down a pair of 3-pointers during a brief run that trimmed the margin to 10 points. But Groton answered quickly, pushing the lead back to 15 by the end of the period.
The Tigers sealed the game in the fourth, extending their lead to as many as 19 points after baskets from Tracy and Ryder Johnson.
Zak, Tracy and Johnson each scored 15 points to lead a balanced Groton Area attack. Zak added eight assists, while Gage Sippel chipped in 13 points and five rebounds.
Deal led Stanley County with 16 points, including four 3-pointers. Eddie Duffy added seven points despite shooting 3-of-16 from the field, and Trevor Caldwell contributed six points and a team-high eight rebounds.
Groton Area finished 25-of-51 (49 percent) from the field and outrebounded Stanley County 34-24.
The victory secured seventh place for the Tigers, while Stanley County closed its season in eighth.