The Class AA Girls Basketball State Tournament is set for March 12-14 at the Summit Arena in Rapid City. All Times are Central
No. 1 Brandon Valley 78, No. 8 Tea Area 53
Top-seeded Brandon Valley used a dominant first quarter and a balanced offensive attack to defeat No. 8 Tea Area 78-53 in the opening round of the Class AA Girls State Basketball Tournament on Thursday at Summit Arena.
The Lynx improved to 22-0 on the season and advanced to the state semifinals after racing out to an early lead behind pressure defense and efficient scoring.
Brandon Valley took control immediately, forcing turnovers that led to easy baskets in transition. The Lynx jumped out to a 9-0 start and never trailed. A late three-pointer by London Geiver pushed the lead to 30-6 at the end of the first quarter.
Tea Area found more rhythm offensively in the second quarter behind outside shooting from Anna Binde and Ellie Clayberg, but Brandon Valley maintained a comfortable margin and led 44-23 at halftime.
The Lynx extended their lead in the third quarter as Geiver continued to connect from beyond the arc and Alyvia Padgett controlled the paint. Brandon Valley carried a 65-42 advantage into the final period.
Padgett led Brandon Valley with a game-high 36 points and five rebounds. Geiver added 18 points on six three-pointers, while Ava Kellenberger finished with 12 points. Gracie Salter contributed 12 points and seven rebounds for the Lynx.
For Tea Area, Binde led the Titans with 13 points, while Lingren finished with 10 points, and VanLaecken added 10 points.
Brandon Valley advances to the Class AA state semifinals, while Tea Area moves into the consolation bracket.
No. 5 Aberdeen Central 53, No. 4 Rapid City Stevens 42
No. 2 O’Gorman 55, No. 7 Mitchell 44
Second-seeded O’Gorman held off a determined Mitchell squad, earning a 55-44 victory in the Class AA State Tournament quarterfinals in Rapid City. With the win, O’Gorman improves to 21-1, while Mitchell falls to 13-9.
The game was competitive early, as Mitchell kept pace with the state powerhouse. After the first quarter, the score was tied 10-10. O’Gorman then surged in the second quarter, outscoring Mitchell 19-11 to take a 29-21 halftime lead.
Addie Siemsen led Mitchell with 15 points and a team-high nine rebounds, while Cece Morgan added nine points and seven rebounds. Londyn Hajek contributed eight points. Despite their efforts, Mitchell struggled to overcome O’Gorman’s depth and scoring balance.
Ruby Moore paced O’Gorman with 18 points, hitting four three-pointers and adding six rebounds. Sydney Terveen scored 18 as well, including 10 rebounds and seven points in the paint, while Sadie Mehrman contributed 11 points and seven rebounds.
The O’Gorman offense capitalized on turnovers, scoring 30 points off 30 Mitchell miscues. Meanwhile, the Knights only shot 6-of-34 from three and 20-of-65 for the game.
O’Gorman also dominated second-chance opportunities, outscoring Mitchell 15-6 in those situations. The team’s efficient free-throw shooting (9-of-10) helped maintain their lead when Mitchell made a late push in the fourth quarter.
No. 3 Sioux Falls Washington 66, No. 6 Sioux Falls Jefferson 44