The Class B Boys Basketball State Tournament at the Barnett Center in Aberdeen
Saturday, March 21, 2026
No. 2 Freeman 61, No. 5 Castlewood 53 – State Championship
Freeman waited more than five decades for another state championship. On Saturday night, the wait finally ended.
Behind a dominant performance from David Walter, second-seeded Freeman pulled away late to defeat No. 5 Castlewood 61-53 in the Class B boys basketball state championship game at the Barnett Center.
The title is Freeman’s first since 1975 — a 61-55 win over Dell Rapids St. Mary — and comes in the program’s first championship appearance since 1997.
Walter delivered a championship-caliber effort, finishing with 22 points and 12 rebounds to lead Freeman (24-2). He scored inside and out, hitting three 3-pointers and going 7-of-10 from the free-throw line while anchoring the Eagles on the glass.
Freeman overcame an eight-point deficit after the first quarter and a 41-38 halftime hole by taking control in the second half. The Eagles shot 54% after halftime and outscored Castlewood 41-23 over the final two periods.
Luke Peters added 14 points and Tate Sorensen chipped in nine points and eight rebounds for Freeman, which dominated the boards 36-31 and capitalized on late free throws to seal the win.
Castlewood (22-4) was led by Kamden Keszler, who scored a game-high 24 points and knocked down five 3-pointers. Will Aderhold added 10 points and 10 rebounds, but the Warriors struggled to maintain their early momentum.
Castlewood came out firing, building a 19-11 lead after one quarter behind hot perimeter shooting. The Warriors extended the margin to as many as 13 points early in the third quarter before Freeman began chipping away.
The Eagles used a balanced attack to rally, tying the game at 36 late in the third quarter on a 3-pointer by Luke Miller. From there, the game turned into a back-and-forth battle entering the fourth.
Freeman seized control midway through the final period. A 3-pointer by Peters gave the Eagles their first lead of the second half at 46-44, and they never trailed again. Walter and Tayden Kerrigan helped stretch the lead with key baskets and free throws down the stretch.
Castlewood struggled offensively late, shooting just 26.7% in the third quarter and finishing 3-of-9 from the free-throw line for the game.
Freeman closed the game at the line, hitting 15-of-23 free throws, including a string of makes in the final minute to put the game out of reach.
For Freeman, the victory marks a long-awaited return to the top — and a championship 51 years in the making.
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No. 6 Wall 58, No. 8 Lyman 55, 3rd Place
Wall closed the game on a clutch late run Saturday to slip past Lyman 58-55 in the Class B boys basketball state tournament third-place game at the Barnett Center.
Wall (21-5) trailed entering the fourth quarter but used timely shooting and second-chance opportunities down the stretch to secure the win.
Emmet Dinger led Wall with 16 points, knocking down four 3-pointers, including a go-ahead triple with 2:44 remaining that gave Wall a 54-53 lead. Teelan Kjerstad added 16 points, going 9-for-14 from the free-throw line, while Dawson Handcock contributed seven points and a team-high 12 rebounds.
Lyman (18-8) was paced by MJ Diehm’s game-high 22 points and Dawsen Volmer’s 20. The Raiders shot just 32 percent from the field, however, and managed only one field goal over the final four minutes.
Wall built a 33-27 halftime lead behind balanced scoring and strong rebounding, with Handcock and Trevor Schulz controlling the glass. The Eagles extended the lead to as many as 12 points in the second quarter.
Lyman responded in the third, outscoring Wall 16-7. Diehm fueled the surge with three 3-pointers, helping the Raiders take a 43-40 lead into the fourth quarter.
Lyman appeared in control midway through the final period, stretching its advantage to 49-41 after a 3-pointer by Canyon Garnos and a basket from Volmer.
Wall answered with a steady comeback. Handcock converted a three-point play, and Kjerstad chipped away at the line before Dinger’s 3-pointer put the Eagles back in front.
Trevor Schulz added a key basket with 1:29 left to extend the lead to three, and Kjerstad sealed it with a free throw in the final seconds.
Wall finished with a 41-30 rebounding advantage and 13 second-chance points, offsetting 17 turnovers and 63 percent shooting from the line.
Lyman forced 17 turnovers and scored 16 points off them but struggled to capitalize late, missing several key shots in the closing minute.
Wall ends its season with a third-place finish, while Lyman takes fourth.
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No. 3 De Smet 56, No. 4 Aberdeen Christian 45, 5th Place
Slayten Wilkinson scored 18 points and De Smet used a strong fourth quarter to break open a tight game, defeating Aberdeen Christian 56-45 in the fifth-place game of the Class B Boys Basketball State Tournament on Saturday at the Barnett Center.
De Smet (21-5) erased an early deficit and leaned on balanced scoring and rebounding to pull away late, outscoring Aberdeen Christian 17-7 in the final quarter.
Aberdeen Christian (21-5) led 17-14 after the first quarter behind Brooks Jett, who scored nine early points. But De Smet responded in the second quarter, taking control with an 18-11 run to carry a 32-28 lead into halftime.
The game tightened again in the third quarter, with Aberdeen Christian briefly reclaiming momentum. A pair of free throws by Dylan Hofer tied the game at 37 late in the period, but Grant Wilkinson answered with a basket just before the buzzer to give De Smet a 39-38 edge heading into the fourth.
From there, De Smet took control.
Wilkinson opened the final quarter with a basket, then knocked down a key 3-pointer midway through the period to stretch the lead. Carter Wilkinson added a dagger 3-pointer with 1:04 remaining to push the advantage to seven, and De Smet sealed the win at the free-throw line.
De Smet controlled the glass, outrebounding Aberdeen Christian 45-42, including 12 offensive rebounds that led to second-chance opportunities. Grant Wilkinson recorded a double-double with nine points and a game-high 13 rebounds.
Aberdeen Christian struggled offensively, shooting just 23% from the field (15 of 63) and 14% from 3-point range (4 of 27). Despite the shooting woes, Brooks Jett led all scorers with 19 points and 15 rebounds, while Luke Kaiser added 18 points and 11 rebounds.
Noah Leuthmers finished with 11 points for De Smet, and Carter Wilkinson added 10, including three 3-pointers.
De Smet shot 37% from the field and hit six 3-pointers, while also overcoming a 10-of-18 performance at the free-throw line.
Both teams finished the tournament at 2-1, with De Smet claiming fifth place.
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No. 1 Viborg-Hurley 72, No. 7 Sully Buttes 53, 7th Place
Top-seeded Viborg-Hurley used a dominant second half to defeat seventh-seeded Sully Buttes 72-53 in the seventh-place game of the Class B Boys Basketball State Tournament on Saturday at the Barnett Center.
After trailing at halftime, Viborg-Hurley (21-5) took control with a 19-11 third quarter and erupted for 30 points in the fourth to pull away.
Sully Buttes (18-8) led 25-23 at the break behind hot perimeter shooting, including three first-half 3-pointers from Easton Moore. The Chargers carried that momentum into halftime after closing the second quarter on a 6-2 run.
Viborg-Hurley responded quickly after the break. Brady Schroedermeier opened the third quarter with a 3-pointer to spark a run that put the Cougars in front for good. Viborg-Hurley stretched the lead to 42-36 entering the fourth quarter, fueled by second-chance opportunities and efficient offense.
The Cougars then took over in the final period, outscoring Sully Buttes 30-17. Jake Austin and Schroedermeier combined to control the game down the stretch, repeatedly getting to the free-throw line as Viborg-Hurley shot 22 of 27 from the stripe.
Austin finished with a game-high 25 points, including an 11-for-11 effort at the free-throw line. Schroedermeier added 25 points and a game-high 14 rebounds, helping Viborg-Hurley dominate the glass 41-25.
Brenner Gerdes chipped in six points and eight rebounds for the Cougars, who shot 44 percent from the field and capitalized on 14 offensive rebounds.
Sully Buttes struggled to find consistent offense in the second half, shooting just 31.4 percent for the game. Moore led the Chargers with 23 points, knocking down six 3-pointers. Wesley Wittler added 18 points, while Jett Yackley contributed five points and five assists.