The Class B Boys Basketball State Tournament at the Barnett Center in Aberdeen
Friday, March 20, 2026
No. 2 Freeman 74, No. 6 Wall 70, Semifinals
No. 2 Freeman extended its winning streak to 21 straight games on Friday night, rallying in the fourth quarter to defeat No. 6 Wall 74-70 in the semifinals of the Class B Boys Basketball State Tournament at the Barnett Center.
Freeman (23-2) erased a seven-point deficit entering the final period, outscoring Wall 22-11 in the fourth quarter to advance to Saturday night’s title game against defending champion Castlewood.
Wall (20-5) appeared in control late in the third quarter, using a barrage of 3-pointers to build a 59-52 lead heading into the final eight minutes. Teelan Kjerstad and Emmet Dinger fueled the surge, combining for eight made 3s as the Eagles stretched the margin.
But Freeman responded with composure and timely shot-making down the stretch.
Tayden Kerrigan ignited the comeback, scoring seven early fourth-quarter points to pull Freeman within one. Tate Sorensen tied the game at 59 with a pair of free throws, and David Walter followed with a go-ahead 3-pointer to give Freeman a 62-59 lead with 5:43 remaining.
The teams traded blows in the closing minutes, with Dinger hitting a deep 3 to briefly put Wall back in front at 65-64. Freeman answered with a 6-0 run, capped by a steal and layup from Luke Peters, to regain control.
Freeman then sealed the win at the free-throw line in the final 30 seconds.
Walter led Freeman with 21 points and 10 rebounds, while Kerrigan added 14 points and nine boards. Sorensen chipped in 13 points and five assists, and Peters contributed 10 points and five steals in a strong all-around effort.
Freeman shot an efficient 50% from the field and 50% from beyond the arc (9 of 18), while also forcing 17 Wall turnovers that led to key points in the second half.
Wall was paced by Kjerstad’s game-high 30 points, including five 3-pointers. Dinger added 22 points with six 3s, helping the Eagles shoot 42% from deep (12 of 28).
Despite the hot shooting, Wall struggled to maintain its lead late, shooting just 5 of 19 in the fourth quarter.
The game was tightly contested throughout, with neither team leading by more than nine points. Wall held a slim 34-33 advantage at halftime before its third-quarter run set up the dramatic finish.
Freeman, making its second straight state tournament appearance after not making state since 1999, will now play for its first Class B title since returning to prominence.
The Flyers previously defeated Wall 72-48 on Feb. 14 at the Corn Palace after losing to the Eagles for seventh place at state last season.
Saturday’s championship game is scheduled for 6:45 p.m. and will be broadcast on Q107.3 FM and Q107Radio.com.
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No. 5 Castlewood 56, No. 8 Lyman 28, Semifinals
Fifth-seeded Castlewood used a dominant second half and a big night from Kamden Keszler to roll past No. 8 Lyman 56-28 in the Class B boys basketball state tournament semifinals Friday at the Barnett Center.
Castlewood (22-3) broke the game open in the third quarter, outscoring Lyman 20-7 after taking a modest 18-13 lead into halftime. The Warriors then added an 18-8 fourth quarter to secure a spot in Saturday’s state championship game.
Keszler led the way with 22 points on 9-of-14 shooting, adding three steals and controlling the tempo throughout the second half. Brody Bass followed with 10 points on a perfect 4-of-4 shooting night, including a pair of 3-pointers, while Will Aderhold added 11 points, five rebounds and three blocks. Tyson Manley chipped in eight points and six rebounds.
Lyman (18-7) struggled to generate offense most of the night, shooting just 10-of-44 from the field (22%) and 2-of-18 from 3-point range. The Raiders were held to single digits in every quarter.
Cole Kieffer led Lyman with 10 points and seven rebounds, while MJ Diehm added six points and five rebounds.
The game was tight early. Castlewood led 11-5 after the first quarter and only 18-13 at halftime as Lyman stayed within striking distance behind its defense. But the Warriors took control immediately after the break.
Keszler scored six quick points early in the third quarter, helping spark a 13-2 run that pushed the lead into double digits. Manley followed with a 3-pointer and Aderhold added another from deep as Castlewood extended the lead to 38-20 entering the fourth.
Castlewood shot 50 percent from the field and 5-of-12 from beyond the arc while forcing 21 Lyman turnovers. The Warriors also limited the Raiders to just eight points in the fourth quarter and did not allow a field goal over the final four minutes.
With the win, Castlewood advances to the Class B state championship game, while Lyman will play in the third-place game Saturday.
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No. 4 Aberdeen Christian 52, No. 1 Viborg-Hurley 49, Consolation Semifinals
No. 4 Aberdeen Christian leaned on a dominant performance from Luke Kaiser and a late defensive stand to knock off top-seeded Viborg-Hurley 52-49 in the consolation semifinals of the Class B Boys Basketball State Tournament on Friday at the Barnett Center.
Kaiser poured in a game-high 26 points and added 11 rebounds to lead Aberdeen Christian (21-4), which built an early lead and held off a late push from the Cougars.
Aberdeen Christian led 33-25 at halftime and stretched the advantage to 43-36 entering the fourth quarter before Viborg-Hurley mounted a comeback.
The Cougars (20-5) trimmed the deficit to one midway through the final period behind Jake Austin and Brady Schroedermeier. Austin finished with 20 points, including four 3-pointers, while Schroedermeier added 16 points and 10 rebounds.
Viborg-Hurley pulled within 49-47 and later cut it to 51-49 on Austin’s 3-pointer with 33 seconds remaining.
But Aberdeen Christian answered on the next possession when Grady Jett scored inside with 48 seconds left to push the lead to five. Kaiser added a free throw in the closing seconds, and the Knights came up with a defensive stop on the final possession to seal the win.
Aberdeen Christian controlled much of the game behind its rebounding edge, finishing with a 37-29 advantage on the glass and outscoring Viborg-Hurley 18-5 on second-chance points.
Charles Eichler provided a spark off the bench with eight points, including a pair of 3-pointers in the first half, while Dylan Hofer added eight assists.
Viborg-Hurley struggled from beyond the arc, shooting just 6-for-23 (26%), and was unable to overcome Aberdeen Christian’s efficient perimeter shooting, as the Knights knocked down eight 3-pointers.
Aberdeen Christian advances to the consolation championship, while Viborg-Hurley will be for seventh.
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No. 3 De Smet 50, No. 7 Sully Buttes 43
De Smet used a fourth-quarter surge to pull away from Sully Buttes and secure a 50-43 victory in the Class B boys basketball state tournament consolation semifinals Friday at the Barnett Center.
Trailing 39-32 entering the final quarter, the Bulldogs (20-5) dominated the closing eight minutes, outscoring Sully Buttes 18-4 to flip the game and keep their tournament run alive.
Grant Wilkinson led De Smet with 18 points and a dominant 16-rebound performance, controlling the glass on both ends. Coy VanRegemorter added nine points off the bench, while Noah Leuthmers and Kolby Sinclair each chipped in eight.
Sully Buttes (18-7) was paced by Wesley Wittler’s 19 points and 11 rebounds, but the Chargers struggled to find offense late. After tying the game at 41 with 2:52 remaining, Sully Buttes failed to make a field goal the rest of the way.
De Smet seized control shortly after the tie. Carter Wilkinson drilled a go-ahead 3-pointer with 2:46 left, sparking an 9-0 run that gave the Bulldogs breathing room. Grant Wilkinson followed with multiple inside buckets and free throws to extend the lead to seven in the final minute.
The Bulldogs’ defense and rebounding proved decisive down the stretch. De Smet held Sully Buttes to just 26.4% shooting from the field and 6-of-26 from 3-point range, while winning the rebounding battle 38-30.
The game was tightly contested through three quarters. Sully Buttes led 12-11 after one and 21-24 at halftime before building its largest lead midway through the third quarter. The Chargers carried a 39-32 advantage into the fourth before their offense stalled.
Despite shooting just 9-of-20 from the free-throw line, De Smet offset it with efficient shooting (44%) and balanced scoring, including seven made 3-pointers.
De Smet advances to the consolation championship, while Sully Buttes moves to the seventh-place game.