Travis Kriens/KORN News Radio Sports Director
The path to Brookings begins Monday.
Class B girls basketball region tournaments open Monday, Feb. 23 across South Dakota, with two teams from each region advancing to the SoDak 16 on March 5. The State Tournament is scheduled for March 12-14 at First Bank & Trust Arena in Brookings.
If the regular season is any indication, the race to state remains wide open.
All the brackets and been seen HERE.
Bennett County looks to repeat
Defending champion Bennett County returns with another strong résumé.
The Warriors are 17-3 and seeded third overall while averaging 66.6 points per game — second best in Class B. Bennett County made history last season, returning to the state tournament for the first time since 2007 and capturing its first title since 1986.
The Warriors defeated Sanborn Central/Woonsocket 71-61 in the championship game after edging top-seeded Centerville 44-41 in the semifinals.
Region 7B appears manageable on paper, but Wall and Jones County could present hurdles.
Top seeds carry pressure
Several teams that reached state last year are again positioned near the top of the bracket.
Lyman, last season’s sixth-place finisher, enters as the No. 1 overall seed at 18-2 and averaging 58.3 points per game. Parkston, fifth at state a year ago, is the No. 2 overall seed at 17-3 and allows just 33.5 points per contest.
Centerville, which placed third in 2025, is 18-2 and seeded seventh overall. The Tornadoes headline a balanced Region 4B that also includes Parkston, Freeman and upset-minded Gayville-Volin.
Region 3B could be the toughest draw
No region appears deeper than 3B.
Top-seeded Ethan (62.6 ppg) leads a loaded field that includes Colman-Egan (19-1), Chester (18-2), state runner-up Sanborn Central/Woonsocket and last year’s spoiler St. Mary’s.
Ethan has extra motivation after last season’s stunning regional exit. The Rustlers were the No. 4 overall seed in 2025 but failed to reach the SoDak 16 after an upset loss to St. Mary’s.
Colman-Egan is seeking its first state appearance since 2009, while Chester is chasing the school’s first-ever trip to state.
Harding County sets the standard
Harding County enters region play as the most statistically dominant team in Class B. The Ranchers lead the class in scoring at 66.7 points per game and also own the top defense, allowing just 27.8.
At 19-1 and seeded sixth overall, Harding County will be the clear favorite in Region 8B.
Programs chasing history
Several teams enter region week eyeing long-awaited returns to the state tournament.
Waubay/Summit, 18-2 and the top seed in Region 1B, features one of the best defenses in Class B, allowing just 33.5 points per game. The Summit program owns multiple state titles, but the Waubay side of the co-op has reached state only twice.
Gayville-Volin (15-4) could be a sleeper in Region 4B. The Raiders have only one state appearance (2014) but already proved they can beat Centerville, winning 57-46 on Jan. 6.
By the numbers
Top scoring offenses
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Harding County — 66.7
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Bennett County — 66.6
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Ethan — 62.6
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Centerville — 60.4
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Colman-Egan — 59.1
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Lyman — 58.3
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Lemmon — 57.0
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Freeman — 55.7
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Chester — 55.3
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Wall — 54.9
Top scoring defenses
1. Harding County — 27.8
T2. Parkston — 33.5
T2. Waubay/Summit — 33.5
4. Ethan — 34.8
5. Centerville — 35.0
6. North Central — 35.5
T7. Faulkton Area — 35.6
T7. Gayville-Volin — 35.6
T9. Highmore-Harrold — 36.1
T9. Sanborn Central/Woonsocket — 36.1
Recent Class B State Champions
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2025: No. 5 Bennett County over No. 6 Sanborn Central/Woonsocket 71-61
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2024: No. 3 Centerville over No. 1 Arlington 62-44
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2023: No. 3 Viborg-Hurley over No. 5 Wall 71-61
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2022: No. 8 Viborg-Hurley over No. 2 De Smet 58-53
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2021: No. 2 White River over No. 1 Castlewood 56-36
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2019: No. 2 De Smet over No. 1 Ethan 49-39
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2018: No. 5 Castlewood over No. 2 Hanson 47-41
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2017: No. 2 Sully Buttes over No. 5 Sanborn Central/Woonsocket 63-48
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2016: No. 1 Sully Buttes over No. 2 Ethan 33-25
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2015: No. 2 Ethan over No. 1 Sully Buttes 31-28