ABERDEEN, S.D. — Eighth-seeded Lyman delivered the first upset of the Class B Boys State Basketball Tournament, knocking off top-seeded Viborg-Hurley 49-44 in Thursday’s opening quarterfinal.
The Raiders used a dominant third quarter and timely free-throw shooting down the stretch to improve to 18-6 and advance to the semifinals.
After trailing 22-20 at halftime, Lyman seized control coming out of the break. The Raiders outscored Viborg-Hurley 17-10 in the third quarter, turning a two-point deficit into a 37-32 lead heading into the final period.
MJ Diehm led the way for Lyman with 15 points, seven rebounds and four assists, while Dawsen Volmer added 10 points and a game-high eight rebounds. Josiah Vaad provided a key spark off the bench with 10 points, including a pair of second-half 3-pointers.
Cole Kieffer chipped in nine points and six rebounds, helping Lyman control the glass and generate second-chance opportunities. The Raiders finished with an 11-4 edge in second-chance points and shot 81 percent (13-of-16) from the free-throw line.
Viborg-Hurley, which entered the tournament at 20-3, struggled offensively throughout, shooting just 31 percent from the field. Jake Austin paced the Cougars with 15 points, while Brady Schroedermeier added 12 points and nine rebounds.
The Cougars made a late push in the fourth quarter, cutting the deficit to one at 41-40 with five minutes remaining. But Lyman answered with a 3-pointer from Vaad and a key bucket from Kieffer to stretch the lead back to six.
From there, Diehm sealed the game at the free-throw line, scoring four points in the final 31 seconds to keep Viborg-Hurley at bay.
Lyman’s defense also played a key role, forcing 12 turnovers and holding the top seed to just 5-of-19 shooting from beyond the arc.
With the win, Lyman advances to Friday’s semifinals, while Viborg-Hurley drops into the consolation bracket.