MITCHELL, S.D. — The final stretch of the regular season has arrived for Mitchell girls basketball, and it won’t come easy.
The Kernels open a run of four games in 11 days starting on Tuesday at home against third-ranked Sioux Falls Washington, beginning a closing slate that also includes matchups with No. 1 Brandon Valley and No. 2 O’Gorman.
Mitchell enters the week at 11-5 after a 57-52 loss at No. 5 Aberdeen Central on Feb. 10. The loss capped a stretch of three games in five days that included road trips to Sturgis, Spearfish and Aberdeen. The Kernels have since had nearly a week off to reset before their final push toward postseason seeding.
That push carries significant stakes. Mitchell sits seventh in Class AA seed points, narrowly holding a top-eight position that would secure a home game in the SoDAK 16 on March 6. The Kernels are just .022 points ahead of No. 8 Tea Area and .77 points clear of No. 9 Spearfish.
They have also protected home court, going 5-0 at the new Mitchell High School gym this season.
Senior Addie Siemsen continues to lead the Kernels, averaging 19.6 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.9 steals per game. Eighth-grader CeCe Morgan adds 11 points and 7.9 rebounds per contest and is coming off a career-high 19-point performance against Aberdeen Central.
Tuesday’s opponent brings its own challenges. Sioux Falls Washington is 12-3 and ranked No. 3 in the latest Class AA media poll. The Warriors sit fourth in seed points, just .20 behind Aberdeen Central for third. Their only losses have come to top-ranked Brandon Valley and twice to No. 2 O’Gorman, including a 65-60 overtime setback to Brandon Valley on Feb. 10.
Senior Dana Harpe leads Washington with 18.7 points and 6.1 rebounds per game. She has committed to the University of Sioux Falls. Sophomore Josie Biteler averages 13.5 points and 5.2 rebounds and already holds an offer from the University of South Dakota. Washington averages 60 points per game, the third-best mark in Class AA.
The Warriors graduated three starters from last season’s third-place state finish, but head coach Jamie Parish said returning experience has helped stabilize the lineup. Harpe and fellow senior Rylan Kennett are among the leaders stepping into expanded roles, while underclassmen who logged varsity minutes last year, including Biteler and Layla Berte, have continued to develop. Washington emphasizes tempo and defensive pressure, often using multiple ball handlers, led by Harpe and Biteler, to push pace.
Despite Mitchell’s current success, the historical edge belongs to SF Washington. The Warriors have won the past eight meetings, but are 4-17 against the Kernels since 2007.
After Tuesday’s matchup, Mitchell faces the challenge of closing out the schedule against elite competition, including top-ranked Brandon Valley on Feb. 24 and No. 2 O’Gorman in the regular-season finale on Feb. 26.