Travis Kriens/KORN News Radio Sports Director
STURGIS — The Mitchell Kernels completed a Friday night road sweep in Sturgis, with the girls dominating from the opening tip in a 52-29 win and the boys rallying in the second half to claim a 57-45 victory.
The Mitchell girls wasted no time setting the tone, racing out to a 9-0 lead in the first 90 seconds and building an 18-4 advantage by the end of the first quarter. After a slow stretch early in the second, the Kernels regrouped and carried a 29-11 lead into halftime. Mitchell continued to pull away in the third quarter, extending the margin to 48-18 before closing out the 23-point win.
Addie Siemsen led all scorers with 23 points, adding six rebounds and five steals while going 9-of-10 at the free-throw line. CeCe Morgan contributed 15 points and six rebounds, Londyn Hajek scored seven points with one of Mitchell’s three made three-pointers, and Nia Talley recorded five steals. Mitchell shot an efficient 15-of-16 from the foul line as a team.
Sturgis was paced by Addy Kossler’s 18 points, accounting for seven of the Scoopers’ nine made field goals, while the Kernels’ defense limited Sturgis to just three made shots in the first half.
The victory marked Mitchell’s 10th straight win, improving the Kernels to 11-3 on the season. Their last loss came Dec. 29, and the streak is their longest since opening the 2023-24 season, 15-0. Mitchell has also won 12 straight meetings with Sturgis dating back to 2010.
The Kernels travel to Spearfish on Saturday at 3 p.m. CST. The Spartans enter at 7-5 after a 45-34 loss to Huron on Friday night, allowing 37 points to Hylton Heinz.
In the boys matchup, Mitchell overcame an early deficit to secure the sweep. Sturgis opened the game on a 10-0 run before the Kernels answered with a 10-0 stretch of their own to tie the contest. The Scoopers regained control late in the half and led 28-21 at the break.
Mitchell flipped the momentum after halftime, turning a nine-point deficit into a 40-34 lead by the end of the third quarter behind an 18-4 run. The Kernels outscored Sturgis 36-17 in the second half to seal the win.
Owen Raml led Mitchell with 16 points, Colton Smith added 15 points and seven rebounds, and Owen Schelske scored 13 points with six rebounds off the bench. Smith also moved into third place on Mitchell’s all-time scoring list, surpassing Tyson Theeler’s 1,192 career points.
Mitchell struggled at the free-throw line, finishing 14-of-30 overall and just 3-of-15 in the first half. Hayden Rock led Sturgis with 18 points, while Gage West posted a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
The boys have now won seven straight against Sturgis and 14 of the last 16 matchups. Mitchell is set to face Spearfish on Saturday at 4:45 p.m. CST. The Spartans enter that contest at 10-2 after a 46-38 loss to fifth-ranked Huron on Friday night.