MONDAY SPORTS, MARCH 16, 2026
MITCHELL KERNELS
— Mitchell Kernels girls basketball closed out the Class AA state tournament with a 59-53 win over Rapid City Stevens on Saturday in Rapid City, to claim fifth place. Addie led paced the Kernels with 21 points, while Londyn Hajek added 12. Nia Talley had a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds, while CeCe Morgan finished with 11 points and nine boards.
DAKOTA WESLEYAN
— Dakota Wesleyan dominated early, led by Emma Yost’s 24 points, rolling past College of the Ozarks 76-53. Avery Broughton had 12 points and 13 rebounds, while Rylee Rosenquist added 14. DWU led by 16 at halftime, advancing to the NAIA round of 16 to face Lindsey Wilson in Sioux City on Friday at 1 pm.
— Dakota Wesleyan baseball started GPAC play over the weekend, splitting a doubleheader at Northwestern on Saturday. The Tigers won game one 7-6, before losing 10-4. DWU, 10-8 on the season, will be at Hastings on Friday at Noon for a doubleheader.
— Dakota Wesleyan softball heads into the week on a four-game winning streak, returning from its Spring Break trip to Arizona. The Tigers are scheduled to host Northwestern in its home opener at McWhirter Field on Wednesday at 3 pm for a doubleheader.
SOUTH DAKOTA STATE
— South Dakota State earned a No. 11 seed in the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament and will face No. 6 Washington in the first round Friday in Fort Worth, Texas. Tipoff is set for 1:30 p.m. The winner will advance to play either No. 3 TCU or No. 14 UC San Diego in the second round. This marks SDSU’s 14th NCAA Tournament appearance in 18 seasons, after the Jackrabbits secured an automatic bid by winning their fourth straight Summit League tournament.
— South Dakota State softball went 1-4 over the weekend in Arlington, Texas, defeating Columbia on Saturday 4-3, while losing a pair of games to UT-Arlington and Columbia. The Jacks, 15-17 on the season, will be at Wichita State on Tuesday for a doubleheader at 2 pm.
— South Dakota State baseball started Summit League play over the weekend getting swept at Oral Roberts, losing 4-3, 3-1 and 12-2. The Jackrabbits, 5-14 on the season, will be at Oklahoma State on Tuesday at 6 pm and again on Wednesday at 4 pm.
SOUTH DAKOTA
— USD women’s basketball will compete in the WNIT. The 48-team field was announced on Sunday night. The bracket, host schools, dates, and times will be announced on Monday. USD won the WNIT in 2016 and is 14-5 all-time in the tournament.
— USD softball went 1-3 in Columbia, Missouri, over the weekend, picking up a 5-4 win vs. Minnesota on Saturday, while losing a pair of games to Missouri and falling to Iowa State. The Coyotes, 8-20 on the season, will be at Kansas on Tuesday at 1 pm for a doubleheader.
HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS BASKETBALL STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS – SATURDAY
Ethan vs. Harding County (Class B Championship):
Ethan captured its second Class B state title with a 48-39 win over Harding County. After trailing 19-18 at halftime, the Rustlers dominated the third quarter, holding the Ranchers to just one point. Marissa Storm led Ethan with 20 points.
O’Gorman vs. Brandon Valley (Class AA Girls State Final):
O’Gorman edged Brandon Valley 59-53 to win its third straight state title. Sydney Terveen scored 33 points, hitting seven 3-pointers. Brandon Valley’s Gracie Salter had 18 points and 15 rebounds
Lennox vs. Mahpiya Luta (Class A Girls State Final):
Lennox stormed past Mahpiya Luta 65-51, turning a six-point halftime deficit into a decisive win with a dominant 28-14 third quarter. Tori Gerdes posted 22 points and 10 rebounds, Andie Peters hit five 3-pointers for 15 points.
Corsica-Stickney vs. Parkston (Class B Third Place):
Corsica-Stickney rallied from a 10-point second-half deficit to defeat Parkston 65-58 in overtime. Hadynn Johnson led the comeback with 22 points and nine rebounds, Braylee Bordewyk added 18 points and 13 boards. Parkston’s Morgan Maxwell scored 17 points.
The Class AA Boys Basketball State Tournament is set for March 19-21 at the Monument Ice Arena in Rapid City
All times are Central
No. 1 Sioux Falls Lincoln (21-0) vs. No. 9 Tea Area (13-8) – Noon
No. 4 Harrisburg (16-5) vs. No. 5 Watertown (16-5) – 1:45 pm
No. 2 Sioux Falls Roosevelt (17-4) vs. No. 7 Brandon Valley (13-8) – 6 pm
No. 3 Huron (17-4) vs. No. 6 O’Gorman (13-8) – 7:45 pm
The Class B Boys Basketball State Tournament is set for March 19-21 in Aberdeen.
No. 1 Viborg-Hurley (20-3) vs. No. 8 Lyman (17-6) – 11 am
No. 4 Aberdeen Christian (20-3) vs. No. 5 Castlewood (20-3) – 12:45 pm
No. 2 Freeman (21-2) vs. No. 7 Sully Buttes (18-5) – 5 pm – Q107.3 and Q107Radio.com
No. 3 De Smet (19-4) vs. No. 6 Wall (19-4) – 6:45 pm
The Class A Boys Basketball State Tournament is set for March 19-21 at the Summit Arena in Rapid City
No. 1 Sioux Falls Christian (20-1) vs. No. 8 St. Thomas More (16-5)
No. 4 Hamlin (20-3) vs. No. 5 Groton Area (18-4)
No. 2 West Central (22-0) vs. No. Cheyenne-Eagle Butte (20-3)
No. 3 Clark/Willow Lake (20-2) vs. No. 6 Stanley County (20-2)
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
— The field is set for NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, with Duke earning the overall No. 1 seed. Joining Duke on the top line are Arizona, Michigan, and defending champion Florida. One of the biggest storylines is Miami (Ohio), which went 31-1 in the regular season, but still landed in the First Four as an 11 seed. Miami will face SMU on Wednesday for a chance to advance into the main bracket. The full tournament begins Thursday and Friday, with the national championship scheduled for April 6 in Indianapolis. Conference-wise, the SEC led the way with 10 teams in the tournament, followed by nine from the Big Ten.
— The bracket is set for the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament, with UConn earning the overall No. 1 seed after finishing the regular season 34-0. The Huskies are joined on the top line by UCLA, Texas, and South Carolina. UConn opens the tournament at home against UTSA and needs six more wins to complete an undefeated season and capture the school’s 13th national title. Meanwhile, Tennessee extended its historic streak by reaching the tournament for the 44th straight year. The Final Four will be played April 3 in Phoenix, Arizona, with the national championship set for April 5.
WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC
— The U.S. is headed to its third straight championship game in the World Baseball Classic after a 2-1 semifinal win over the Dominican Republic on Sunday night in Miami. The Dominicans struck first on a Junior Caminero home run, but the U.S. answered with solo homers from Gunnar Henderson and Roman Anthony to take the lead. U.S. starter Paul Skenes allowed just one run in 4⅓ innings, while the American bullpen shut the door, with Mason Miller recording the save to secure the victory. Team USA, which won the WBC in 2017 and finished runner-up in 2023, will now play for the championship Tuesday night against the winner of tonight’s semifinals between Italy and Venezuela.
MLB
— The new head of the Major League Baseball Players Association says a potential labor dispute could affect plans for MLB players to compete in the 2028 Summer Olympics. Union leader Bruce Meyer says if a work stoppage causes games to be canceled during the 2027 Major League Baseball season, it could derail negotiations to allow big leaguers to participate in the Olympic baseball tournament scheduled for Dodger Stadium. MLB and the players’ union are expected to begin negotiations this spring on a new labor agreement to replace the current contract that expires December 1, 2027, and a lockout could begin the next day if no deal is reached. Baseball hasn’t lost regular-season games to a labor dispute since 1995, but officials say if the 2027 season were canceled, MLB players likely would not take part in the 2028 Olympic tournament.
NASCAR
— Denny Hamlin overcame an early speeding penalty and drove from 31st place to the front to win Sunday at Las Vegas. Hamlin led 134 laps on his way to the 61st win of his career, which ranks 10th all-time in NASCAR history. Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Christopher Bell and Ty Gibbs also finished in the top five, while Chase Elliott and William Byron placed second and third. NASCAR heads next to Darlington Raceway this weekend.
NBA
— Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 20 points and 10 assists as the Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves 116-103 for their eighth straight win. Gilgeous-Alexander barely extended his record streak of games with at least 20 points to 128. Chet Holmgren had 21 points and nine rebounds and Isaiah Joe added 20 points for the Thunder, who improved to a league-best 53-15. Julius Randle scored 32 points and Anthony Edwards added 19 for the Timberwolves.
— Jalen Brunson had 30 points and nine assists as the New York Knicks rallied from a 21-point deficit to beat the Golden State Warriors 110-107. Karl-Anthony Towns added 17 points and 12 rebounds for the Knicks.
— Brandon Ingram had a game-high 34 points as the Toronto Raptors defeated the Detroit Pistons 119-108. The win helped the Raptors hang on to sixth in the Eastern Conference. Cade Cunningham had 33 points and nine assists for Detroit.
— Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 31 points and pulled down 14 rebounds before leaving the game with a potentially hyperextended knee as the Milwaukee Bucks beat the Indiana Pacers 134-123.
— Quentin Grimes scored 14 of his season-high 31 points in the fourth quarter as the short-handed Philadelphia 76ers beat the Portland Trail Blazers 109-103. The Sixers were playing without Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Kelly Oubre Jr. due to injuries.
— Cooper Flagg scored 27 points as the Dallas Mavericks bounced back from a 33-point loss to Cleveland two days ago to defeat the Cavaliers 130-120. It was the 12th time this season Flagg has scored at least 27 points. The top overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft was 10 of 17 from the field and also had 10 assists and six rebounds.
— DeMar DeRozan scored a season-high 41 points and had 11 assists to help the Sacramento Kings hold off the Utah Jazz 116-111. DeRozan passed Hall of Famer Tim Duncan last week for 18th place on the NBA’s career scoring list.