RAPID CITY, S.D. – Dominance continued for the O’Gorman girls basketball program Saturday night.
Behind a sensational performance from Sydney Terveen, O’Gorman defeated Brandon Valley 59-53 in the Class AA state championship game, securing the Knights’ third consecutive state title at the Summit Arena.
The victory capped another remarkable season for O’Gorman, which finished 23-1 and has now gone 71-1 over the past three seasons. The Knights’ only loss during that stretch came to Brandon Valley in the season opener back in December, a defeat they avenged in the biggest game of the year.
The championship is the sixth state girls basketball title in program history and the fourth in the past five seasons.
Terveen delivered one of the tournament’s most impressive performances, pouring in 33 points while shooting 7-of-9 from three-point range. She scored from all over the floor and repeatedly answered Brandon Valley runs in the second half.
O’Gorman came out sharp early, hitting three 3-pointers in the opening quarter to build a 23-13 lead. Terveen connected twice from deep during the stretch, while Sadie Mehrman and Ruby Moore also contributed baskets as the Knights seized early momentum.
Brandon Valley battled back in the second quarter. London Geiver knocked down a pair of 3-pointers and Ava Kellenberger added another triple as the Lynx rallied to briefly take the lead. But Terveen answered with a late three and a free throw to give O’Gorman a 29-26 halftime advantage.
The Lynx continued to pressure in the third quarter behind Gracie Salter, who dominated inside. Salter scored repeatedly in the paint as Brandon Valley cut the deficit to three points heading into the fourth quarter, trailing 42-39.
Each time Brandon Valley threatened, however, Terveen delivered another clutch shot.
She opened the fourth quarter with a three-pointer and later buried two more from long range to push the Knights’ lead back to nine points. O’Gorman then sealed the game at the free-throw line in the final minute.
Terveen finished with 33 points and six rebounds to lead the Knights. Moore added nine points, while Mehrman scored eight and Ellie Meyer chipped in seven points with four blocks.
Brandon Valley was led by Salter’s 18 points and 15 rebounds. Kellenberger and Alyvia Padgett each added 13 points, while Geiver scored nine.
The Lynx finished the season at 23-1.
But the night once again belonged to O’Gorman, whose sustained excellence has turned the Knights into the state’s premier girls basketball dynasty.