UNDATED – The State Girls Basketball Tournaments wrapped up Saturday as championship games were held.
For the first time since 2018, St. Thomas More can call themselves state basketball champions. The Cavaliers defeated Wagner 52-30 on Saturday night at Frost Arena in Brookings to win the ‘A’ girls title.
Coming into the tournament, St. Thomas More was seeded fifth, but each game they stayed consistent and solid on defense, which helped lift them to three state tournament victories.
“How it started this season is it totally depended on the defense, and they were up for the challenge,” stated St. Thomas More head girls basketball coach Brandon Kandolin. “We put three great games together.”
St. Thomas More spoiled Lakota Tech’s state tournament debut in the quarterfinals, then knocked off top seeded Wagner in the semi’s, and then shut down Hamlin in the state title game.
At the Class B Tournament, Viborg/Hurley completed a remarkable run, winning the state title with a 58-52 upset win over DeSmet. Viborg/Hurley entered the tournament as the eighth seed, and beat top seeded Aberdeen Roncalli and Corsica/Stickney before knocking off the second-seeded Bulldogs.
And, winning the State AA Championship was Sioux Falls O’Gorman, who fought off a late charge by Rapid City Stevens to win 49-42.
Here are scores from all the games Saturday:
SDHSAA State Tournament=
Class AA=
Seventh Place=
Rapid City Central 48, Sioux Falls Lincoln 39
Fifth Place=
Sioux Falls Washington 49, Harrisburg 37
Third Place=
Sioux Falls Jefferson 46, Brandon Valley 42
Championship=
Sioux Falls O’Gorman 49, Rapid City Stevens 42
Class A=
Seventh Place=
Sioux Falls Christian 62, Lakota Tech 58
Fifth Place=
Dakota Valley 63, Red Cloud 43
Third Place=
West Central 62, Wagner 54
Championship=
St. Thomas More 52, Hamlin 30
Class B=
Seventh Place=
White River 54, Wall 52
Fifth Place=
Aberdeen Roncalli 44, Aberdeen Christian 34
Third Place=
Corsica/Stickney 75, Faith 50
Championship=
Viborg-Hurley 58, DeSmet 53
