STURGIS, SD — The Sturgis Scooper basketball squads took home victories on Tuesday night at West Gym on Senior Night.
The Scooper girls came into the contest needing wins as the regular season winds down. Sturgis is sitting at #17 in power points, needing to move up a slot to make the postseason SoDak 16 playoffs.
The Scoopers had trouble scoring in the first half, only shooting 15% from the field and trailed the Patriots 16-13 at intermission.
Sophomore point guard Tori Williams and junior forward Avreigh Long put the team on their shoulders following the halftime break, as the Scoopers outscored Douglas 20-13 in the third quarter to jump out to a 33-29 lead.
The Scooper scoring onslaught continued in the fourth quarter with Williams and Avreigh Long both dropping in nine points apiece to lead Sturgis to a 55-40 victory. The Scooper girls outscored Douglas 42-24 in the second half.
Williams and Avreigh Long both had 18 points for Sturgis, who improved to 4-14 on the year. The Scoopers shot 32% from the field and 59% from the free throw line in the game. Sturgis had 12 turnovers and 33 rebounds, 16 on the offensive end.
Douglas (2-18) was led by Collee Kruse with 16 points and nine rebounds. The Patriots grabbed 26 rebounds and committed 17 turnovers, shooting 30% from the field and 53% from the charity stripe.
The Sturgis boys came into the game sitting at #15 in power points, needing wins to hold their spot in the SoDak 16 playoffs.
The Scoopers trailed Douglas 15-9 after the first quarter and 24-18 at the half. Patriot point guard Isaiah Brewer torched the nets for eight points in the first half with two three-pointers and a field goal.
Douglas extended their lead to 35-25 midway through the third quarter until Sturgis battled back, going on a 25-13 run to lead the Patriots 50-48 on Teigen Wormstadt’s slashing layup with just 1:00 remaining. Wormstadt was fouled on the attempt and converted the free throw to give Sturgis a 51-48 lead.
Douglas threw the ball away on four consecutive possessions with less than a minute left, allowing the Scoopers to maintain their slim lead. Sturgis forward Ryan Heinert was clutch from the stripe, draining five of six free throws in the fourth quarter to seal the 56-50 win.
Ryan Heinert was 11-for-12 from the charity stripe and scored 19 for the Scoopers (7-11). Sturgis sophomore Jerek Dufner added 12 points and was 7-for-7 from the free throw line. Sturgis shot 25% from the field and was a stellar 85% from the stripe. The Scoopers had 29 rebounds and 10 turnovers.
Douglas (5-15) was led by Jason Fisher, who scored 20 points and snared 18 boards. Douglas shot 36% from the field and 25% from the free throw line, committing 17 turnovers and grabbing 35 rebounds.
The Sturgis Scoopers are in action next on Friday night at home, as they host the Brookings Bobcats. Girls tip is scheduled for 6pm.
