LEAD, S.D. — The Sturgis Scooper girls basketball team earned their second win of the season, 60-27 over the Lady Golddiggers on Saturday night in Lead. The Scooper boys also put together four solid quarters and beat Lead Deadwood 63-33 for their first victory of the season.
The Scooper basketball teams used the holiday break to refocus their efforts on the stretch run of games into the spring, with the hopes of qualifying for the SoDak 16 playoffs.
The Scooper girls could only manage three field goals in 22 attempts and trailed Lead-Deadwood 9-8 after one quarter. The floodgates opened in the second, as Sturgis outscored the Lady Golddiggers 23-5 and led 31-14 at halftime.
The scoring onslaught continued in the third quarter behind three pointers from Megan Petrocco and Tatum Lightenberg, and Sturgis led 49-19 at the end of the stanza. Head coach Jordan Proefrock brought her reserves in for most of the final quarter and the Scoopers earned win number two on the season, 60-27.
The Lady Scoopers shot 29% from the field and 47% from the charity stripe, canning 11 of 23 free throws. Sturgis had only eight turnovers and snared 48 rebounds. Lightenberg led the Scoopers with 13 points and nine rebounds. Kaylee Whatley added 12 points.
Lead-Deadwood shot 22% from the field and made eight of 11 free throws for 72%. The Lady Golddiggers had 19 turnovers and 18 boards. Allison Mollman had eight points for Lead-Deadwood.
The Scooper boys came into their matchup with Lead-Deadwood looking for their first win. Sturgis jumped out to a quick 10-4 lead in the first quarter before the Golddiggers closed the gap with five quick points by sophomore Crew Rainey. The Scoopers took a 13-10 lead into the second.
Sturgis junior Konner Berndt popped in four quick points early in the second and the Scoopers stretched their lead to 27-19 at the half.
It was a sloppy third quarter for both teams, with several turnovers and errant passes to start the second half. Carson Pankratz was a perfect three of three from the field in the third and the Scoopers led by 20 points, 46-26, headed into the fourth quarter.
Sturgis cranked up the defensive intensity in the fourth, holding the Golddiggers to three of 17 shooting from the floor. Sophmomore center Jake Vliem closed out the game in strong fashion, dropping in five points in the quarter, and Sturgis took home their first victory of the season, 63-33.
The Scoopers had three players in double figures, led by Pankratz with 12 points, Berndt with 11 and Dysen Peterson adding 10 tallies. Sturgis was 24 of 52 from the field for 47% and 14 of 24 on free throws for 58%. The Scoopers had 24 turnovers and 34 rebounds.
The Golddiggers shot 27% from the field and just 24% from the charity stripe, converting only six of 25 attempts. Lead-Deadwood had 21 turnovers and 19 rebounds, with Mekieh Hon dropping in 14 points.
The Scooper teams travel to Custer on Tuesday to battle the Wildcats. First game tips off at 6:30pm.
