STURGIS, SD – When it comes to the Sturgis – Spearfish basketball rivalry, fans have always come to expect the unexpected. The fans were treated to some extra basketball on Tuesday night at West Gymnasium as the Spartans clawed back from a 12-0 deficit in the first quarter to send the game into an extra period.
Sturgis forward Owen Cass, who is rehabbing from an ankle injury, scored seven of the Scoopers 13 points in overtime as the boys outlasted the Spearfish Spartans 61-58.
Sturgis jumped out to an early lead but Spearfish closed the gap as Dylon Doren tossed in a last-second three pointer at the first quarter buzzer to cut the Scooper lead to 16-7 headed into second.
Both teams battled back and forth throughout the second as Doren kept Spearfish in the game with seven points in the quarter. Cass scored four in the second and Sturgis led 27-21 at the half.
The Spartans outscored Sturgis 13-8 in the third quarter with a balanced attack and trailed the Scoopers 35-34 headed into the fourth.
Spearfish got hot early in the final quarter and led Sturgis 39-35 with just a minute minute gone in the stanza. Spearfish guard Antonio Serrano was fouled shooting a three-pointer and canned all three charity tosses to give the Spartans a 42-35 lead.
Sturgis post player Jake Vliem fouled out midway through the fourth but the Scoopers didn’t lose their composure and fought back to take a 48-45 lead with less than a minute left in the game on a big three by Ryan Heinert. Spearfish forward Carter Lyon found himself open in the deep corner and proceeded to drain a long-range three to tie the game at 48 with just :28 seconds left. Neither team could score in the final seconds and the game went to overtime.
Cass led the way for Sturgis throughout the OT period, draining five of nine free throws and establishing a strong presence in the post, with Gavin Lightenberg calmly sinking two late free throws to give Sturgis a 61-58 OT victory.
The Scoopers were led by Cass and Heinert with 16 points apiece. Lightenberg added 14 points, including two three-pointers. Sturgis shot 22-of-55 from the field for 40% and 14-of-32 from the free throw line for 43%. The Scoopers had four turnovers and 29 rebounds.
Seth Hamilton and Antonio Serrano both had 16 points for Spearfish, with sophomore Dylon Doren chipping in 13. The Spartans shot 16-of-46 from the field for 34% and 21-of-27 from the charity stripe for 77%. Spearfish committed 14 turnovers and snared 26 boards.
The Spearfish girls used a balanced scoring attack to down the Scoopers by a score of 52-25.
The Spartans ran out to a 18-6 lead after one quarter and held a 36-14 advantage at the intermission behind Mya Kochuten’s nine points in the first half. Spearfish outscored Sturgis 12-4 in the third to lead by 30 points, 48-18 headed into the fourth quarter. The running clock, due to the 30 point lead, made for a quick fourth quarter and Spearfish sealed the win.
Sturgis was led by Keeley Heikes with five points. Sturgis made 10 field goals in 45 attempts for 22% and shot 23% from the free throw line, making three of 13 charity tosses. The Scoopers had 11 turnovers and 21 rebounds.
Kochuten was the leading scorer for the Spartans, scoring 14 points and grabbing five rebounds. Brylee Grubb had 11 rebounds with eight points. Spearfish shot 44% from the field and 40% from the free throw line, with nine turnovers and 30 rebounds.
The Scoopers are on the road on Friday, traveling to Hot Springs to take on the Bison. Girls tip off is scheduled for 6pm. We will have all the action for you here on KBHBradio.com or at 810 AM / 105.5 FM.
