BELLE FOURCHE / STURGIS, S.D. — The Scooper girls won their third straight game Satuday afternoon in Sturgis, defeating the Belle Fourche Broncs, 43-41. The Sturgis boys traveled to Belle Fourche and had chances to win late in the game, but the Broncs held on for a 48-41 victory.
The games were held in separate locations on Saturday, Jan. 9 to avoid large crowds to help with social distancing.
The Sturgis girls played the Broncs on Dec. 15 in Belle Fourche, losing 51-43. On Saturday, the Scoopers led Belle Fourche 8-6 after one quarter and 18-17 at the half behind balanced scoring from Mikayla Keffeler with five points and Lexi Long with four. Sturgis came out of the locker room and played with a purpose following the halftime break. Junior Kaylee Whatley had a strong game on both sides of the ball, snaring rebounds and dropping in timely buckets. The Scoopers led 35-24 at the beginning of the fourth quarter before the Broncs made a scoring run on baskets by Bella Jensen to cut the Sturgis lead to 42-40 with 1:21 to go. But that’s as close as the Broncs would get as the Scoopers avenged their earlier loss and beat the Broncs, 43-41.
Reece Ludwick led the Scoopers (4-4), with 13 points. Kaylee Whatley added 12 points, with Makaya Keffeler and Tatum Lightenberg both contributing five. Bella Jensen was the leading scorer for Belle Fourche (6-2), with 24 points, 12 in the fourth quarter.
The Scooper boys hoped to improve their performance after a rough outing in Custer on Tuesday, Jan. 5, where they dropped a game to the Wildcats, 54-23.
The Scoopers started slow in the first quarter and trailed the Broncs 14-5 before closing the gap with three-pointers by Owen Cass and Tyan Buss. Belle Fourche led 14-13 after one quarter.
Both teams had issues putting the ball in the basket in the second, with Belle Fourche making two field goals and Sturgis just one. Bronc junior forward Aiden Giffin was a perfect 4 for 4 from the charity stripe in the second and Belle Fourche led 22-15 at the half.
Buus had the hot hand for Sturgis in the third quarter, draining three three-pointers and cutting the Bronc lead to 34-28. Scooper junior forward Carson Pankratz played like a man possessed in the fourth quarter, scoring six points and getting Sturgis within striking distance of Belle Fourche. The Broncs led 34-32 before going on a 9-2 run to extend their lead to 43-34 with three minutes remaining. The Scoopers got within five points on buckets by Pankratz and Jake Vliem but were forced to foul the Broncs as time ran down. Belle Fourche held on and beat the Scoopers 48-41, snapping their five game losing streak.
Aiden Giffin led Belle Fourche (3-5), with 23 points and was 7 of 8 from the free throw line. Tyan Buss scored 12 points for Sturgis (1-6), with Cass and Vliem chipping in eight apiece.
The Scooper boys travel to Pierre on Tuesday, Jan. 12. The Scooper girls next game is at home on Saturday, Jan. 16 against Rapid City Central.
(Vince Schmaltz and Scott Jensen contributed to this story)
