STURGIS, S.D. / SPEARFISH, S.D. — The Spearfish girls faced the Lady Scoopers at West Gymnasium on Tuesday night, overcoming a first half deficit to beat Sturgis, 46-33. The Scooper boys traveled to Spearfish to take on the Spartans on their home court and lost, 69-41.
The Scooper girls came out hot in the first quarter, with junior Lexi Long leading the way with seven points. Long was perfect from the free throw line, making five of five shots. The Scoopers led 13-9 after one.
Sturgis could only manage five points in the second quarter but still led the Spartans at the half, 18-17. Spearfish outscored Sturgis 15-8 in the third quarter and led 32-26 headed into the fourth. The Scoopers scored seven points in the final stanza to 14 from the Spartans, who ran away with a 46-33 win.
Kaylee Whatley led Sturgis (4-6) with 10 points and Long added nine. Stella Marcus poured in 28 for the Spartans (3-6), more than half of Spearfish’s points.
Seventeen miles away in the Queen City, the Spearfish Spartans hosted the Scooper boys simultaneously. The Sturgis offense came out crisp in the first quarter and led Spearfish 12-11. The turnover bug bit the Scoopers in the second because of pressure defense by the Spartans, helping Spearfish jump out to a 33-21 halftime lead.
Spearfish continued the defensive pressure in the second half, causing more Scooper turnovers, and their lead grew to 47-27 after the third quarter. Ridge Inhofer and freshman Aiden Hedderman scored four points apiece for Sturgis in the fourth, but it wasn’t enough, as Spearfish cruised to a 69-41 win.
Sturgis (1-9), was led in scoring by Owen Cass with 12 points. Dysen Peterson added nine for the Scoopers. Peyton Millis had 13 for Spearfish (3-7), with freshman Seth Hamilton dropping in 12 points for the Spartans.
The Scooper boys and girls host Yankton on Saturday at West Gymnasium, with the girls matchup scheduled to tip off at 2pm.
