SIOUX FALLS They lost their leading scorer, but the Huron Tigers came together to fight for a 65-64 overtime victory Tuesday on the road against the fifth-ranked OGorman Knights.
Blake Ellwein opened the game flexing the Tigers size advantage with an easy post-up basket on the first possession. He then drove baseline and was fouled, sinking both free throws for a quick 4-0 Huron lead.
Austin Terveen drove and got the Knights on the board with a finger roll. Mason Clark came off the OGorman bench and drove in for a layup to knot the game 4-4.
Davis Chase made a post move for two points, but then Knight senior Nyun Dut went on a mini-run, hitting a putback bucket, hitting a stop and pop jumper and then driving down the lane for two to have a 6-0 lead all his own to give OGorman a 10-6 lead.
Ellwein sealed off the defense and finished with a left-handed bank shot. Trace Wenz hit a long jumper the next possession and then Ellwein drove through the lane for a bucket to make it 12-10 Huron at the end of one quarter.
Chase opened the second quarter with a bucket and a foul, sinking the free throw. Jackson Bjorkman hit a fadeaway jumper for the Knights.
Blake Ellwein hit a jumper and Anderson Porisch had a fancy layup to push the lead to 19-12 Huron.
Dut went hard into the lane. He and Ellwein had a big collision and Dut hit the bucket, drawing the foul. Dut would hit the free throw, but Ellwein would head to the locker room after he was helped off the court and would not return in the first half.
Porisch hit a streaking shot through the lane. Kamden Cisse responded with a floating jumper and then Austin Terveen attacked the basket to cut the Huron lead to 21-19.
After a Bubba Peterson steal, Porisch put in a layup, but Dut responded with a pair of free throws. After a pair of free throws by Chase were missed, Cisse got a floater over Chase to tie the score 23-23.
Cisse would be fouled on the next trip for OGorman and hit one of two free throws. Chase got a putback on the next possession.
Austin Terveen put on the brakes and hit a quick jumper but Porisch answered with a fadeaway jumper to give Huron back a 27-26 lead.
Clark got the ball in transition after a Huron miss and went coast-to-coast for a layup to give the Knights a 28-27 lead at halftime.
With leading scorer Ellwein on the bench, the Tigers pounded the ball in to Chase down low on the first possession of the second half for two. Caleb Terveen answered for OGorman with a quick free throw line jumper, but Porisch answered with his own pull-up jumper to put Huron up 31-30.
Dut then hit a three on back-to-back possessions to quickly give the Knights a five-point lead, 36-31.
Porisch got a putback of his own shot, but Austin Terveen answered with a drive and hit both free throws.
Cisse found John Lent underneath for a bucket to make it 40-33, but Myles Ellwein answered for Huron with a deep three.
Carter Porisch put back his own shot to bring Huron within 40-38 before Lent got behind the Huron defense for an easy two to make it 42-38.
Both teams would miss opportunities to score, but the game went to the fourth quarter with the Knights holding a four-point edge.
Dut would get fouled to open the final frame, and he hit one of two free throws. Chase followed by doing the same after being fouled in the post.
Caleb Terveen nailed a three, but Ty Kleinsasser responded with his own deep ball for the Tigers.
Caleb drove in and hit one of two free throws. Colt McNeil then nailed a three to bring the Tigers within 47-45.
Austin Terveen drove and was fouled, hitting both free throws, then McNeil made a pretty pass to Chase underneath to cut to 49-47.
After the offensive rebound bounced around, Bjorkman cut backdoor for the putback, and Myles Ellwein nailed a three to make it 51-50 in favor of the home squad.
Dut would make a strong post move, with Chase matching him on a set play off an inbounds to get within 53-52.
Chase would then be fouled on a made basket. He made the free throw to give the Tigers a 55-53 lead, but Clark was fouled with 31 seconds left and hit both shots.
Chase had a breakaway with seconds left in regulation and was shoved from behind, but no call was made and OGorman got the ball back. They could not make a shot and the game went into overtime.
Porisch put the Tigers out front with an early three in the overtime, but Clark got in for a bucket for the Knights after the Tigers got one of two free throws.
Dut was able to nail a three and give OGorman a 60-59 lead, but Kleinsasser answered with a three, and Huron would not trail again in the game.
Kleinsasser hit one of two free throws to make it 63-60 and Austin Terveen nailed a pair of free throws to get within one.
Chase hit two free throws to give Huron a three-point lead, 65-62. The Tigers struggled with free throw shooting at the end, but held on as OGorman couldnt get a basket at the buzzer for the 65-64 win.
It wasnt pretty at the free throw line, but Huron pulled out what they needed in the end, according to Tiger coach Tim Buddenhagen.
We had to search for guys without Blake, Buddenhagen explained.
We kept on working all game. Fortunately, we hit enough shots down the stretch.
Chase finished with 21 points to lead the Tigers, who move to 14-5. Anderson Porisch scored 15.
Blake Ellwein went out with 10 points early in the second quarter, but the Tigers spread out the contributions as eight Tigers scored in the absence of their leading scorer.
The Knights fall to 12-7 despite a game-high 22 points from Dut. Austin Terveen added 14 points for OGorman.
OGorman swept the lower-level games, winning the sophomore game, 55-42, and taking the junior varsity game by the score of 62-53.
Buddenhagen was emotional as he lauded his teams effort.
This is one of the best wins Ive been a part of in Huron Tiger basketball, Buddenhagen said through tears. With your best player going down, they showed a lot of grit.
He concluded, Now we need to go get the ESD Friday.
The Tigers close their season Friday at home against Brandon Valley in a game that will decide the ESD Conference regular season championship.
Huron 12 27 38 55 65
OGorman 10 28 42 55 64
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