RAPID CITY The Huron Tigers trailed by as many as 19 points but when the final buzzer sounded, a tenacious young team came within one, losing 61-60 in the consolation championship of the South Dakota Class AA Boys State Tournament to the Sioux Falls Jefferson Cavaliers Saturday at Summit Arena in The Monument in Rapid City.
The Tigers got the opening tip and Anderson Porisch attacked the hoop for a layup to open the scoring for Huron. Blake Ellwein attacked the hoop after a Jefferson turnover and got two to make it 4-0 Huron less than a minute into the game.
Damaris Fields nailed a three to put Jefferson on the board and in the next possession Jase Unzen nailed a deep shot to make it 6-4 Jefferson.
Colby Nuttbrock was able to get a putback for the Cavaliers. Bubba Peterson nailed a three to close into 8-7. That would be the score at the first media timeout.
Edward Whiting got free on a backdoor play out of the media break. Porisch got a layup on the ensuing Tigers possession.
Whiting was fouled and went one of two to make it 11-9 Jefferson with 4:17 remaining in the first period. Ellwein then nailed a three to put Huron back in the lead 12-11.
Ethan Swenson hit a corner three for the Cavs to make it 14-12 Jefferson. Kuek Kuek hit a short jumper for the Cavs to then push the lead to 16-12.
Fields continued Jeffersons hot shooting with another three. Ellwein was able to get to the free throw line where he hit one of two to make it 19-13 with 1:02 left.
Kuai Mayen was fouled on a drive for Jefferson but he missed both shots., and the Cavs would have a 19-13 lead at quarter break.
The Cavaliers would get a three from Unzen to open the second period, then Kuek attacked on the baseline for a lay-in, giving Jefferson a 24-13 lead.
Ellwein got the Tigers on the board with a layup, but Mason Payne got a putback basket to keep Jefferson up 26-15.
Ellwein drained a three from the corner. Porisch changed direction to get a short basket to make it 26-20 with 5:33 left in the first half.
Unzen was fouled and Peterson was assessed a technical foul. Unzen hit three of four free throws and got the ball back, but Hurons defense was able to hold to keep it at 29-20 at the media break.
Porisch hit a corner three for the Tigers and then got a putback to make it 29-25 Cavs with 2:32 left in the first half.
Payne was fouled going to the hoop and hit both charity tosses. Chase got fouled on a putback attempt and hit both free throws to close it to 31-27.
Mayen hit an off-balance jumper, and that was the final score of the half as Jefferson held a 33-27 edge as the teams headed to the locker rooms.
Porisch picked up his third foul on Jeffersons first possession of the second half and Nuttbrock was able to hit a long two. After a steal gave the Cavs a quick second possession, Huron coach Tim Buddenhagen called for a timeout with just 51 seconds off the clock in the third quarter.
Nuttbrock got a basket over Ellwein out of the timeout. Kuek then hit a three to make it 40-27 Jefferson with 6:09 remaining.
Nuttbrock got a layup in transition off a Huron miss. Jefferson got another turnover and Unzen put in the basket to push it to 44-27 at the media timeout.
Chase got one of two free throws for the Tigers first points of the second half. Nuttbrock then got a pair of foul shots for the Cavs.
Myles Ellwein connected from the wing for three and then Huron got a blocked shot by Blake Ellwein and Chase was able to get a putback basket to cut the lead down to 46-33 with three minutes left in the third.
Nuttbrock connected for the Cavs seventh three of the game to make it 49-33 with 90 seconds remaining. Nuttbrock got another basket underneath to give Jefferson a 51-33 lead.
Unzen was fouled and hit one of two free throws. Blake Ellwein hit a deep three to bring it to 52-36 heading into the fourth quarter.
Nuttbrock quickly got a three to open the fourth from the low wing. Ellwein got a transition dunk to make it 55-38.
Chase was fouled on a post move and hit both free throws. After a steal, Chase was fouled hard from behind. He hit both free throws to bring Huron within 55-42 with 5:43 remaining in the game.
Senior Logan Leyendecker came off the bench and nailed the three from the top of the key to bring Huron within 55-45 at the final media break.
After a steal, Ellwein drove in past a double team for a left-handed layup. Fields was able to hit a three for the Cavaliers to end a long scoring drought for Jefferson and give them a 58-47 lead.
Ellwein committed his fourth foul on Kuek but Kuek missed all three free throws. Ellwein was then fouled on the drive and hit both free throws to make it 58-49 with 1:59 remaining.
The Tigers got a turnover and Porisch made a reverse layup. Huron then fouled Unzen and he made one of two, but Jefferson got the rebound on the miss and the Cavaliers worked to run some clock. Unzen was then fouled and missed both free throws.
Ellwein was then fouled bringing the ball up the court and the Tigers were in the bonus. Ellwein hit both free throws to get within six at 59-53. Ellwein then got a steal and made a layup with 47 seconds remaining and Huron trailing 59-55.
Huron got a steal out of the timeout and Myles Ellwein made a layup with 27 seconds remaining and Jefferson called a timeout holding just a 59-57 lead.
Nuttbrock was fouled and hit both free throws. Myles Ellwein hit for three, but it was too little too late as the Tigers fell 61-60.
Buddenhagen saw that the game was really a story of offensive execution.
We struggled too much in the second and third quarter offensively. We just didnt have a rhythm, Buddenhagen explained. The fourth quarter guys were moving the ball and the shots started falling.
The Cavaliers move to 12-11 behind 20 points and six rebounds from Nuttbrock and 13 points and six rebounds from Unzen.
The Tigers finish the year 16-8. Blake Ellwein had 24 points to lead the way. Porisch added 13. Davis Chase chipped in nine points and hauled in a game-high seven rebounds.
Buddenhagen saw the game as emblematic of the season for the Tigers, but hes looking forward to the future.
This game was a microcosm of this season. We were hot; we were cold, he said, but quickly focused to next season. We have a bright future.
Even with an eye toward the future, Buddenhagen had positive things to say about the five seniors on the team.
Those guys came to work every day. Sometimes, they didnt get a lot of playing time, but they wanted to win, he raved. They were servant leaders and were really good to our younger guys.
Sioux Falls Jefferson 19 33 52 61
Huron 13 27 36 64
Sioux Falls Jefferson (12-11): Damaris Fields, 3 0-0 9, Jase Unzen 3 5-10 13, Kuai Mayen 1 0-2 2, Colby Nuttbrock 7 4-4 20, Mason Payne 1 2-2 4, Kuek Kuek 3 0-3 7, Ethan Swanson 1 0-0 3, Edward Whiting 1 1-2 3. Totals: 20 12-23 61.
Huron (16-8): Jonathan Peterson 1 0-0 3, Blake Ellwein 8 5-6 24, Anderson Porisch 6 0-0 13, Logan Leyendecker 1 0-0 3, Myles Ellwein 3 0-0 8, Davis Chase 1 7-8 9. Totals: 20 12-14 60.
FG: SFJ – 20/42 48%; H – 20/46 44%. 3-pt FG: SFJ – 9/16 (Fields 3, Unzen 2, Nuttbrock 2, Kuek, Swanson); H – 8/17 (BEllwein 3, MEllwein 2, Peterson, Porisch, Leyendecker). Rebounds: SFJ 30 (Unzen, Nuttbrock 6), H 23 (Chase 7). Assists: SFJ 9 (Payne 5), H 13 (BEllwein 5). Blocks: SFJ 1, H 5 (BEllwein 3). Steals: SFJ 10 (Fields 4), H 10 (BEllwein 3). Turnovers: SFJ 17, H 13. Fouls: SFJ 12, H 18.
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