Wessington Springs falls just short of SoDak 16 against No. 1 Castlewood

Castlewood 55, Wessington Springs 53
HURON – A matchup of two top-five teams in the media poll is something usually reserved for the state tournament in March, but instead the Castlewood Warriors and Wessington Springs Spartans played that matchup Saturday in Region 2B semifinals for the chance to advance to the SoDak 16. The Warriors fell behind the third quarter but came back in a wild fourth quarter to claim the 55-53 win at Huron Arena.
Castlewood jumped out with strong shooting and got Springs big man Colby Flowers into foul trouble early, which led to an 18-12 advantage in the first quarter. Parker Graff took over the Spartan offense, but while the fifth-rated Spartans outscored the top-ranked Warriors in the second quarter, they still trailed by two at half, 26-24.
With Flowers holding down the middle in the third quarter, Springs was able to push out to as much as a seven-point lead, but Castlewood finished the third on a run that continued into the fourth quarter and allowed them to take the lead. Castlewood was able to sink free throws at the end, after struggling from the line for much of the game, to secure the 55-53 win and SoDak 16 berth.
Castlewood moves to 19-3 behind three guys in double figures. Kamden Keszler hit for 18 points to lead the Warriors, Brody Bass chipped in 14, and Will Aderhold hit for 13 points.
The Spartans finish up the season with a 17-5 record. Parker Graff led the way with 20 points. Flowers had 18 points and Logan Mebius added 12.

Wessington Springs 12 24 40 53
Castlewood 18 26 38 55

Wessington Springs (17-5): Logan Mebius 5 0-0 12, Parker Graff 8 0-0 20, Luke Larson 1 1-1 3, Colby Flowers 6 6-8 18, Grady Gran 0 0-2 0. Totals: 20 7-11 53.

Castlewood (19-3): Kamden Keszler 6 4-9 18, Trevor Everson 1 0-0 2, Brody Bass 5 1-2 14, Tyson Manley 0 2-2 2, Leonard Wernke 3 0-1 6, Will Aderhold 5 0-0 13. Totals: 20 7-14 55.

FG: WS – 20/46, 44%; C – 20/45 44%. 3-pt FG: WS – 6/18 (Graff 4, Mebius 2); C – 8/24 (Bass 3, Aderhold 3, Keszler 2). Rebounds: WS 28 (Three with 6), C 22 (Bass 8). Assists: WS 6 (Mebius 2), C 7 (Keszler, Bass 2). Steals: WS 2, C 7 (Three with 2). Turnovers: WS 12, C 8. Fouls: WS 16 (Gran out), C 16.