BY PLAINSMAN STAFF
HURON –– After a first half that was nip-and-tuck, the De Smet Bulldogs used their size to overpower the Ipswich Tigers in SoDak 16 action Tuesday at Huron Arena by the score of 56-45.
The Bulldogs, seeded third in the SoDak 16, moved to 19-4 with the victory over the 14-seeded Ipswich, whose last-second region semifinal victory over Gettysburg has sparked a debate about instant replay over the past few days.
The two teams really felt one another out in the first quarter, with some close shots and free throws missed by the Bulldogs and quick moves to the hoop that ended with a blown layup or turnover by the Tigers.
In the second quarter, the Bulldogs used their size on offense while Ipswich dialed in from long range, and two teams scored nearly double the points they had combined for in the first quarter. De Smet held a 27-24 halftime edge.
The Bulldogs came out and really pushed the size advantage they had down low and slowed down the game while plugging up the middle on defense. When the three-point shots stopped dropping consistently, the Bulldogs pushed out their lead to as much as 14 points. As fouls began to sit in on integral pieces of the De Smet rotation, Ipswich was able to attack more, but by that point, the deficit was too much to overcome.
Grant Wilkinson had 24 points and 16 rebounds to lead the game in both categories. He also blocked six shots.
Noah Luethmers had 13 points and three steals, while Slayten Wilkinson scored seven points, grabbed 11 rebounds, and dished out four assists.
Shay Knust led the Tigers (14-9) with 12 points. Hayden Schlosser added 10 points and grabbed five rebounds. Kyle Hettich also had five boards.
The Bulldogs will open the Class “B” State Tournament in the evening session on Thursday, March 19, in Aberdeen.
Ipswich 7 24 35 45
De Smet 11 27 46 56
Ipswich (14-9): Kyle Hettich 2 4-5 8, Brody Davis 2 0-0 6, Jaxon Holt 2 0-0 6, Shay Knust 5 1-3 12, Hayden Schlosser 4 0-0 10, Joshua Rausch 1 1-2 3. Totals: 16 6-10 45.
De Smet (19-4): Noah Luethmers 5 1-2 13, Slayten Wilkinson 3 1-2 7, Coy Ven Regenmorter 0 0-2 0, Kolby Sinclair 2 2-3 6, Grant Wilkinson 12 0-4 24, Carter Wilkinson 3 0-0 6. Totals: 25 4-13 56.
FG: I – 16/47, 34%; DS – 25/60, 42%. 3-pt FG: I – 7/19 (Davis 2, Holt 2, Schlosser 2, Knust); DS – 2/24 (Luethmers 2). Rebounds: I 22 (Hettich, Schlosser 5), DS 43 (GWilkinson 16, SWilkinson 11). Assists: I 6 (Knust 3), DS 9 (SWilkinson 4). Steals: I 3, DS 4 (Luethmers 3). Turnovers: I 6, DS 5. Fouls: I 12, DS 18 (SWilkinson out).
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