by Benjamin Chase
of the Plainsman
RAPID CITY –– With a championship game berth on the line, the Huron Tigers endured a physical game and came away wirh a 53-44 victory over the Sioux Falls Foosevelt Rough Riders Friday at the State Class AA Boys’ Basketball Tournament in Rapid City.
Roosevelt had won five of the past six contests between the two clubs, including a 72-65 win at Huron Arena on Feb. 3. The Tigers had not lost since that game, riding a nine-game winning streak coming into Friday’s game.
The Tigers came away with the opening tip and found Blake Ellwein on the block. He was fouled and sank both free throws for the first points of the game.
Memphis Bylander got a baseline drive to go for Roosevelt, and then he got a layup in transition. After a Huron miss, Bryson Skogsberg was fouled on the drive, sinking one of two free throws.
That’s the last the Rough Riders scored for a long period, as Davis Chase made two trips to the free throw line, hitting two of four shots. On the next possession, Anderson Porisch found Blake on the low post for a short bucket to give Huron a 6-5 lead.
Roosevelt finally cracked a nearly five-minute scoring drought when Bylander drove through the lane for two. He then repeated the same move in the next possession with the same result to give the Rough Riders a 9-6 lead.
Chase hit a pair of free throws, but then Diondre Painter came off the bench for Roosevelt and worked his way to the free throw line twice, making three of four.
Anderson Porisch got a putback bucket, and Painter sank another pair of free throws. Blake Ellwein got fouled and hit two charity shots for the final points of the first quarter, with Roosevelt holding a 14-12 lead.
Both teams struggled from the floor in the first half of the second quarter. A three from Justin Bilal for Roosevelt and an and-one drive from Anderson Porisch for Huron were the only scores at the media timeout, with 4:54 left in the half.
On the first possession out of the break, Anderson Porisch was fouled on a putback attempt and sank both free throws to tie the game at 17.
Blake hit a baseline turnaround shot and the game got physical, leading to a double technical called after Bylander was called for an offensive foul. In the first half, the two teams combined for 27 fouls.
Blake was fouled on the drive and made a pair of free throws, then 5-foot-9 guard Capital Schmaus drove in hard the next two trips down the court and made 3-of-4 free throws, cutting the Huron lead to 21-20.
Just before half, Painter hit a three from the top of the key and was fouled. He missed the shot, but Huron was unable to score before the half, sending the teams to the locker rooms with the Rough Riders holding onto a 23-21 lead.
After a slow pace that favored the Huron defense, the second half opened with more up-and-down pace, though neither team was making a lot of their shots. Anderson Porisch got the first basket of the half on a stop-and-pop shot in the lane.
Skogsberg then made a strong move with his left hand for two. Anderson was fouled and put in a pair of free throws, and Skogsberg again drove hard and got a basket.
Blake Ellwein took the ball at the top of the key and drove through the defense with a dunk.
Akol Thyab got a puback basket, but then Myles Ellwein connected on his first three of the day, deep on the wing to give Huron a 30-29 lead halfway through the third.
Bylander got a basket in transition, but then Huron took off, mostly from the free-throw line.
Blake Ellwein knocked down a pair of free throws, and Anderson Porisch followed after being fouled on a defensive rebound attempt.
In transition, Carter Porisch connected for a wing three-pointer, and, on the next possession, Blake Ellwein was fouled on a three attempt and hit all three free throws to give Huron a 40-31 lead.
Painter hit a pair of free throws as the quarter wound down to send the game to the final period with Huron holding a 40-33 lead.
Thyab drove baseline for a reverse layup to open the fourth, and Blake Ellwein recovered the ball after it was tipped away and hit a short jumper to keep it 42-35 Huron.
Schmaus was fouled and hit both free throws, and then Painter threw up a desperation three as the shot clock ran out and was good to bring it within 42-40.
Blake Ellwein was fouled and made both shots, then Carter Porisch followed up his brother’s miss after a steal and got a putback to push the Huron lead out to 46-40.
Painter and Thyab each got one of two free throws, then Blake Ellwein answered with a pair from the charity stripe to keep Huron up six, 48-42.
Myles Ellwein then hit the dagger in the game, a straightaway three from behind the college line that made it a nine-point game. He would then hit a pair of free throws to give Huron a 53-42 lead with less than 90 seconds remaining.
Thyab hit a pair of free throws, but Roosevelt could not connect from long range and Huron came away with the 53-44 victory.
Huron moves to 19-4 behind 23 points and 13 rebounds from Blake Ellwein. Anderson Porisch added 13 points.
Second-seeded Roosevelt falls to 18-5 behind 14 points from Painter off the bench. Bylander added 10. Skogsberg grabbed eight rebounds.
The Tigers face Sioux Falls Lincoln in the title game tonight.
Huron 12 21 40 53
Roosevelt 14 23 33 44
Huron (19-4): Myles Ellwein 2 2-2 8, Blake Ellwein 4 15-17 23, Anderson Porisch 3 7-7 13, Davis Chase 0 4-6 4, Carter Porisch 2 0-0 5. Totals: 11 28-32 53.
Sioux Falls Roosevelt (18-5): Justin Bilal 1 0-0 3, Capital Schmaus 0 5-6 5, Memphis Bylander 5 0-0 10, Bryson Skogsberg 2 1-4 5, Akol Thyab 2 3-3 7, Deondre Painter 2 8-11 14. Totals: 12 17-24 44.
FG: H – 11/40, 27.5%; SFR – 12/41, 29.3%. 3-pt FG: H – 3/13 (MEllwein 2, CPorisch); SFR – 3/16 (Painter 2, Bilal). Rebounds: H 34 (BEllwein 13), SFR 27 (Skogsberg 8). Assists: H 4 (BEllwein 2), SFR 0. Blocks: H 5 (BEllwein 3), SFR 2. Steals: H 5 (Jurgens 2), SFR 3 (Schmaus 2). Turnovers: H 13, SFR 15. Fouls: H 22 (CPorisch out), SFR 28 (Painter out).
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