Huron records win against O’Gorman in AA opener

by Benjamin Chase
of the Plainsman
RAPID CITY — A 12-0 run for the Huron Tigers blew open a tight game with the sixth-seeded O’Gorman Knights in the opening round of the State Class “AA” Boys’ Basketball Tournament. The third-seeded Tigers came away with a 60-45 victory at the Monument in Rapid City.
The game started slowly, as both teams felt each other out to open the game and struggled to connect from the floor. Braylen Yellow Bird drove down the baseline for a basket to give O’Gorman the first points of the contest.
Blake Ellwein then got his defender on his back for an easy post move. Jaxson Weeldreyer answered with a jumper from the top of the key.
After roughly two minutes of scoreless play, Davis Chase made a move on the post to tie the game, 4-4.
Chace Hermanson nailed a three from the top of the key. Blake Ellwein pushed hard into the lane and ended up with a pair of free throws.
Anderson Porisch got an offensive rebound and made the basket and was also fouled. After he sank that shot, he gave Huron the first Tiger lead, 9-7.
Hermanson drove through the lane for two. As the quarter came to a close, Myles Ellwein drove into the lane and was fouled, hitting one of two to end the first quarter with a 10-9 Huron lead.
Anderson Porisch got a layup in transition to open the second quarter scoring, and then Myles Ellwein dialed up from the top of the key for three to push Huron’s lead to 15-9.
O’Gorman attacked the lane to get back into it, as Weeldreyer made a bucket and a foul shot, and Mason Clark drove through the middle of the lane and made the free throw to tie the game at 15 with 4:30 left in the first half.
Carter Porisch was fouled on the drive and dropped in two charity shots, but Weeldreyer answered with a three from the wing.
Yellow Bird was fouled on the drive and hit one of two free throws for the Knights, but Blake answered with a drive to the left side of the hoop.
The two teams struggled with some sloppy passing, and on one of those scrambles for the ball, Blake found Chase under the hoop, and Davis dunked it down to give Huron a 21-19 lead at half.

Huron’s team was tight in their shooting in the first half, and coach Tim Buddenhagen had an emotional response to one reason why.
“When you run out of that tunnel and you look at Tiger Nation. You have a lot of people who drove five hours, and you don’t want to let them down,” Buddenhagen said, choking back tears. “They got a look in their eye in the third quarter and took off from there.”
Yellow Bird drove the baseline to score the first points of the second half, and Clark followed on the next trip with a three from the top of the key to give the Knights a 24-21 lead.
Chase then scored on a lob inside, and he then made a strong move underneath for another basket to give Huron back the lead, 25-24.
Yellow Bird got a layup after a scramble on the floor to put O’Gorman back up 26-25, but that’s when Huron took off and clinched the game.
Chase hit one of two free throws, then on the next possession, Myles Ellwein nailed a three from the wing. Blake got a putback basket and then Myles sank a pair of free throws.
Blake got a steal and a dunk, and then he went coast-to-coast in transition for a basket to give Huron a 37-26 lead after a 12-0 Tiger run.
Weeldreyer was fouled on a three-point shot and hit two of three free throws, but Huron answered with a Chase dunk on a pass from Anderson Porisch.
Kamden Cisse hit a pair of free throws, but Blake came down and pulled up with a jumper.
Anderson Porisch hit a pair of free throws, and Cisse got his first field goal of the game on a drive down the lane as time ran out to close out the third with Huron up, 43-32.
Myles Ellwein was fouled on a three-point attempt and sank all three charity shots.
Clark then drove through multiple Huron defenders for a layup and then banked in a three on the next possession to cut the Tiger lead to 46-37.
Chase got a reverse layup, but the Knights answered with a wing three from Hermanson. Yellow Bird had a layup goaltended by Blake to cut the lead to 48-42.
Anderson Porisch hit a pair of free throws, and he then got a layup in transition. Anderson then recovered a steal and found Mason Jurgens on the release for a layup to push the lead back out to 54-42.
Clark hit a three from the top of the key, but then Myles Ellwein rattled in a three from the corner for the Tigers to keep Huron up by a dozen.
Blake Ellwein hit a pair of free throws to make it 59-45 with 1:28 remaining and both teams emptied benches.
The reserves finished out a 60-45 Huron victory.
Huron moves to 18-4 behind four players in double-figure scoring. Blake Ellwein led the way with 16 points, four blocks and four steals. Anderson Porisch had 11 points and a game-high 12 rebounds.
Myles Ellwein hit three three-point baskets and was 6-of-7 from the free throw line for 15 points, and Chase added 13 points.
Buddenhagen was pleased with the overall effort of his club.
“I thought we did the hard stuff tonight. We dominated the glass in the second half,” he said. “When we got comfortable, we got really good.”
O’Gorman falls to 13-9. They had no scoring from their bench. Clark led scoring with 14 points for the Knights, and Weeldreyer added 10.
Buddenhagen encouraged his team to enjoy getting into the semifinals, but then was quick to refocus on Sioux Falls Roosevelt.
“I told the guys that this is special,” Coach Buddenhagen smiled. “We had to get over the first hurdle, now we have another one tomorrow night.”

O’Gorman 9 19 32 45
Huron 10 21 43 60
O’Gorman (13-9): Braylen Yellow Bird 4 1-2 9, Kamden Cisse 1 2-2 4, Chace Hermanson 3 0-0 8, Mason Clark 5 1-1 14, Jaxson Weeldreyer 3 3-4 10. Totals: 16 7-9 45.
Huron (18-4): James Shoultz Jr. 0 0-2 0, Myles Ellwein 3 6-7 15, Mason Jurgens 1 0-0 2, Chase Schuchhardt 0 1-2 1, Blake Ellwein 6 4-4 16, Anderson Porisch 3 5-5 11, Davis Chase 6 1-4 13, Carter Porisch 0 2-2 2. Totals: 19 19-26 60.
FG: OG – 16/48, 33.3%; H – 19/41, 46.3%. 3-pt FG: OG – 6/18 (Clark 3, Hermanson 2, Weeldreyer); H – 3/11 (MEllwein 3). Rebounds: OG 25 (Cisse 9), H 33 (APorisch 12). Assists: OG 6 (Clark, Weeldreyer 2), H 10 (APorisch 4). Blocks: OG 0, H 6 (BEllwein 4). Steals: OG 6 (Clark 2), H 6 (BEllwein 4). Turnovers: OG 13, H 11. Fouls: OG 21, H 17.