RAPID CITY — After trailing at half-time, the Huron Tigers rallied for a 61-56 victory over the Rapid City Stevens Raiders, to claim seventh place at the Class “AA” State boys’ basketball tournament, Saturday afternoon at the Rapid City Civic Center’s Ice Arena.
The Tigers end the season with an overall 14-10 record with the win, while the Raiders closed their season with a record of 15-9.
Quick to the ball first was Teegan Evers for an early Huron possession, while Jett McGirr lit up the scoreboard with the layup. But a deep three by Joe Bennett gave the Raiders the upper hand early in the opening quarter.
Nathan Boehrns grabbed a rebound on the defense and sent the ball down court for another McGirr bucket to put the Tigers ahead, 10-7. But Daniel Vigoren had an answer for the Raiders with a shot for three to tie it up at a 10-10 score.
Huron pushed for a 15-13 lead with Teegan Evers in net from three-point territory, 30 seconds on the clock, before Tyson Elliot raced for three on the buzzer, ending the first at 16-15 to the Raiders.
Huron continued to trail throughout the second, as a pair of buckets by 6-foot, 7-inch junior Mason Steele, plus another three-pointer by Elliot for the Raiders with a six-point advantage.
But the determined Tigers didn’t give up.
Kobe Busch, 6-foot, 1-inch forward for Huron, had the difference cut to one-point with a two-pointer for a 18-17 score to start the quarter, before a 5-0 Raiders run, but Boehrns brought the Tigers back to 23-22 with a long three from the right side.

In the last moments before the half-time buzzer, Rapid City Stevens had a 32-26 cushion, before Busch ended the second period at 32-28 with scoop for two.
The three-point shots made the difference for the Raiders in the first half, as six of 12 field goals were fired from long territory going into the third quarter. But then Huron came alive with a triple threat of three’s and strong defense.
Huron had the ball to start second half and Busch made a layup off the baseline to cut the Raiders lead to 32-30 in the opening moments of the third. Then Tanner Evers made the drive for two, with the Tigers back up to a 32-32 tie after two minutes of play were gone in the period.
Vigoren shot back-to-back buckets in efforts for the Raiders, before Derick Siemonsma came alive with a pair of three’s for a 41-39 Tigers comeback in the last two minutes of the third.
Blake Weaver put three in the net, then missed a second attempt and the rebound was picked up by Huron’s Cooper Fryberger to assist Busch with a long bucket. Then a two-pointer by RC Stevens’ Anthony Pruitt on the buzzer ended the third quarter, 46-45, as Huron held the one point lead.
Going into the last period of the game, Huron built a nine point advantage at 54-45 with six minutes to play in the game, Teegan Evers slid on the floor to keep the ball in play and hustled for a long three, after Boehrns opened the fourth with the long bucket.
Things got a little scrappy in the last period with the Raiders claiming six points from the free throw line, before a series of fouls had the Tigers picking up five points at the line.
A scoop for two by Busch sent the Raiders into a time out at 3:04 on the clock, then Dylan Pourier made the net for the Raiders and brought the Tigers’ margin down to a two-point difference.
After the Tigers’ went to the line for some free throws, the clock ran down to the final buzzer at a 61-56 win for Huron.

Huron         15 13 18 15 — 61
Rapid City Stevens     16 16 13 11 — 56
Huron (14-10): Blake Cruse 2-3 2-4 6; Derick Siemonsma 2-2 0-0 6; Nathan Boehrns 3-9 0-0 8; Kobe Busch 6-13 5-11 18; Teegan Evers 6-10 2-4 16; Tanner Evers 1-6 0-0 2; Jett McGirr 2-3 1-3 5. Totals: 22-48 10-24 61.
Rapid City Stevens (15-9): Mason Steele 3-6 4-4 10; Anthony Pruitt 1-2 0-0 2; Joe Bennett 2-2 1-2 6; Blake Weaver 3-5 0-0 8; Daniel Vigoren 3-6 1-2 9; Colton Hartford 1-3 1-2 3; Dylan Pourier 3-12 5-8 12; Tyson Elliott 2-7 0-0 6. Totals: 18-44 12-18 56.
FG: HU — 22-48 46%; RCS — 18-44 41%. 3-pt FG: HU — 7-20 (Siemonsma 2-2, Fryberger 0-1, Boehrns 2-3, Busch 1-4, Evers 2-5, Evers 0-4, McGirr 0-1); RCS — 8-25 (Bennett 1-1, Weaver 2-4, Vigoren 2-4, Hartford 0-2, Pourier 1-7, Elliott 2-7). Rebounds: HU — 31 (Evers 11); RCS — 31 (Steele 10). Fouls: HU — 17; RCS — 17. Assists: HU — 10 (Fryberger 2, Busch 2, Evers 2, McGirr 2); RCS — 11 (Pourier 4, Elliott 4). Steals: HU — 4 (Busch 2); RCS — 3 (Vigoren 2). Turnovers: HU — 7; RCS — 9.