HURON — Teams with identical records, both of which are scratching to remain in the top 16 teams in the Class “AA” power points rankings, squared off Friday night, as the Huron Tigers entertained the Spearfish Spartans at Huron Arena.
After three and a half quarters of back-and-forth play, Huron ended the game on an 11-0 run to earn a 68-51 win over the West River visitors.
“We played well in stretches tonight,” said Huron coach Tim Buddenhagen after the game. “We made enough plays at the right time tonight and I thought we got good contributions off the bench. I don’t think we played as well as we are capable of playing though.”
Spearfish Coach Erik Skoglund’s Spartans like to get up and down the court and they showed it in the opening moments of the game, spreading the floor and draining three-point shots.
Tayven Aga opened the scoring for Spearfish with a rainbow three, one of three trifectas the senior Spartan would nail in the opening half.
Baskets on back-to-back possessions from Teegan Evers and Isaac Carr for Huron put the Tigers up 4-3, but the lead was short lived, as Aga dialed long distance again.
After another Spearfish basket, Kobe Busch cut the deficit to a single point with his first three-pointer of the night.
But Spearfish finished the quarter on an 8-2 and carried a 16-9 lead to the quarter break.
A pair of free throws from Evers and a basket off a Tiger steal by Kobe Busch countered Aga’s third three and after the teams traded scores, the Spartans held a 21-17 lead.
Brady Greger hit a free throw and Aga got open on the baseline to push the lead back to seven points, at 24-17 with just under four minutes to play in the half.
But just as Spearfish went on a run to establish a lead, Huron closed the half on a 12-2 run, nine of which came from Teegan Evers, to take a 29-24 lead. A buzzer-beater from Taylor Janovy made it 29-26 at the half.
The blitz that began midway through the second quarter continued through the first three minutes of the third, as Busch hit a pair of three-pointers, Tanner Evers got a gimme, Carr hit a pair of free throws and Busch completed a bucket and free throw to push the Tigers to a 42-26 cushion and the Spartans looked to be down for the count,
But just that quickly, Spearfish rebounded.
“We came out really well in the second half,” Buddenhagen said. “Kobe hit a couple big threes and our defense was getting the ball back.”
Buddenhagen said that a defensive adjustment at the half put the Tigers on the Spartans‘ right hand, forcing them to work harder and creating turnover opportunities.
“Then we suddenly started to go for some steals and got away from what got us the 16-point lead and they got back in the ballgame,” he said.
A quick 9-0 run got the lead down to seven before Busch found Carr with a thread-the-needle pass for a deuce. Aga hit from long range again, but threes from Carr and Busch put Huron up 12 heading to the final stanza.
During the last eight minutes, the additional time the Tigers spent shooting free throws at practice paid off. Huron scored 18 points in the quarter with 12 coming at the charity stripe.
Spearfish got the margin to four points on a pair of Janovy charity tosses with three and a half to play, but Huron went 7-8 from the line to push the lead back to 13, then got a couple of late baskets after breaking the Spartan press to make the final margin the largest of the game at 17 points.
Busch cooked the nets for 25 points and had four assists in the game for Huron, which improves to 6-9. Teegan Evers scored 19 and Carr had 11 points and led all rebounders with 10 boards.
As a team, Huron netted 22 of its 25 free throws to provide the margin of victory in the game.
For the Spartans, now 5-10, Aga scored 19 and Greger added 14 points and eight rebounds in the game.
“We have to continue to do the things we are capable of doing and stop trying to do those things which we aren’t,” Buddenhagen said. “We have to stay with the plan and continue to be coachable. If we can do all that, we’re gonna be alright.”
Huron will host 11-3 Sturgis in the second half of the West River visit this afternoon at Huron Arena, with a 1:30 p.m. tipoff.
Huron swept the preliminary games, getting 21 points from Nathan Boehrns to post a 52-38 win in the JV game, while Boehrns scored 19 and Derek Siemonsma added 16 to help the Sophomores to a 67-55 win.
Spearfish 16 26 38 51 Huron 9 29 50 68
Spearfish (5-10): Jace Engesser 1 0-0 2; Taylor Woods 1 0-0 3; Tayven Aga 7 1-1 19; Brady Greger 5 1-5 14; Dawson Sundsted 2 0-0 6; Lorenzio Tobar 1 0-0 2; Taylor Janovy 1 3-5 5. Tyler Barkley 0 0-1 0. Totals: 18 8-12 51.
Huron (6-9): Jett McGirr 0 0-1 0; Tanner Evers 1 2-2 4; Teegan Evers 7 4-4 19; Kobe Busch 7 7-8 25; Isaac Carr 4 2-2 11; Nolan Wiegel 0 2-2 2; Dawson Diede 0 2-2 2; Cooper Fryberger 1 3-4 5. Totals: 20 22-25 68.
FG: S - 18-42 43%; H - 20-45 44%. 3-pt FG: S - 7-16 (Aga 4. Sundsted 2, Woods); H - 6 (Busch 4, Teegan Evers, Carr). Rebounds: S - 25 (Greger 8); H - 27 (Carr 19). TO: S - 18; H - 12. Assists: S - 4; H - 5 (Busch 4). Fouls: S - 22 (Engesser out); H - 18.
Tigers go 1-3 at Aberdeen
ABERDEEN — The Huron Tiger JV, Sophomore and Freshmen teams won one and dropped three in preliminary action Tuesday night.
The Tiger JV team fell 42-32, and both freshmen teams came up short as well. The Freshman “A” team dropped a 54-43 decision. Jarren Schley scored 17 for the Tigers, while both Teegan Pfitzer and Derek Siemonsma chipped in 10. The Freshmen “B” team fell 45-22.
Huron’s sophomores came out with a 66-58 win over the Golden Eagles, behind Nathan Boehrns’ 22 points, while Schley added 12.
MIKE CARROLL/PLAINSMAN Huron’s Nathan Boehrns, left, goes up for a rebound against Dawson Sundstad of Spearfish during their game Friday at Huron Arena. Also pictured is Huron’s Kobe Busch and Taylor Janovy of Spearfish.
