money It's Mitchell vs. Yankton in All-ESD battle for AA boys basketball crown
RAPID CITY — Yankton and Mitchell combined to knock off the top two seeds and create an All-Eastern South Dakota Conference showdown for the state Class AA boys basketball championship.
Fourth-seeded Yankton opened the evening with a 69-66 overtime victory over top-seeded and top-rated Sioux Falls Jefferson. Third-seeded Mitchell followed with a 61-59 win over second-seeded and second-rated Sioux Falls Lincoln in the second semifinal.
The Kernels (19-4) and Bucks (18-5), who were rated fourth and fifth in final South Dakota Prep Media poll, will meet for the championship at about 8:45 p.m. Central time tonight (Saturday). Mitchell beat Yankton 51-44 during the season and went to capture the ESD title.
Mitchell is in the championship game for the first time since 2012. Yankton won in 2018.
In other Saturday games, Sioux Falls Washington and Sioux Falls Roosevelt meet for seventh place at 1 p.m., followed by Harrisburg vs. Pierre in the consolation championship at 2:45 p.m. and Jefferson vs. Lincoln for third place at 7 p.m.
Yankton 69, Sioux Falls Jefferson 66
After Kaden Year's two free throws with nine seconds left in regulation tied the game at 55 and forced overtime, Rugby Ryken took over the Bucks. Yankton avenged a 12-point loss to Jefferson during the regular season.
Ryken opened the overtime period with a field goal and after Jefferson used 3-pointers by Taylen Ashley and Griffin Wilde to go up 61-59, it became the Rugby show. He scored on a conventional three-point play with 1:19 left to put Yankton back ahead. After Wilde's bucket with 1:04 left made it 63-62 in favor of Jefferson, Ryken hit a 3-pointer with 49 seconds left and another field goal with 32 seconds left to put the Bucks ahead for good.
Rugby Ryken finished with 24 points, five rebounds and six assists for Yankton, which shot 44 percent (27 of 61) from the field and snared 35 rebounds. Drew Ryken contributed 16 points, Michael Mors 11 points and Cody Oswald six points and six rebounds.
Jefferson (20-3) received 21 points from Wilde, 17 points and six rebounds from Year , 10 points and six assists from Ashley and six rebounds from Mason Riley. The Cavaliers made 23 of 54 field-goal attempts for 43 percent and hauled in 32 rebounds.
Mitchell 61, Sioux Falls Lincoln 59
The second semifinal didn't take a backseat to the first one and went all the way down to the closing seconds when a 3-pointer by Lincoln's Elliot Whitney hit the rim but didn't fall.
Mitchell, which avenged a 67-66 regular-season loss to Lincoln, led 54-45 with 4:50 remaining. Lincoln rallied and pulled with one at 58-57 on Tate Shafer's 3-pointer with 1:18 left and again at 60-59 on JT Rock's field goal with 32 seconds left. Markus Talley canned two free throws with 28.4 seconds left for Mitchell, which held on.
Steele Morgan recorded 16 points and 10 rebounds, Talley 14 points and Dylan Soulek and Colton Smith 10 points apiece for Mitchell, which made 24 of 55 field-goal attempts for 44 percent and also won the board battle 37-30.
Rock led the Patriots (19-4) with 20 points, 13 rebounds and three blocks. Jack Hilgenberg added 11 points and Schafer nine.
Lincoln shot 33 percent (18 of 54) from the field.
Harrisburg 65, Sioux Falls Washington 55
Harrisburg won the consolation semifinal with a balanced attack that included 15 points from Jacoby Mehrman, 14 from Ethan Determan, 13 from Braeden VanBockern and 10 from Maxwell Knutson. Mehrman also had five rebounds and five assists.
The Tigers (15-8) canned 24 of 46 field-goal attempts for 52 percent and also collected 30 rebounds.
Tryg Auten's 15 points led Washington (15-8). Cole Peterson contributed nine points and Gage Gasca eight. The Warriors were 21 of 47 from the field for 45 percent and grabbed 17 rebounds.
Pierre 56, Sioux Falls Roosevelt 46
The Governors (15-8) won the other consolation semifinal behind Benjamin Heisler's 23 points. Lincoln Kienholz chipped in with 17 points and seven rebounds and Jackson Edman eight points, 13 rebounds and seven assists.
Jack Radel scored 10 points and Hayden Goff seven for Roosevelt (13-10).
Pierre shot 62 percent (26 of 42) from the field compared to 42 percent (18 of 42) for Roosevelt and also had a 25-17 rebounding advantage.
Follow Watertown Public Opinion sports reporter Roger Merriam on Twitter @PO_Sports.
This article originally appeared on Watertown Public Opinion: Bucks beat No. 1 Jefferson, Kernels top No. 2 Lincoln in semifinals.
