By Austin Lammers

S.F. Roosevelt 63, RC Central 52

The Central squad met Sioux Falls Roosevelt in the first consolation round at the Sioux Falls Arena on Friday.

The fifth-seeded Rough Riders looked to bounce back after a loss at the hand of Pierre on Thursday, and Central looked to keep the momentum after surprising first-seeded Sioux Falls Washington with a close game.

After trailing in the first quarter, Central found some fire and took a 22-18 lead halfway through the second quarter, probably sparked by a powerful Kallieb Walton-Blanden dunk following a steal. Despite production from KWB and Tanner Aberle, Central headed to the locker room down by six to Roosevelt, who managed to shoot 50% in the half. KWB had 10 points in the first half (4/6 FG) and Aberle 5 points (2/3 FG) and 5 rebounds. Dylan Hay sunk the only three-pointer in the half.

The Cobblers never grabbed a lead again in the second half, even though Roosevelt only shot 27% from the field. Led by a dominant performance from forward Tristan Teichmeier, Roosevelt took the 63-52 win and the consolation game for 5th place.

KWB finished with 16 points (7/15 FG, 0/7 3pt.), 2 assists, and 2 steals. Cecilio Montgomery ended with 9 points (2/5 FG, 4/5 FT). Derric Tiller tallied 8 points (3/6 FG, 2/4 FT) and 6 rebounds.

For Roosevelt, Teichmeier racked up 20 points (3/12 FG, 1/3 3pt, 13/18 FT), 13 rebounds, and 2 blocks. Chase Duffy ended with 12 points (4/10 FG, 2/2 3pt, 2/2 FT) and 9 rebounds.

Aberdeen Central 87, RC Central 81

Central met Aberdeen Central in the 7th place consolation game, but it might as well have been the championship.

Aberdeen Central controlled the first half, distributing the ball and keeping Central’s shooting down to 28%. However, the Golden Eagles couldn’t shut down Kallieb Walton-Blanden, who finished the half with 16 of Central’s 23 points, shooting 5/10 FG, 1/2 3pt, and 5/6 FT. For Aberdeen, the sharpshooting Cannon Hannigan ended the first half with 10 points (4/7 FG, 2/4 3pt). The shooting spree between KWB and Hannigan was just beginning as Central trailed Aberdeen 28-23 going into halftime.

The second half began as a stalemate. Central refused to let the game slip away and Aberdeen wouldn’t give any ground. Both teams scored 18 points in the third, and Central still found themselves down by 5.

After Aberdeen’s Cole Bergen was stamped with a technical foul two minutes into the fourth quarter, momentum began to shift in Central’s favor. With help from Dylan Hay, the Cobblers were able to take a 4 point lead with 1 minute left in the game. Cannon Hannigan then hit a three, Hay unintentionally fouled, Nick Goeman made a free throw, and the game was tied at 66 with seconds left. Walton-Blanden’s coast-to-coast layup failed to fall, and both teams walked into overtime in hopes of winning their final game of the season.

The point-swapping theme of the previous four quarters continued into overtime. Aberdeen’s Nick Goeman hit a three with three minutes left. Derric Tiller was fouled and made both free throws. Goeman answered with another three to put Aberdeen up 74-70. Dylan Hay was fouled and made one more.  As the final minute approached, Central lost both Tiller and Tanner Aberle to fouls, and Aberdeen forward TJ Allam took advantage, producing in the paint. At 1:10, KWB hit a three to make the game 78-76 Aberdeen. After trading points for the next 40 seconds, KWB hit another three with :24 left, bringing Central within 2 again. With no shot clock, Central was forced to foul. Aberdeen snatched the 7th place spot, winning 87-81.

The referees had a busy day as both teams combined for 52 fouls over the span of 36 minutes.

KWB finished with 34 points (10/23 FG, 3/7 3pt, 11/12 FT), 4 assists, 5 rebounds, 2 blocks, and 1 steal. Hay ended with 19 points (6/13 FG, 6/8 FT), and Kraemer with 9 points (2/6 FG, 5/6 FT). Overall, Central shot 38% from the field, 24% from beyond the arc, and 80% from the free throw line.

For Aberdeen, Cannon Hannigan finished with 21 points (7/12 FG, 5/7 3pt, 2/2 FT), and Nate Rook with 17 (3/4 FG, 2/2 3pt, 9/10 FT). Anthony Bachmeier tallied 14 points (5/15 FG, 4/4 FT), 5 assists, and 7 rebounds. TJ Allum ended with 12 points (3/7 FG, 6/10 FT), 8 rebounds, and 2 assists.