Drawing a few hundred at a time, thousands of basketball fans streamed into Aberdeen over three days last week to watch 22 varsity high school games.
Naturally, those games produced big numbers:
8,722: Days between when Jeff Hagler of Jamestown College scored 25 (Feb. 11, 1989) in his Jimmies' 74-66 loss to Northern State in Wachs Arena at Aberdeen, and when his son Jake Hagler scored 28 (Dec. 27, 2012) in leading North Star (Cando, N.D.) to a 58-53 win over Dupree at the NSU Classic in Wachs Arena. Jeff Hagler is the North Star coach.
2,081: Total points scored.
2,017: Career points scored by Jake Hagler of North Star, with his 2,000th coming in Aberdeen.
727: Turnovers (33 per game).
642: Two-point field goals made.
486: Players.
341: Made free throws out of 630 attempts (54%). However, one player (see 31 below in this list) made 86 percent of her 22 free throws.
152: Three-pointers made.
83: Inches tall (6-foot-11) Nate Brown Bull of Little Wound, the tallest player to play in Aberdeen during the stretch.
61: Double-figure scorers.
47: Hour stretch where St. Thomas More played three road games (856 miles round trip) in Aberdeen and Milbank, winning on a last-second shot over Aberdeen Roncalli Thursday and then rallying from a 31-19 deficit after three quarters for a 46-42 win over Milbank Friday. More then lost to Clark-Willow Lake 41-36 Saturday. STM trailed 37-36 with 20.6 seconds left and was outscored 17-9 in the final quarter. For the second game in a row, CWL senior standout and South Dakota State recruit Skyler Flatten did not play due to a staph infection in his foot. It is unknown how long he will be out.
31: Points, including making 19 of 22 free throws, by Shauni Schwartz of Herreid-Selby Area in its win over Roncalli. Best of 22 games in points scored and free throws made.
17: Cold and flu tablets consumed by me.
14: Players fouled out of games.
14: Boys' games, 8 girls.
18: Players 6-foot-3 or taller in the Thursday night boys' doubleheader involving Aberdeen Roncalli, St. Thomas More, Elk Point-Jefferson and Sisseton.
13.7: Points, average margin of victory in the 22 games.
10: Games covered by my teammate Ryan Deal.
6: Games (three wins) in 11 days for Little Wound - four in Rapid City and one each in Mobridge and Aberdeen - round trips for a total of 864 miles. Anthony Hopkins scored 190 during the stretch for an average of 31.7 points per game.
6: Three-pointers (most) by Tanner Droog of Aberdeen Christian in its win over Wilmot.
5: Of the same teams played twice in Aberdeen over the three days.
4: Venues used (16 at Wachs Arena, three at Aberdeen Civic Arena, two at Golden Eagles Arena and one at Roncalli Gym).
2: Last-second game winning shots (by Jacob Henderson of St. Thomas More and Zach Andera of Roncalli over EPJ).
1: Overtime game won 54-49 by the Langford boys over Little Wound.
Never: before had Elk Point-Jefferson ever played back-to-back games in Aberdeen as it did on Thursday and Friday nights.
John Papendick is the managing news-sports editor for the American News. Reach him at jpapendick@aberdeennews.com.
Blog: aberdeensports.net/inthehuddle.
Twitter: @jpapendick