It was only fitting that one of the most balanced boys' basketball districts in the state opened with an overtime thriller.
Hitchcock-Tulare outlasted Aberdeen Christian 63-53 in overtime before Leola-Frederick slowed down Northwestern 37-18 in the opening round of the District 2B tourney at the Aberdeen Civic Arena Monday night.
The district features five teams with at least a dozen victories.
Hitchcock-Tulare watched an 11-point fourth-quarter lead evaporate before outscoring Christian 15-5 in the extra session.
"We're thankful to survive," said Hitchcock-Tulare coach Kenny Huether. "Credit Aberdeen Christian. They made a really good run late in the fourth quarter to have a chance to win themselves. We didn't handle the ball very well down the stretch, but a credit to my kids, they stepped out in overtime."
Landon Gatzke scored five points in OT, including a pivotal three-pointer to give the Patriots a 56-51 lead with 2:02 left.
"He had a tough night shooting tonight, but that was a huge shot for us," Huether said. "He sure hit a big one for us there."
The Knights trailed by 10 with 3:19 left in regulation before Isaac Ayers came off the bench and provided a spark. The junior scored six points and got several steals.
Christian eventually tied the score on a Job Niewenhuis basket with 10.7 seconds left. However, the Knights missed a free throw and also a shot at the buzzer at the end of regulation.
"We were in position to win and we should have won it before it went to overtime and we just didn't," said Christian coach Dave Palmer. "That's how it goes sometimes."
While Huether praised the play of leading scorers Trent Hofer (24 points) and Landon Bushong (17 points), he also pointed out the defensive effort of Dan Marshall on Christian's play-making point guard Matt Rohrbach.
"Just an incredible job defensively on Rohrbach," Huether said of Marshall. "Rohrbach is one of the better scoring guards in the state and the performance (Marshall) put on him tonight was pretty special."
Niewenhuis led the Knights with 15 points and Ayers finished with 11.
Hitchcock-Tulare now meets Langford Area at 6:30 tonight in the semifinals.
"They're the best defensive team we've seen this year," Huether noted. "We're really going to have our work cut out for us."
Christian ended its season at 13-7, which is one more win than its previous best total.
"It doesn't make you feel any better right now," Palmer said. "We're in a pattern of getting one more win every year. We just need to get that win in the postseason. I think that will come. We're returning a good group of kids. Our ultimate goal was to play to God's glory and I really think the kids did that."
Leola-Frederick put the clamps on Northwestern in the second contest.
The Titans held Northwestern to just seven total field goals in the contest and played at their pace.
"That's definitely Titan basketball right there: controlling time of possession and just playing lock-down defense," said Leola-Frederick coach Luke Bruns.
In a game where points were difficult to come by, Leola-Frederick worked the ball inside to Derrick Podoll who responded with a dozen points.
"He was 5-for-5 last game and I believe all five shots were those turnaround hooks," Bruns said. "Last year when he was at his best, he was diving, slashing, cutting, back-cutting. That's really where he excels and he did a great job of that tonight."
Matt Weisser was the teammate most responsible for finding Podoll on those cuts to the hoop.
"Every time he touched the ball down there they got the double team," Bruns said. "Matt is an unselfish player and a great passer and he found Podoll on those drives."
Brian Sumption topped Leola-Frederick with 13 points.
Ray Lerew, Nathan Palmer and Landon Fischbach each scored six points for Northwestern.
The Titans now square off against Warner at about 8 tonight in the semifinals.
Bruns expects a bruising contest in the lane.
"It's going to be whoever can protect the paint the best," Bruns predicted. "It's going to be a physical game."
ABERDEEN CHRISTIAN: Tanner Droog 3 1-2 8, Sam Palmer 3 0-0 8, Job Niewenhuis 5 5-10 15, Noah Aderhold 2 0-1 4, Matt Rohrbach 1 4-4 7, Isaac Ayers 4 3-5 11. Totals 18-60 13-21 53.
HITCHCOCK-TULARE: Dan Marshall 2 3-5 7, Clay Jens 1 0-1 2, Landon Bushong 7 3-6 17, Trent Hofer 7 8-10 24, Landon Gatzke 2 4-6 10, Chase Bixler 0 1-2 1, Seth Tollefson 1 0-0 2. Totals 20-51 19-30 63.
Aberdeen Christian (13-7)|13 17 30 48 53
Hitchcock-Tulare (14-7)|12 25 35 48 63
3-point field goals -- Droog, Palmer 2, Rohrbach, Hofer 2, Gatzke 2. Fouled out --Droog, Jens, Bixler. Total fouls -- Aberdeen Christian 23; Hitchcock-Tulare 18. Rebounds -- Aberdeen Christian 36 (Droog 10); Hitchcock-Tulare 28 (Bushong 12). Turnovers -- Aberdeen Christian 13; Hitchcock-Tulare 11. Assists -- Aberdeen Christian 11 (Rohrbach 5); Hitchcock-Tulare 16 (Marshall 4). Blocked Shots -- Aberdeen Christian 6 (Niewenhuis 4); Hitchcock-Tulare 6 (Marshall 3). Steals -- Aberdeen Christian 8 (Rohrbach 3); Hitchcock-Tulare 13 (Hofer 6). Officials -- Adam Grant, Kris Frericks and Tim Steinwandt.
NORTHWESTERN: Ray Lerew 2 2-2 6, Nathan Palmer 2 2-6 6, Landon Fischbach 3 0-4 6, Evan Finley 0 0-1 0. Totals 7-38 4-13 18.
LEOLA-FREDERICK: Derrick Podoll 5 2-2 12, Matt Weisser 1 1-2 3, Evan Emery 2 0-1 4, Brian Sumption 4 4-4 13, Devon Linthorne 0 0-1 0, Logan Weisser 0 1-2 1, Dane Campbell 1 0-2 2, Matt Achen 0 0-2 0, Kyle Kenser 1 0-0 2. Totals 14-40 8-17 37.
Northwestern (3-15)|4 10 14 18
Leola-Frederick (13-8)|8 17 23 37
3-point field goals -- Sumption. Total fouls -- Northwestern 18; Leola-Frederick 15. Rebounds -- Northwestern 40 (Fischbach 14); Leola-Frederick 27 (Podoll 9). Turnovers -- Northwestern 20; Leola-Frederick 13. Assists -- Northwestern 3; Leola-Frederick 10 (Tyler Hoffman 4). Blocked Shots -- Northwestern 1; Leola-Frederick 1. Steals -- Northwestern 5 (Lerew 4); Leola-Frederick 13 (Sumption 3, Hoffman 3). Officials -- Adam Grant, Lucas Pearson and Kris Frericks.
Summit 54
Grant-Deuel 26
|District 1B at Sisseton|
|First Round|
GRANT-DEUEL: Barrett Loehrer 0 1-2 1, Fernando Gomide 3 4-4 11, Tanner Kruse 2 0-2 6, Caleb Peschong 3 0-0 6, Grant Wollschlager 0 0-1 0, Erin Kravik 1 0-0 2. Totals 9 5-9 26.
SUMMIT: Trecy Zirbel 3 0-0 7, Jake Steinocker 8 0-1 18, Tanner Bartunek 4 4-5 12, Montel Campbell 1 1-2 3, Jacob Gapp 2 0-2 6, Gage Conners 0 2-2 2, David Rudebusch 0 0-2 0, Jordon Kongi 1 0-0 2, Austin Quale 1 0-0 2, Brandon Rickard 1 0-0 2. Totals 21 7-14 54.
Grant-Deuel (2-16)| 1 3 15 26
Summit (10-10)| 16 27 36 54
3-point field goals -- Gomide, Kruse 2, Zirbel, Steinocker 2, Gapp 2. Total fouls -- Grant-Deuel 14; Summit 12. Rebounds -- Grant-Deuel 25 (Gomide 8); Summit 39 (Bartunek 16). Turnovers -- Grant-Deuel 15; Summit 11.
Waverly-South Shore 42
Waubay 23
|District 1B at Sisseton|
|First Round|
WAVERLY-SOUTH SHORE: Gavin Kolden 1 2-2 4, Sam Pond 6 0-0 15, Jeremy Johnson 5 2-2 12, Austin Comes 2 2-3 6, Zach Stricherz 1 1-2 3, Jesse Bush 1 0-0 2. Totals 16 7-9 42.
WAUBAY: Brandon Ness 1 0-1 2, Mason Berger 4 1-4 9, Shay Swanson 2 2-4 6, Landon Davis 0 1-2 1, Preston Barse 2 1-2 5, Seth Keeble 0 0-2 0. Totals 9 5-15 23.
Waverly-South Shore (6-14)| 4 23 33 42
Waubay (4-13)| 7 14 16 23
3-point field goals -- Pond 3. Total fouls -- Waverly-South Shore 16; Waubay 9. Rebounds -- Waverly-South Shore 40 (Johnson 8, Comes 8); Waubay 28 (Swanson 11). Turnovers -- Waverly-South Shore 18; Waubay 16.
Faulkton 54
Highmore-Harrold 25
|District 5B at Faulkton|
|First Round|
HIGHMORE-HARROLD: Colin Weidenbach 0 2-2 2, Hayden Houdek 2 2-4 6, Hadley Hamlin 2 0-1 4, Jordan Houdek 0 1-2 1, Brady LaMont 2 0-0 6, Brandon Big Eagle 1 2-4 4, Trevor Ryan 1 0-0 2. Totals 8 7-13 25.
FAULKTON: Kurt Biedler 2 0-0 4, Zach Price 5 1-2 12, Mike Craker 3 1-3 7, Jake Schlechter 10 4-7 24, Cole Baloun 1 1-2 3, Darin Wieseler 0 0-2 0, Carson Ortmeier 0 2-2 2, Alex Frasier 1 0-0 2. Totals 22 9-18 54.
Highmore-Harrold (4-17)| 8 11 19 25
Faulkton (5-15)| 14 27 41 54
3-point field goals -- LaMont 2, Price. Fouled out -- Weidenbach. Total fouls -- Highmore-Harrold 18; Faulkton 12. Rebounds -- Faulkton 45 (Craker 11, Schlechter 10). Turnovers -- Faulkton 13.
Eureka-Bowdle 45
Edmunds Central 24
|District 6B at Ipswich|
|First Round|
EDMUNDS CENTRAL: Brady Aman 2 0-0 5, Ethan Aman 3 0-0 6, Zack Sahli 1 0-0 2, Kevin Scherr 1 0-2 2, Jose Ramirez 2 0-0 5, Cole Holtz 0 2-2 2, Ulises Duran 1 0-0 2, Chris Grismer 0 0-2 0. Totals 10 2-6 24.
EUREKA-BOWDLE: Josh Raile 5 1-4 12, Jesse Weber 3 0-0 8, Alex Rastel 0 0-2 0, Brady Brockel 2 0-0 4, Landon Morlock 1 2-2 5, Jordan Maier 1 0-0 3, Tyler Wipf 3 2-5 8, Alex Aman 1 2-2 4, Cody Hoff 0 1-4 1. Totals 16 8-19 45.
Edmunds Central (1-18)| 6 13 15 24
Eureka-Bowdle (10-9)| 14 29 32 45
3-point field goals -- B. Aman, Ramirez, Raile, Weber 2, Morlock, Maier. Total fouls -- Edmunds Central 17; Eureka-Bowdle 10. Rebounds -- Edmunds Central 29 (E. Aman 9); Eureka-Bowdle 33 (Wipf 9). Turnovers -- Edmunds Central 24; Eureka-Bowdle 18.
McIntosh 69
Tiospaye Topa 40
|District 15B at Mobridge|
|First Round|
TIOSPA TOPA: Hinzi Thunder Hawk 2 0-0 5, Tyler Pickner 7 4-7 22, Jake Frazier 1 5-6 7, Tim Pickner 0 1-4 1, Darwyn Standing Bear 1 0-0 3, Jamie Thompson 1 0-0 2. Totals 12 10-17 40.
McINTOSH: Conrad Arnold 3 2-4 8, Bradyn Beer 7 1-3 15, Kyle Mollman 7 0-0 14, Cole Katus 3 5-8 11, Kyle Edinger 6 0-0 14, Will Vanlishout 1 1-2 3, Braydon Katus 0 0-1 0, Travis Lafferty 2 0-0 4. Totals 29 9-18 69.
Tiospaye Topa (1-16)| 5 12 27 40
McIntosh (3-16)| 16 30 52 69
3-point field goals -- Thunder Hawk, Tyler Pickner 4, Standing Bear, Edinger 2. Total fouls -- Tiospaye Topa 13; McIntosh 12. Turnovers -- Tiospaye Topa 21; McIntosh 14.
Milbank 67
Webster 50
|District 2A at Milbank|
|Semifinal|
WEBSTER: Reid Valsvig 4 0-0 10, Brady Bury 5 1-2 12, Connor Spindler 3 1-2 10, Andy Rithmiller 1 2-4 5, Spencer Lux 3 1-2 8, Malakai Furman 1 0-0 3, Aaron Sattler 0 2-2 2. Totals 17 7-12 50.
MILBANK: Austin Berens 1 0-0 2, Ryan Hepper 0 0-1 0, Andy Buchele 9 8-10 26, Ben Forrette 2 4-4 8, Isaac Lindquist 11 7-7 29, Isaac Snaza 1 0-0 2, Riley Vanderwal 0 0-1 0. Totals 24 19-23 67.
Webster (8-11)| 7 19 34 50
Milbank (9-12)| 13 37 55 67
3-point field goals -- Valsvig 2, Bury, Spindler 3, Rithmiller, Lux, Furman. Total fouls -- Webster 17; Milbank 13. Rebounds -- Webster 24 (Premus 5); Milbank 34 (Buchele 9, Lindquist 9). Turnovers -- Webster 8; Milbank 12.
Sisseton 68
Tiospa Zina 39
|District 2A at Milbank|
|Semifinal|
TIOSPA ZINA: Patrick Nanaeto 4 3-4 12, Greg Campbell 1 0-0 3, Stefan Shepherd 4 2-2 13, Jacob Haug 3 0-0 6, Jeffery Max Jr. 0 1-2 1, Dion Bernard 1 0-0 2, Bailyn Bursheim 1 0-0 2. Totals 14 6-8 39.
SISSETON: Garret Brooks 0 0-1 0, Jordan Cornelius 6 5-7 19, Jordan Rolstad 5 2-2 12, Brayden Tasa 3 0-0 7, Wyatt Youngblom 8 0-1 16, Ethan Kranhold 0 2-2 2, Bruce Gunderson 3 0-0 8, Dominic White 0 1-2 1, Tyler Shultz 1 1-2 3. Totals 26 11-17 68.
Tiospa Zina (11-9)| 6 18 26 39
Sisseton (15-6)| 23 36 50 68
3-point field goals -- Nanaeto, Campbell, Shepherd 3, Cornelius 2, Tasa, Gunderson 2. Total fouls -- Tiospa Zina 15; Sisseton 14. Rebounds -- Tiospa Zina 28 (Nanaeto 7); Sisseton 38 (Rolstad 12, Cornelius 11). Turnovers -- Tiospa Zina 14; Sisseton 7.