Things didn’t look great coming out of halftime for the Tea Area boys basketball team, and O’Gorman made a point to shut off the Titans’ star juniors, Gavin Shawd and Grifin Wiebenga.

Sophomores Mitch Grant and Blake Lundin stepped up to the plate, helping author a 15-8 third that put Tea Area in front for good in a 65-61 win over O’Gorman on the Knights’ home floor.

“At the defensive end, we really just locked in and collapsed the paint and they didn’t really know what to do,” Lundin said.

Not only did the defense shut down the Knights, but Grant scored eight big points with a pair of threes and Lundin had a bucket and commanded lots of attention in the paint.

“I just think we started working as a team really well,” Grant said. “Griff and Gavin started to get in rhythm. I hit a couple big shots. We just play so well together when we get in stride, and when we get in stride it’s hard to stop.”

Tea Area closed out the game without forfeiting the lead, building it to as big as 52-41 early in the fourth. The Titans then had to grind their way to the finish, just like they did the entire first half.

“We talk a lot about taking punches,” Tea Area head coach Drew Weber said. “We don’t play very deep. When you play five or six guys most of the game, it’s hard to play good basketball for 32 minutes. We knew that O’Gorman can play really well and they did in that first quarter. We couldn’t guard worth a hoot in the first quarter, and we took a punch there.”

This young Titans team has learned how to take a punch, though, and dished one back when things mattered most on their 14-0 run between the end of the third and beginning of the fourth.

“That’s kind of been our MO in a lot of these games,” Weber said. “You take some punches here and there, then you throw one back with a 10-0 run, a 12-2 run, something like that.”

Tea Area is now 10-3 and in the midst of its best start since opening 12-3 in the 2022-23 season. It’s been led by two juniors — Shawd and Wiebenga — and the two sophomores, and those guys have used defeat as fuel for improvement.

The last two losses were an 82-55 defeat to Sioux Falls Roosevelt on Jan. 16, and a 62-60 loss to unbeaten Sioux Falls Lincoln on Jan. 31.

“The Roosevelt game hurt, and I feel like the score doesn’t do it justice,” Grant said. “That put a big dagger in us. That Lincoln game, it just hurt us more which helped us this game with energy and stuff.”

“That Lincoln game, that hurt,” Lundin said. “We probably played the best we’ve ever played and coming into this game, I think we knew they’re a top, competitive team. I think we all played together.”

Those losses have helped the Titans up their focus in practice, and the results of that focus have shown in their road win over Mitchell, close loss to Lincoln and road win over O’Gorman.

“Before the Lincoln game, we knew we really had to try at practice,” Grant said. “Practice just got better. Even our scout team started to step up and give us better looks. There’s days where the scout team is playing 10 times better than us. They’re key to our success.”

This Tea Area team thrives on its tough mentality and youthfulness. The Titans have showed that time and time again this season, and are anticipating more chances to prove their mettle with games left against Sioux Falls Jefferson, Sioux City East, Harrisburg, Brandon Valley, Sioux Falls Washington and Marshall.

The median rent in South Dakota is second-lowest among the 50 states, according to a new Construction Coverage report.

South Dakota’s median rent is $1,185 a month, less expensive than in all but one state, West Virginia, according to the report, which is based on federal housing data. Still, the median rent in South Dakota has increased in recent years – in 2024, it was $1,069 a month and the cheapest of any state.

The report also compares median rents in more than 380 cities, including Sioux Falls, which ranked among the least expensive at $1,257 a month.

More: What are the best states for retirement in 2026? Here’s where South Dakota ranks

The year-over-year rent increases nationwide have slowed after hitting a peak of nearly 9% in early 2023, dropping to less than 4% in late 2025, according to the report. 

“While this slowdown marks a return to a more stable environment, renters continue to face steep housing costs due to the compounding effect of previous rent hikes,” the report says.

Here are cities and states where the median rent is most and least expensive.

What states have the highest median rent?

1. California, $2,895
2. Hawaii, $2,869
3. Massachusetts, $2,595
4. New York, $2,592
5. New Jersey, $2,373
6. Washington, $2,237
7. Florida, $2,220
8. Maryland, $2,195
9. New Hampshire, $2,143
10. Connecticut, $2,127

What states have the lowest median rent?

1. West Virginia, $1,126
2. South Dakota, $1,185
3. North Dakota, $1,201
4. Mississippi, $1,202
5. Iowa, $1,212
6. Arkansas, $1,231
7. Wyoming, $1,236
8. Kentucky, $1,239
9. Kansas, $1,247
10. Missouri, $1,275

How does the median rent in Sioux Falls compare with other cities?

The median rent in the Sioux Falls metro area is $1,257 a month, which ranks 310th out of 387 metro areas included in the report.

That’s an increase from 2024, when the Sioux Falls metro area’s median rent was $1,094 a month, the report says.

The South Dakota Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at Feb. 2, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Powerball numbers from Feb. 2 drawing

03-08-31-60-65, Powerball: 04, Power Play: 2

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Lucky For Life numbers from Feb. 2 drawing

27-34-36-39-47, Lucky Ball: 17

Check Lucky For Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Lotto America numbers from Feb. 2 drawing

10-30-40-47-50, Star Ball: 01, ASB: 05

Check Lotto America payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your prize

• Prizes of $100 or less: Can be claimed at any South Dakota Lottery retailer.
• Prizes of $101 or more: Must be claimed from the Lottery. By mail, send a claim form and a signed winning ticket to the Lottery at 711 E. Wells Avenue, Pierre, SD 57501.
• Any jackpot-winning ticket for Dakota Cash or Lotto America, top prize-winning ticket for Lucky for Life, or for the second prizes for Powerball and Mega Millions must be presented in person at a Lottery office. A jackpot-winning Powerball or Mega Millions ticket must be presented in person at the Lottery office in Pierre.