Recapping a thrilling night of championship basketball in South Dakota

SIOUX FALLS — There are great championship games.

And then there’s nights like Saturday, in which South Dakota had three tremendous state championship games played around the state.

All three title games were decided in the final minute, with two going to overtime. Each of the teams had waited at least 19 years for a state championship, that being the case of the Kernels, while it was a 41-year wait for Hamlin and 60 years in the making for Howard.

Averaging the three title game victory margins, it was the closest night of boys championship hoops since 2015. That season saw Hanson win in overtime in Class B, Aberdeen Roncalli pull out a three-point win in Class A and a single basket decide the title game in Class AA (Lincoln over Washington, 47-45). Those games were decided by a combined nine points, just like Saturday night.

As you’ll see below, the similarities from Saturday are striking to nine years ago.

Here’s a short look at how it all happened and the notable history involved:

Mitchell 46, Brandon Valley 45

How it was won: Mitchell’s Gavin Hinker was on the right end of a nifty pass by Markus Talley to lay in the go-ahead basket with 30 seconds remaining to lead 46-45. Mitchell made that hold up, as they denied Brandon Valley’s late offensive effort and forced a long 3-pointer by Josh Olthoff to come up short to set off the Kernel celebration.

Quotable: “It went down to the wire because these are the best teams in the state,” Mitchell’s Colton Smith said. “We’re here for a reason, and it showed.”

Facts to know:

• The Mitchell-Brandon Valley game was the first Class AA title game decided by a single point since Roosevelt beat Rapid City Central 55-54 in 2000.
• For the first time since 1993 and 1994, Class AA has had consecutive state championship matchups featuring Eastern South Dakota Conference teams. Along those lines, ESD teams with Yankton and Mitchell have won back-to-back championships in Class AA for the first time since 2018 and 2019 when Yankton and Brandon Valley won it all. 
• Mitchell’s 46-45 win was the second-lowest combined scoring output in a Class AA title game in the last decade. Only Yankton’s 39-37 win over Harrisburg in 2018 saw fewer points. 
• For only the second time since the start of the SoDak 16 in Class AA basketball in 2018, the No. 1 seed won four games in a row to claim the state championship. Mitchell joined 2022 Sioux Falls Roosevelt as the only top-seeds to win the state title since the 16-team bracket format went into use. 

Hamlin 53, Sioux Falls Christian 50 (OT)

How it was won: Hamlin led by as many as 15 points early in the third quarter but saw that slip away and trail by five with 3:50 left. Hamlin’s Tyson Stevenson banked home a 3-pointer with 20 seconds left to tie the game at 47-all, and Stevenson capped huge effort with five of Hamlin’s six points in overtime, ending Sioux Falls Christian’s undefeated run in the title game.

Quotable: “1983 was the last time we won one. This tells you how old I am, I was 11,” Hamlin’s Todd Neuendorf told South Dakota Public Broadcasting after the game. “What a great following from our community. They’re really happy. Big win for Hamlin County.”

Facts to know:

• Hamlin is the first Class A state champion from outside the Dakota XII Conference since Aberdeen Roncalli in 2015. That Cavaliers team was also coached by current Chargers coach Todd Neuendorf. 
• Teams playing twice in one season is increasingly rare in South Dakota, especially in Class A or Class B, so three meetings in a single season is an extreme outlier. And the Hamlin won the third matchup with SF Christian after falling the first two times against the No. 1 team for most of the season. The first two meetings were decided by 2 and 8 points, making the entire series decided by 13 points.  
• The win ended the longest win streak in the state held by Sioux Falls Christian at 25 games in a row. Mitchell now has the longest win streak in the state at 17 consecutive victories. 
• With Sioux Falls Christian’s loss, there was not an undefeated team in South Dakota boys basketball for the first time since 2021. 

Howard 60, De Smet 55 (OT)

How it was won: For the second time in the tournament, De Smet’s George Jensen was the late-game hero, draining a shot with no time left in regulation to tie the game at 52-all. But Howard prevailed in overtime, coolly draining free throws to swipe away the victory in the last minute of the extra session for Howard’s first state title in 60 years.

Quotable: “We knew that they’re De Smet. We’ve never beat them. I’ve never beat De Smet,” Howard standout Luke Koepsell said. “So to finally get them, it feels good. We kept saying they’ve won enough. It’s our turn now, we deserve it. And we figured out a way to win.”

Facts to know:

• Howard is the first No. 5 seed or higher to win a state championship in Class B since Hanson did it in 2015. The Beavers were also the No. 5 seed and like the Tigers, won their title game in overtime, which is the last Class B state overtime title contest. 
• The championship game was also the first title game in Aberdeen since 2018 to be decided by five points or less. The game had 12 lead changes and nine ties. 
• Howard did not make a field goal in overtime, making eight free throws in the extra period to win the game. The Tigers were 17-for-19 on free throws and were 31 of 37 on free throws in the semifinals and championship combined.   
• De Smet was playing in its fifth consecutive state championship game, losing in 2019 and winning titles in 2021, 2022 and 2023, with the COVID canceled tournament in 2020, as well. White River has the Class B record for consecutive title game apperances with six from 2008 to 2013.

Marcus Traxler is the assistant editor and sports editor for the Mitchell Republic. A past winner of the state’s Outstanding Young Journalist award and the 2023 South Dakota Sportswriter of the Year, he’s worked for the newspaper since 2014 and covers a wide variety of topics. A Minnesota native, Traxler can be reached at mtraxler@mitchellrepublic.com.