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UND depth shines in fending off South Dakota State in OT

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UND depth shines in fending off South Dakota State in OT


GRAND FORKS — UND senior guard Garrett Anderson had shot 1-for-7 from the field before he pulled up for a deep 3-pointer in overtime.

It was a make-or-break shot for the Fighting Hawks, who trailed South Dakota State by two points with 20 seconds remaining.

Anderson’s triple fell. On a Saturday afternoon at the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center where several Hawks provided clutch shots late, it was his 3-pointer that iced the victory.

UND senior guard Garrett Anderson dribbles up the court against South Dakota State at the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center on Jan. 3, 2026.

Gabe and Reed Uelmen / Grand Forks Herald

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“That was a huge three by Garrett,” UND head coach Paul Sather said. “Happy for him, because you feel it with him — when that floodgate opens a little bit of confidence, and not just as a scorer but just as a player, he keeps fighting for it, keeps working for it, keeps keeping the right mindset.”

UND won 90-87, earning its third-straight win over the Jackrabbits and improving to 2-0 (8-10 overall) in Summit League play.

South Dakota State, hot off the heels of a commanding New Year’s Day win over Omaha, fell to 1-1 in conference (8-9 overall).

“These two first league games, you need to protect your home court if you want any chance to be in play at the end of this year,” Sather said. “It’s a great way to start. But you also need to go on the road and win some games. And as I tell the guys, it’s not who, when or where, it’s how you show up to play. And having that mentality, it’s not home and road, it’s ‘Are you ready to go today?’”

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The Hawks needed just about everyone to stave off SDSU.

Redshirt sophomore guard Zach Kraft and freshman guard Anthony Smith III led the way with double-digit point totals in a first half that was a high-scoring, fast-paced affair.

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UND redshirt sophomore Zach Kraft shoots a 3-pointer against South Dakota State at the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center on Jan. 3, 2026.

Gabe and Reed Uelmen / Grand Forks Herald

UND shot 64.3%, South Dakota State 55.6%. By halftime, the Hawks had a slight 50-45 lead.

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The shooting cooled down in the second half and in overtime. In those final two frames, the Hawks turned to a variety of players, from the starting lineup to the bench, to keep up with the Jackrabbits.

“It’s hard to sustain that for 40 minutes, but we were able to kind of get ourselves back,” Sather said. “Our bench was fantastic in that first half. … We sustained it, we got back in, we stayed there within distance of it, and guys made plays. We had opportunities to make plays and close the game, but we had plays that were made to get us into overtime and win in overtime.”

Redshirt freshman Greyson Uelmen finished with a team-high 17 points and nailed the final two free throws in overtime to seal the win.

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UND freshman guard Anthony Smith III stands on the court while playing South Dakota State at the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center on Jan. 3, 2026.

Gabe and Reed Uelmen / Grand Forks Herald

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Kraft, who ended with 14 points, splashed a 3-pointer with 47 seconds left in regulation to take a 79-77 lead.

Junior forward George Natsvlishvili came off the bench and tied up the game just minutes earlier with a clutch second-chance layup. He also nabbed a key basket with 1 minute, 56 seconds left in overtime.

Before South Dakota State managed to rally back for its first lead of the second half, a free throw and a layup from Smith kept the Hawks’ offense on pace with the visitors. He finished with 16 points.

UND’s bench contributed 39 points.

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UND redshirt freshman guard Greyson Uelmen drives to the rim for a layup against South Dakota State at the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center on Jan. 3, 2026.

Gabe and Reed Uelmen / Grand Forks Herald

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“I felt like our bench won the game today,” Kraft said. “In the first half, (Smith) came into the game, knocked down that three at the end of the half, and then Wylee (Delorme) in the second half, five rebounds, scoring off the offensive rebounds, it’s huge for us.”

Delorme put together his best game as a Hawk in the win. The sophomore guard from Devils Lake constantly attacked the offensive glass, flexing some creativity with slick drives to the rim.

He earned a season-high 12 points.

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UND sophomore guard Wylee Delorme releases a shot against South Dakota State at the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center on Jan. 3, 2026.

Gabe and Reed Uelmen / Grand Forks Herald

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“We’ve seen him more of a shooter (in practice), I haven’t really seen the behind-the-back, step-through and float,” Anderson said. “That was kind of new, that was a tough move. But he’s gotten to it in practice for sure.”

Kraft, Uelmen, Smith, Delorme and senior guard Eli King all finished with 12 or more points.

“We just relied on our guys that make those tough shots and are built for those moments,” Delorme said. “Seventh, eighth man off the bench — like Marley (Curtis), Marley can have a double-digit day too. All of us can go for 10 points, but it’s just a matter of making the easy plays and just using each other.”

UND will face its first road test of the conference slate this Thursday, when it travels to Omaha.

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UND senior guard Eli King walks up the court against South Dakota State at the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center on Jan. 3, 2026.

Gabe and Reed Uelmen / Grand Forks Herald





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South Dakota

As South Dakota’s student population shrinks, more choose homeschools

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As South Dakota’s student population shrinks, more choose homeschools


South Dakota’s K-12 population dropped slightly this year, along with public and private school enrollment, but enrollment in alternative instruction grew once again.

That’s according to headcount numbers taken Sept. 26, 2025, and released by the South Dakota Department of Education by Dec. 31.

All totaled, there are 163,053 K-12 students across the state, with 83% of those students attending public schools, 9% enrolled in nonpublic schools and 8% in alternative instruction.

There are 934 fewer K-12 students across the state than last year’s count of 163,987, a 0.5% decrease.

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Public school enrollment decreased by 1,736 students statewide. Across 147 public school districts, there were 135,577 K-12 students this fall, down from 137,313 in last year’s fall count, a decrease of slightly more than 1%.

Private school enrollment decreased by 142 students statewide, totaling 15,043 students in nonpublic schools accredited by the SDDOE across the state, down from last year’s count of 15,185, a decrease of 1%.

Nonpublic school enrollment includes 9,462 students in private schools, 5,072 in tribal/BIE schools, 268 in special population schools, 175 in coop/multi-districts, 26 in community-based service providers, 21 in the South Dakota School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, and 19 in alternative schools.

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Alternative instruction enrollment increased by 944 students statewide, totaling 12,433 students in alternative instruction or homeschooling this fall, up from 11,489 in last year’s count, an increase of 8%.

In the Sioux Falls metro area, there are 52,325 K-12 students, with 85% attending public schools, 9% enrolled in nonpublic schools and 6% in alternative instruction.

Sioux Falls area public schools

The state’s largest public school district, the Sioux Falls School District, shrunk by 171 students this fall, down from last year’s count of 24,221 K-12 students to this year’s count of 24,050.

Sioux Falls’ neighboring public K-12 school districts saw the following enrollment changes this year:

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  • Harrisburg, the state’s third-largest district, grew by 173 students, from 6,182 last year to 6,355 this year.
  • Brandon Valley, the state’s fourth-largest district, grew by 82 students, from 5,073 last year to 5,155 this year.
  • Tea Area grew by five students, from 2,509 last year to 2,514 this year.
  • West Central shrunk by 32 students, from 1,418 last year to 1,386 this year.
  • Lennox grew by 14 students, from 1,119 last year to 1,133 this year.
  • Tri-Valley grew by 41 students, from 952 last year to 993 this year.
  • Dell Rapids shrunk by 32 students, from 965 last year to 933 this year.
  • Canton shrunk by 23 students, from 888 last year to 865 this year.
  • Baltic grew by three students, from 539 last year to 542 this year.
  • Garretson shrunk by 10 students, from 468 last year to 458 this year.

All totaled, there are 44,384 K-12 students in Sioux Falls area public schools, a growth of 50 students or 0.1% from last fall’s count of 44,334.

Sioux Falls area private schools

Sioux Falls’ three largest private K-12 school systems saw the following enrollment changes this year:

  • Bishop O’Gorman Catholic Schools, the largest private school system in the state, shrunk by two students, from 2,224 last year to 2,222 this year.
  • Sioux Falls Christian School shrunk by nine students, from 1,447 last year to 1,438 this year.
  • Sioux Falls Lutheran School grew by 41 students, from 336 last year to 377 this year.

Other local nonpublic K-12 school enrollments include:

  • 221 students at St. Mary’s School in Dell Rapids;
  • 130 students at Children’s Home Society of South Dakota;
  • 125 at East Dakota Educational Cooperative;
  • 119 at LifeScape;
  • 49 at McCrossan Boys Ranch;
  • 45 at Good Shepherd Lutheran School,
  • 43 at Westside Christian School,
  • 23 at Bethel Lutheran School;
  • Four at Southeastern;
  • Three at Baan Dek Montessori;
  • One at 605 Prep;
  • One at DakotAbilities.

All totaled, there are 4,801 K-12 students in Sioux Falls area nonpublic schools, a growth of 24 students or 0.5% from last fall’s count of 4,777.

Sioux Falls area alternative instruction

Though it’s the second-largest public school district in the state, Rapid City Area Schools saw the largest number of students opt out of public school and into alternative instruction and homeschooling once again this year, with 1,839 students, followed by the largest district, Sioux Falls, with 1,793 students.

Sioux Falls-area schools had the following alternative instruction enrollment shifts this year:

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  • 1,793 in Sioux Falls, an increase of 131 from last year’s count of 1,662;
  • 379 in Harrisburg, an increase of 78 from last year’s count of 301;
  • 350 in Brandon Valley, an increase of 67 from last year’s count of 283;
  • 111 in Tea, a decrease of four from last year’s count of 115;
  • 105 in Lennox, an increase of two from last year’s count of 103;
  • 97 in West Central, an increase of six from last year’s count of 91; 
  • 87 in Dell Rapids, an increase of 11 from last year’s count of 76;
  • 79 in Canton, a decrease of two from last year’s count of 81;
  • 73 in Tri-Valley, an increase of seven from last year’s count of 66;
  • 42 in Garretson, an increase of 10 from last year’s count of 32;
  • 24 in Baltic, a decrease of one from last year’s count of 25.

All totaled, there are 3,140 students in alternative instruction in the Sioux Falls metro area, an increase of 305 students or 10.7% from last year’s count of 2,835.



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SD Lottery Mega Millions, Lucky For Life winning numbers for Jan. 6, 2026

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The South Dakota Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Jan. 6, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Mega Millions numbers from Jan. 6 drawing

09-39-47-58-68, Mega Ball: 24

Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Lucky For Life numbers from Jan. 6 drawing

10-13-24-27-31, Lucky Ball: 08

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Check Lucky For Life 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.

When are the South Dakota Lottery drawings held?

  • Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
  • Mega Millions: 10 p.m. CT on Tuesday and Friday.
  • Lucky for Life: 9:38 p.m. CT daily.
  • Lotto America: 9:15 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
  • Dakota Cash: 9 p.m. CT on Wednesday and Saturday.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a South Dakota editor. You can send feedback using this form.



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As South Dakota legislative session nears, dozens of bills already filed

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As South Dakota legislative session nears, dozens of bills already filed


The 2026 South Dakota legislative session is still a week away but we’re already seeing dozens of bills being introduced.

The Legislative Research Council’s website shows more than 60 bills already on tap as of Tuesday.

But many more are on the way. In recent years, the Legislature has seen on average around 500 bills per session. Generally, a little under half end up being signed into law.

Some of the early bills include an act allowing for the removal of a county commissioner and another creating a tax exemption for data centers.

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Attorney General Marty Jackley is also introducing a host of bills including one allowing law enforcement to seize cryptocurrency that’s part of a criminal investigation.

“Cryptocurrency has become a haven for scammers, drug traffickers, and human traffickers, costing South Dakotans millions in losses and fueling online crime,” said Jackley. “This legislation adds ‘digital currency’ to South Dakota’s seizure laws, giving law enforcement the tools to confiscate illicit crypto assets and disrupt criminal networks hiding behind digital secrecy.”

A full list of bills and resolutions is available on the LRC’s website.

The 2026 session begins Jan. 13.

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