RAPID CITY — Getting back to the state semifinals proved to be no easy task for second-seeded Hamlin on Thursday during the opening day of the state Class A boys basketball tournament.
The Chargers (21-3) had to battle to the wire to beat sixth-seeded Groton Area, a fellow Northeast Conference rival, 46-45 in the evening session's's first game in the Summit Arena at The Monument.
Hamlin opened the season in early December with a 58-36 win over Groton Area and appeared headed for another easy win when the Chargers raced to a 24-7 lead in the second quarter. The Tigers (19-5) cut the lead to eight at halftime and took the lead with a 17-5 scoring spurt in the third quarter, setting the state for a back and fourth final period.
"You have to give Groton Area a lot of credit. It was two really good teams playing," Hamlin head coach Todd Neuendorf said. "They D'd it up and made it hard for us. Credit to our kids to battle through that."
Hamlin pulled even on Easton Neuendorf's field goal to start the fourth quarter and neither team held more than a four-point advantage after that. Zac VanMeeteren hit two field goals, one with 3:20 left to tie the game and another with 1:40 remaining that gave the Chargers a 45-43 advantage.
Ryder Johnson tied the game by hitting a field goal with 39.2 seconds for Groton Area. Hamlin called timeout to set up a final play and Neuendorf was fouled with 5.5 seconds remaining. He made the first of two free throws.
Groton Area moved the ball to halfcourt and called timeout. The Tigers had one final chance with 1.9 seconds left but their in-bounds pass was knocked away and time ran out.
"It was a grind," Coach Neuendorf said. "We usually play well on the defensive end and we definitely needed it to tonight. Our kids did a good job of gutting it out."
Easton Neuendorf scored 17 points and Tyson Stevenson 10 for Hamlin. Evan Stormo added eight points and eight rebounds and VanMeeteren nine rebounds.
Lane Tietz scored 12 points, Johnson 10, Jacob Zak eight and Logan Ringgenberg seven for the Tigers. Tietz and Zak each grabbed six rebounds.
Groton Area made 17 of 40 field-goal attempts for 43 percent and Hamlin 16 of 38 for 42 percent. The Chargers, normally potent from 3-point range, made only four of 15 attempts from beyond the arc.
"I thought we were going to shoot better in the second half and we shot worse. That's what happens in the state tournament. It's a combination of defense and shooting in a different environment," Neuendorf said.
More: Field includes Hamlin, Sioux Valley & Groton Area in A; Castlewood, De Smet & Leola-Frederick in B
No. 6 Rapid City Christian 75, No. 3 Sioux Valley 72 (2 OTs)
After the Hamlin-Groton Area game went to the wire to kick off the evening session, Rapid City Christian and Sioux Valley took a close game to another level with a double-overtime battle.
In the end, Christian (21-3) was able to avenge a regular-season loss to the Cossacks (21-3) by erasing a 72-71 deicit with four free throws by Simon Kieffer in the final 13.9 seconds. Kieffer went 10-for-10 from the foul line and finished with 23 points and eight rebounds.
Benson Kieffer led the Comets with 25 points before fouling out. Julius Frog added 17 points and seven rebounds.
Alec Squires, a 6-foot-10 senior, paced Sioux Valley with 18 points, 15 rebounds, six blocked shots and five assists. Maxwell Engebretson added 20 points, Boden Schiller nine and Hudsyn Ruesink eight to go with eight rebounds.
Sioux Valley shot 45 percent (27 of 60) from the field compared to 35 percent (25 of 72) for RCC.
No. 1 Sioux Falls Christian 74, No. 8 Vermillion 48
The No. 1 Chargers (24-0) jumped out to a 22-11 first-quarter lead and never looked back on the way to the first-round win.
Griffen Goodbary tallied 20 points, Brant Wassenaar 14 and Cooper Goodbary 12 for the Chargers, who connected on 30 of 60 field-goal attempts for 50 percent and gained a 40-29 rebounding advantage.
Bryson Skogsberg's 13 points paced the Tanagers (16-8), who also got seven points each from Trey Hansen and Zoan Robinson. Vermillion sank 17 of 49 field-goal attempts for 35 percent.
No. 5 Dakota Valley 62, No. 4 Pine Ridge 58
Two-time defending state champion Dakota Valley outscored Pine Ridge 33-15 in the second and third quarters and held on for the win.
Jaxson Wingert notched 24 points and 13 rebounds and Luke Bruns 24 and nine for Dakota Valley, which converted 24 of 57 field-goal attempts for 42 percent and owned a commanding 44-31 rebounding advantage.\
Marvin Richard III poured in 30 points for the Thorpes (21-2), which found the mark on 20 of 54 field-goal attempts for 37 percent. Jaylin Rouillard pitched in with 15 points.
The Neuendorfs: Two coaches, three players from same family part of resurgence for Hamlin hoops
Follow Watertown Public Opinion sports reporter Roger Merriam on X (formerly known as Twitter) @PO_Sports or email: rmerriam@thepublicopinion.com
This article originally appeared on Watertown Public Opinion: Groton Area pushes second-seeded Hamlin to the wire in a first-round tournament game
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