Playing in a make-up game against the Howard Tigers on Friday, February 22nd, the Dell Rapids St Mary Cardinal boys basketball team ended the regular season with a win. The Cardinals defeated the Tigers 69-53 on a night the seniors were recognized.
The Cardinals were able to double-up the Tigers after the first quarter at 16-8. Howard was able to stay within single digits over the first two and a half minutes of the second quarter, but St Mary pushed the lead to 19 points by halftime at 40-21. Howard cut the lead down in the third quarter, but only slightly. The Cardinals still lead by 16 points at 56-30 heading into the final quarter. The Tigers outscored St Mary 23-13 in the final quarter, but it wasn’t enough for the comeback as the Cardinals took the win.
Three players finished in double figures for the Cardinals. Connor Libis had 17 points. Ethan Geraets had 13 points and 11 rebounds. Max Herber finished with 10 points. Howard was led by Jacob Brooks with 27 points and Colton Spader with 10 points.
The 2018-2019 seniors for the Cardinals are Avery Hof and Ethan Geraets.
St Mary finishes the regular season with a record of 16-4. The Region 4B tournament will begin on Monday, February 25th. The Cardinals will not play until Tuesday, February 26th at home after securing a top four seed. Big Sioux Media will have the details of the tournament for St Mary as they become available, and Big Sioux Media will stream the game on Tuesday.