There is something magical that seems to happen when Dell Rapids and Madison plays in the Region 3A Tournament at the Elmen Center. Friday’s, March 3rd, game was no exception. The Quarriers nearly erased a 24-point deficit in the second half, but the Madison Bulldogs held tough for the 67-60 win.
The Dell Rapids offense struggled to get going in the first half. The Quarriers missed their first 11 three-point shots, and Madison started the game on a 9-0 run. The Bulldogs led 19-8 at the end of the first quarter and extended the lead to 34-20 by halftime.
Madison seemed to be in complete control when they led 49-25 with 2:15 to play in the third quarter. That’s when Dell Rapids started their comeback. The Quarriers ended the third quarter on a 16-0 run to trail 49-41 going into the final quarter. Dell Rapids had the lead down to two points a couple of times in the fourth quarter and trailed 62-60 with just :37 to play after two free throws by Brayden Pankonen. Madison was able to get a fast-break layup after the free throws, only one of two made field goals in the fourth quarter, for a 64-60 lead. The Bulldogs made three more free throws to secure the win.
Dell Rapids shot 31% (21-68) overall in the game, 27% (12-44) on three-point attempts, and 6-11 from the free-throw line. Madison shot 40% (19-47) overall, 42% (8-19) from three-point area, and 78% (21-27) from the free-throw line.
Pankonen finished with 29 points, seven rebounds, and four assists. Jack Henry had 11 points, six rebounds, six assists, and three steals. Camden Justice also had 11 points with five rebounds and three steals. Rhett Kloth had two points, 12 rebounds, and three blocked shots. Tad Tjaden had three points. Chase Jones and Luke Randall both had two points each.
Dell Rapids finishes the 2022-2023 season with a 16-6 record.
