Tad Tjaden made a three-pointer with under a minute to play to put Dell Rapids ahead 54-52. He then made two free throws with :19 to go to help Dell Rapids to a 56-52 win over the Tri-Valley Mustangs on Thursday, February 1st on senior night. The win extended the Quarrier winning streak to eight games.
Both teams got off to a bit of a slow start. Dell Rapids led 4-0 with 4:23 to go in the opening quarter. The Quarriers finished the first quarter leading 12-5. The offenses got going in the second quarter. The Mustangs outscored Dell Rapids 20-16 to pull within three points, 28-25, at halftime.
Tri-Valley chipped away even more at the lead, and even had leads of 29-28 and 31-30 in the quarter. The Quarriers would end the quarter with a slim one-point lead, 41-40. The lead changed hands multiple times in the fourth quarter. Dell Rapids led by as many as five points, 50-45, with 3:00 to go. Tri-Valley went on a 7-1 run and took a 52-51 lead after two free-throws by Logan Ellison with 1:13 to go. On the very next Quarrier possession, Tjaden made his three-point shot from the left wing with under a minute to play to give the Quarriers the lead.
Dell Rapids shot 36% (23-64) overall in the game, 14% (4-28) on three-point attempts, and 46% (6-13) from the free-throw line. Tri-Valley shot 38% (18-47) overall, 30% (6-20) from three-point area, and 77% (10-13) from the free-throw line.
Tjaden finished with 17 points and six rebounds. Rhett Kloth added 15 points, 11 rebounds, and three blocked shots. Jack Henry had 12 points, three rebounds, three assists, and two steals. Treyse Eastman had five points, seven rebounds, and four assists. Cole Ruesink ended with four points, four rebounds, and two assists.
The seniors were also recognized prior to the game. This year’s seniors are Treyse Eastman, Luke Schoolmeester, Jack Henry, and Rhett Kloth
