Regular Season Week 11 – Feb 24, 2014
Boys
Class AA
1 – Huron (18-1), 75 (15)
2 – Pierre Riggs (17-2), 57
3 – SF Roosevelt (15-3), 42
4 – Rapid City Stevens (16-3), 30
5 – Sioux Falls Washington (11-8), 8, unranked last week
Also Receiving Votes: Yankton (12-8), 6, #5 last week; Brandon Valley (11-8), 3
Blog Notes: Huron, which received unanimous support for the fifth straight week, continued a strong hold on the top spot in AA. The Tigers have put together a 13-game winning streak, when they have had a 65.38-to-44.15 point differential. On the season, Huron, which faces equally red-hot #2 Pierre at home on Feb. 25, have outscored opponents, 1,222 (64.32)-to-891 (46.89) or a 17.43 ppg victory margin. #2 Pierre Riggs, which has won 10 straight games, own a 64.79-to-55.21 per game or a 9.58 victory margin. They have 13 wins by 10 points or more and sit 2-1 in games decided by five points or less. #3 Sioux Falls Roosevelt has five straight wins and 9-of-10 overall. In 13 of the past 15 games, they have held opponents to 50 points or less. Additionally, they own eight wins by double digit margins, stand 4-1 in games decided by five points or less and are 1-1 in OT. The Rough Riders have a 60.2-to-47.89 or 13.13 victory margin and finish with a road game at Lincoln on Feb. 27. Holding firm at #4 is Rapid City Stevens, which has won five straight games after a 57-42 win over Rapid City Central as Steve Schaefer scored 24. Stevens, which has two wins over #3 Roosevelt, owns an 1180 (62.10 ppg)-to-986 (51.89 ppg) scoring differential or 10.21 ppg. Stevens has nine wins by double digit totals and stand 6-2 in games decided by eight points or less.. Moving into the poll was previously unranked Sioux Falls Washington, which dropped a 50-48 decision to #3 Roosevelt. The Warriors, which barely edged out Yankton (8-to-6 in ballot points), have gone 3-1 in OT games, playing in OT in four of the last seven games. SFW has won 5-of-8 with the three losses by a combined seven points. The Warriors, which have won eight of the past 12 games, are 6-6 in five point games and 2-1 in games decided by one point. Yankton dropped out of the top five after two losses this week. Overall, the Bucks have a 55.3-to-49.9 ppg margin.
Class A
1 – Madison (19-0), 70 (15)
2 – Sioux Valley (17-3), 49
3 – Clark-Willow Lake (18-2), 40, #5 last week
4 – Pine Ridge (17-2), 35
5 – Aberdeen Roncalli (16-3), 24, #3 last week
Blog Notes: Madison was the unanimous choice in Class A for the ninth time in 11 weeks as they moved to 19-0 on the season. The Bulldogs, which are the only unbeaten high school basketball team in South Dakota, has now extended their overall winning streak to 31 games. The Bulldogs, which stand 11-0 against teams with winning records this season, have built an overall 67.1-to-46.26 ppg margin and will host Milbank Area on Feb. 24. #2 Sioux Valley closed out the regular season with an 86-49 win over Garretson, ending a two-game slide. The Cossacks have a commanding 1,312-to-841 scoring margin (65.6-to-42.05 ppg). Moving into the #3 spot is a sizzling Clark-Willow Lake squad, which has a 15-game winning streak following a 53-39 road win over Aberdeen Roncalli. The Cyclones, which has nine straight wins by double digit margins, maintain a 62.3 ppg-to-44.95 ppg margin. Holding firm at #4 is Pine Ridge, which has a three-game winning streak since a loss to Aberdeen Roncalli. The Thorpes, which have held 14-of-20 opponents to under 50 points, own a 68.75-to-51.0) ppg differential. Pine Ridge has 12 wins by double digit margins and stand 5-1 in games decided by eight points or less. Aberdeen Roncalli dropped to #5 after the loss to Clark-Willow Lake. The Cavaliers, which have won 12-of-14 games, own 13 wins by double digits this season. They have a 59.0-to-43.05 ppg differential.
Class B
1 – James Valley Christian (19-1) 75 (15)
2 – Langford Area (17-2), 59, #3 last week
3 – White River (15-4) 33, #2 last week
4 – Potter County (18-2), 31, #5 last week
5 – Sanborn Central-Woonsocket (16-3), 24, #4 last week
Also Receiving Votes: Oelrichs (16-4), 3
Blog Notes: For the third straight week, top-ranked James Valley Christian was the unanimous choice in B. JVC has concluded the regular season on a 16-game winning streak, the longest in Class B. The Vikings, which has registered 14 wins by double digit totals, also have scored 70 points or more in 11-of-20 games. JVC, which is 4-1 in games decided by eight points or less, has a 1,389 (69.45)-to-1,035 (51.75) ppg margin. Previously #2 and now #3 White River fell to New Underwood, 47-46, and suffered its second straight for the first time since December 15-16, 2010 when the Tigers dropped games to McLaughlin and St. Francis Indian School. White River rebounded with an 81-52 win over Todd County. White River, the highest scoring team in Class B at 75.0 ppg., has compiled a 29.32 victory margin. Langford Area moved into the #2 spot after surviving a scare against Aberdeen Christian, 54-52, and defeated Warner. The two wins extended the Lions’ winning streak to eight straight. Overall this season, Langford Area has 13 wins by margins of 10 points, including five of the past six opponents. They have held 13 opponents to 50 points or less and eight others to less than 40. Langford Area, which is 3-0 in games decided by eight points or less, has a 61.53-to-40.37 ppg margin. Potter County moved into the #4 spot after extending their winning streak to 15 games. The Battlers own a 70.75-to-47.25 ppg margin. Falling to #5 was Sanborn Central-Woonsocket, which had a 1-1 week, including a 77-66 loss to #1 JVC. SC-Woonsocket, which has won 8-of-9, has a 69.74-to-48.26 ppg margin. Also receiving votes this week is Oelrichs, which has seven straight wins and 13 in 14 games. The Tigers have a 72.35-to-52.75 ppg margin (19.6 victory margin) and nine times over have scored over 80 points in a game.. Also of note, Parker has won 10 straight games after a 54-49 win over Hanson. In their current stretch, they have a 734-to-466 point per game edge and a 75.56-to-46.33 ppg margin or 29.23 victory differential. Faith also is hot with a 10-game winning streak, winning nine of those games by double digit totals. In addition, Steve Koch of Harding County recorded a rarity, a triple double (16 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists) in an 83-46 win over Lemmon.
Girls
Class AA
1 – Mitchell (18-1), 73 (13)
2 – Sioux Falls Washington (17-2), 62 (2)
3 – SF O’Gorman (14-5), 40
4 – Sturgis Brown (15-5), 27, #5 last week
5 – Sioux Falls Roosevelt (10-9), 12, #4 last week
Also Receiving Votes: Spearfish (14-4), 8; Pierre (11-8), 2; Brookings (12-7), 1
Blog Notes: For the third straight week, Mitchell was the near-unanimous choice for #1, polling 13-of-15 first place votes. The Kernels, which own a nine-game winning streak, have a 65.11-to-44.57 point per game differential or a victory margin of 20.54 ppg. Mitchell has held 15-of-19 opponents to 50 points or less, including seven of the last nine. Mitchell’s star guard Macy Miller now has 571 points (30.05 ppg, 19 games), including 1,724 career points which leaves her just 37 points from setting the school’s career scoring record. #2 SF Washington received two first place votes after two more wins by 10 points or more. Through 19 games, SF Washington has 17 double digit wins and a 61.74-to-37.0 ppg differential and a victory margin of 24.74 ppg. Next for Washington will be a home game with #3 Sioux Falls O’Gorman on Feb. 25. #3 Sioux Falls O’Gorman, which has seven wins in eight games, maintain a 56.63-to-44.32 ppg margin. The Knights have held 13 opponents under 50 points and six under 30. Moving up to #4 was Sturgis Brown, which defeated Harrisburg, 62-58, as they ended the regular season on a three-game winning streak. They own a 51.0-to-42.55 ppg margin. Sturgis is 6-3 in games decided by eight points or less. They accumulated eight wins by double digit margins. SF Roosevelt, which was 1-2 this week, fell to #5 in the rankings. The Rough Riders, who are 5-8 against teams with winning records, will host Sioux Falls Lincoln on Feb. 25. Also receiving votes was Spearfish, Pierre and Brookings.
Class A
1 – St. Thomas More (18-1), 75 (15)
2 – Winner (19-1), 59
3 – Pine Ridge (18-2), 43
4 – Elk Point-Jefferson (18-2), 31
5 – West Central (17-2), 17
Blog Notes: St. Thomas More continued to control the top of Class A after receiving unanimous support for the fourth straight week after the Cavaliers finished the season with eight straight wins. The Cavaliers, which has 16 wins by double digit margins, have a 67.79-to-35.05 ppg differential or a 32.85 victory margin. This season, STM is 16-0 vs. South Dakota opponents, 15 of them by double digit margins Sitting at #2 is Winner, who closed the season with two wins by a margin of 168-to-59. The Warriors, with eight consecutive wins, has a 72.15-to-37.55 point differential, or a 34.6 ppg victory margin. Ten times in 20 games, Winner has scored at least 76 points, including the last four. They have 18 wins by double digit margins and 14 by at least 20 points or more. #3 Pine Ridge finished the regular season with a pair of double digit wins. The Thorpes, which have won 11-of-12 games, own a 74.25-to-43.95 ppg differential or a 30.3 victory margin. #4 EPJ extended their winning streak to nine with wins over Centerville, 61-39; and Tea Area, 79-28. EPJ has a 1,264-to-892 or 63.2-to-44.6 ppg differential. The Huskies have 17 wins by double digit margins, including the 8-of-9. #5 West Central closed out the regular season with a 12-game winning streak and now has a 54.58 ppg-to-39.53 ppg scoring differential. They have 15 wins by margins of 10 points or more and have held opponents to under 40 points 10 times. Also of note, Clark-Willow Lake (17-3) has put together 10 straight wins.
Class B
1 – Sully Buttes (18-1), 74 (14)
2 – Warner (17-2), 54 (1)
3 – Sanborn Central-Woonsocket (19-1), 49
4 – DeSmet (18-2), 29
5 – Lemmon (19-1), 10
Also Receiving Votes: Hanson (18-2), 4; Castlewood (16-2), 4; Summit (18-2), 1
Blog Notes: For the third straight week, Sully Buttes held the top spot in Class B. This week, they polled 14-of-15 first-place votes. Since a loss to DeSmet on Jan. 18, the Chargers have strung together nine straight wins, including seven by margins of at least 32 points or more. The Chargers have a 66.58-to-30.63 ppg differential or a victory margin of 35.95. Sully Buttes, 10-1 against opponents with winning records, has held 16-of-19 opponents to under 40 points. Warner, which received a first-place vote, held firm at #2 as they stretched their winning streak to 13 games heading to postseason. Warner, which has held 18-of-20 opponents to 43 points or less have a 57.45-to-31.55 ppg differential. The defending champs have 18 wins by double digit margins, including 15 by at least 20 points or more. At #3 is another hot team in Sanborn Central-Woonsocket, which closed the regular season on a 12-game winning streak. In total, they have built a 61.4-to-36.8 ppg differential and a victory margin of 24.6 ppg. The Blackhawks own 14 wins by double digit margins and sit 4-0 games decided by eight points or less. #4 DeSmet closed with five straight wins and a 53.25-to-29.6 ppg margin. They have held 14-of-20 opponents to under 30 points which is unmatched by any team in any of the three girls classes. In total, DeSmet has held 15 opponents to 40 points or less. Previously #5 Estelline fell out of the rankings after a pair of losses. Moving up to #5 was Lemmon, which has a 15-game winning streak heading into the postseason. The Cowgirls, which stand 14-0 vs. South Dakota opponents, own a 61.55-to-38.05 ppg margin. Lemmon has held 11 opponents to 40 points or less and three under 20. Lemmon owns 15 wins by double digit totals and a 3-1 in games decided by eight points or less. Also receiving support in the poll was Hanson, Castlewood and Summit, which has eight straight wins. Hanson has won six straight and Castlewood, four. Other teams on winning streaks but not receiving votes included Avon, 8; Faith, 7; and Ethan, five.