The Dell Rapids Quarrier boys basketball team earned a hard-fought win over the Vermillion Tanagers 55-52 on Thursday, January 24th, in Dell Rapids. The Quarriers led 15-11 after the first quarter, but Vermillion was able to tie the game at halftime, 29-29. Dell Rapids held a slight 42-40 lead after the third quarter on the way to the victory.
Head coach Jason Fersdahl said, “We knew going into the game that we would have to play well to defeat an experienced Vermillion team. It was nice to finally play in front of our home crowd in the first time in more than a month and I felt our players were energized by the crowd and we were able to get out to a quick start. Vermillion came back by getting hot from the outside and they were able to continue to hit some tough shots throughout the game.”
The Quarriers were led by Bryce Koch with 18 points, eight rebounds, and five blocked shots. Cole Langer was also in double figures with 14 points in the game. Spencer Kerzman also pulled down eight rebounds for Dell Rapids. Vermillion was led by Tanner Anderson with 15 points, Austin Krier had 12 points, and Carter Andre added 10 points.
“Bryce Koch scored eight of his game high 18 points in the first quarter to really spark our offense. Cole Langer did an outstanding job of taking over the game in the 4th quarter by scoring nine of his 14 points down the stretch and making key plays for his teammates as well,” said Fersdahl.
The Quarriers shot 44% from the field in the game, 27% from three-point area, and 71% from the free throw line. The Tanagers shot 42% from the field, 53% from the three-point area, and 73% from the free throw line.
“We did a much better job of taking care of the basketball, finishing the game with just seven turnovers compared to 14 team assists. We showed much more consistency on the offensive and defensive ends, and I look forward to our team continuing to develop intensity and consistency on every play throughout the game as we prepare for the stretch run of the season,” said Fersdahl.
Dell Rapids improves to 8-5 on the year. The Quarriers will host Canton on Tuesday, January 24th. The game will be webcast on Big Sioux Media.