For the second game in a row at the Dakota Valley Conference tournament, the Dell Rapids St Mary Cardinal girls found themselves in a game that came down to a last-second shot. This time the Cardinals were on the winning side as St Mary beat the Arlington Cardinals 25-24 to take third place on Saturday, January 23rd in Elkton.
Both St Mary and Arlington struggled offensively all game long. St Mary finished the game shooting just 22%, and Arlington shot just 15% in the game. The two teams combined for 65 rebounds.
St Mary had the early advantage in the first quarter. They held an 8-2 lead heading into the second quarter. Arlington scored over half of their total points in the second quarter. They outscored St Mary 13-6 for a 15-14 halftime lead.
The teams struggled to get any offensive rhythm in the second half. St Mary held Arlington scoreless in the third quarter while scoring five points for a 19-15 lead heading into the fourth quarter. The two teams found themselves tied 22-22 with 1:18 to play. Arlington got the next basket to go ahead 24-22 with :40 on the clock. On the next St Mary possession, Brianna Griffin hit the game-winning three-point shot from the left win with just :05 to go to give St Mary the victory.
Ella Heinitz had seven points, three steals, and two rebounds. B. Griffin had six points, one rebound, and one steal. Madala Hanson had four points, five rebounds, and two steals. Karlie Klein had three points and five rebounds, and Ella Griffin had three points and four rebounds. Sydney Klein had seven rebounds, and Courtney Brown had six rebounds and two steals.
St Mary (8-3) will travel to Alcester to play the Alcester-Hudson Cubs on Thursday, January 28th.