The Dell Rapids Quarriers snapped a three game losing streak to the Sioux Valley Cossacks on Saturday, December 29th at the 25th Annual Michael J. Entringer Scholarship Classic in Brookings.  Dell Rapids hadn’t beaten Sioux Valley since 2014, but this year the Quarriers defeated Sioux Valley 72-60.

Sioux Valley raced out to a 7-1 lead early in the first quarter.  They held a four-to-six point lead for much of the quarter.  The Cossacks led 16-10, but Logan Heim made a three-point shot with just seconds remaining to cut the lead to 16-13 at the end of the first quarter.  The Cossacks grew the lead to eight points, their largest of the game, just a minuted into the second quarter.  The lead was five points at 32-27 with 1:10 to go in the quarter, but Drew Van Regenmorter made a three-point shot moments later to cut the lead to 32-30.  Max Nielson made two free throws with :15 to play, but Connor Rentz got a layup to fall in the final seconds to make the halftime score 34-32 in favor of Sioux Valley.

The third quarter proved to be the turning point in the game for Dell Rapids.  Van Regenmorter made a layup with 6:23 to play in the third quarter to give Dell Rapids a 39-38 lead.  The Quarriers would go on to outscore Sioux Valley 18-7 in the quarter for a 50-41 lead heading into the final quarter.  The Quarriers were able to maintain a double digit lead for most of the quarter and eventually led by 15 points with under a minute to play in the game for the come-from-behind victory.

The Quarriers finished the game shooting 54% (30-56) from the field, 21% (3-14) from three-point area, and 38% (9-24) from the free-throw line in the game.  Dell Rapids also had a total of 46 team rebounds, 16 assists, and turned the ball over 14 times.  Sioux Valley finished the game shooting 30% (22-74) from the field, 14% (6-42) from three-point area, and 77% (10-13) from the free-throw line.

Van Regenmorter was named the game’s MVP as he finished with 15 points, 13 rebounds, five assists, and two steals.  Heim also had a double-double with 11 points and 19 rebounds.  Logan Ellingson led the team in scoring with 22 points.  Connor Rentz also finished in double figures with 11 points, while Colin Rentz added nine points and four assists.  Sioux Valley was led by Nielson with 26 points.

Dell Rapids (2-2) will host Chamberlain on Friday, January 4th.  The game can be seen on Big Sioux Media.

Photo courtesy of Rhodna Rentz

A solid second half performance gave the Dell Rapids Quarrier boys basketball team their first win of the 2018-2019 season.  Dell Rapids defeated the Baltic Bulldogs 61-40 on Tuesday, December 18th at Dell Rapids High School.

Baltic had early momentum as they opened the game on a 5-2 run.  Dell Rapids responded with a 10-0 run for a 12-5 lead.  The Bulldogs, however, closed out the first quarter on an 8-1 run as the two teams ended the first quarter in a 13-13 tie.  The Quarrier defense shut down Baltic in the second quarter, and Dell Rapids outscored the Bulldogs 15-5 for a 28-18 halftime lead.

The offense kept rolling for Dell Rapids as they started the third quarter on a quick 5-0 run.  The Quarriers kept the lead at around 15 points most of the third quarter and led 42-28 heading into the the four quarter.  Dell Rapids then outscored Baltic 19-12 in the final quarter in the win.

Connor Rentz led all scorers in the game with 20 points.  Logan Ellingson added 13 points, and Drew Van Regenmorter had 10 points.  Van Regenmorter also had 15 rebounds and seven assists in the game.  Zach Polzin led Baltic with 11 points.

Dell Rapids (1-2) will be off until Saturday, December 29th.  They will play Sioux Valley at the Entringer Classic in Brookings.  That game can be seen on Big Sioux Media.

Photo courtesy of Rhonda Rentz

A late fourth quarter rally was not enough to erase an early deficit for the Dell Rapids Quarriers as they fell to the Tea Area Titans 80-60 on Friday, December 14th at Tea Area High School.

Tea Area raced out to a 13-2 lead in the first five minutes of the game.  Dell Rapids went on an 8-2 run to close the game to 15-10, but the Titans scored the last bucket of the quarter for a 17-10 lead after the first period.  Tea Area outscored Dell Rapids 15-12 in the second quarter to take a 35-22 lead into halftime.

The Quarriers cut into the Titan lead early in the third quarter.  A layup by Drew Van Regenmorter with 5:15 in the quarter cut the Titan lead to 11 points at 40-29.  The Titans then outscored Dell Rapids 18-11 over the rest of the quarter for a 58-40 lead heading into the final quarter of play.  Dell Rapids started the fourth quarter on a 12-2 run.  Van Regenmorter knocked down a three point shot from the left wing with 6:00 to go in the game to cut the Titan lead to 10 points at 60-50.  The Quarriers couldn’t keep the momentum going as Tea Area scored 14 points in a row over the next three minutes to extend their lead to 74-50 and put the game out of reach for Dell Rapids.

Dell Rapids (0-2) will host Baltic as part of a girls and boys double header on Tuesday, December 18th.  Both games can be seen on Big Sioux Media.

On the opening night of the 2018-2019 boys basketball season, the West Central Trojans came to Dell Rapids and upset the Quarriers 54-50 on Friday, December 7th.

After an early 6-2 lead by West Central, the Quarriers went on a 13-2 run through much of the first quarter for a 15-8 lead.  Dell Rapids pushed the lead to 25-16 with under three minutes to play in the second quarter, but the Trojans ended the quarter on an 10-2 to close within a point at 27-26 by halftime.

The Quarriers pushed the lead back to seven points at 35-28 in the first three minutes of the third quarter.  West Central again rallied by outscoring Dell Rapids 13-4 the rest of the quarter for a 41-39 lead.  The two teams were tied at 41-41 and 43-43 early in the fourth quarter.  Dell Rapids took the lead at 45-43 with 4:44 to play after two free throws by Connor Rentz.  After three straight points by West Central, Logan Ellingson made a layup with 3:38 to go to give Dell Rapids a 47-46 edge.  Jackson Miller tied the game for the Trojans with a free throw, but Logan Heim got a put back shot to fall through with just under 3:00 to go for a 49-47 lead.  Ellingson made one of two free throws with 2:21 to play to extend the Quarrier lead at 50-47.  The Trojans, however, scored the final seven points, capped by a Jaxon Skinner hook shot with :10 to go to seal the victory.

Ellingson led the Quarrier offense with 16 points.  Connor Rentz added 11 points.  Heim finished with 13 rebounds in the game.  Drew Van Regenmorter had 11 rebounds and three assists.  Miller led West Central with 16 points, and Hunter Hagerty added 13 points.

Dell Rapids (0-1) will travel to Tea for a double-header with the Titans on Friday, December 14th.  Both games can be seen on Big Sioux Media.

Photo courtesy of Rhonda Rentz

In a raucous atmosphere at the Winner Armory, the Pine Ridge Thorpes stunned the #6 seeded Dell Rapids Quarriers 69-66 in the Round of 16 on Thursday, March 8th.  The win by Pine Ridge ended an 11-game winning streak for Dell Rapids and sent the Thorpes to the State A tournament.

Dell Rapids delivered the first blow in the game getting out to an 8-0 lead in the first minute and a half.  The Quarriers were on fire throughout the first quarter scoring 29 points.  Logan Heim led the way going four-for-four on three points shots in the first quarter helping Dell Rapids to a 29-16 lead after at the first quarter break.  The Quarrier lead grew to 15 points at 33-18 after a made three-point shot by Mason Schmidt and a made free throw by Drew Van Regenmorter with 5:23 to go in the second quarter.  Dell Rapids maintained an eight-to-twelve point lead throughout the second quarter.  Jeffrey Schuch made a three-point shot from the left wing with 2:03 to go to give Dell Rapids a 40-28 lead.  Pine Ridge, however, scored the final five points of the quarter to cut the lead to seven at 40-33 at halftime.

The Thorpes scored the first three points of the third quarter to cut the lead to 40-36.  Schuch ended the Pine Ridge 8-0 run with a layup from the left side with 6:00 to play in the third quarter.  The two teams traded three-point shots over the next :30, and Dell Rapids held a 45-41 lead with 5:20 to go.  Dell Rapids was able to maintain the four-point lead over the next 3:00 of play.  The Thorpes went on a quick 4-0 spurt with Corey Brown tying the game at 49-49 with 1:50 to play.  Pine Ridge then closed out the quarter on a 4-1 run.  The Thorpes outscored Dell Rapids 20-10 in the third quarter and led 53-50 heading into the fourth quarter.

Dell Rapids then went on a 4-1 run to open the fourth quarter as Schuch tied the game at 54-54 with 5:45 to play.  The two teams traded baskets again.  The game was tied 56-56 with 5:18 to go.  Schuch gave Dell Rapids a 58-56 lead after an offensive rebound and put back with 4:43 left to play.  The game was again tied at 59-59 with 2:55 remaining.  After a timeout, Brown got a tough shot over Schuch to go through to give Pine Ridge a 61-59 lead with 2:40 to go.  Schuch again got a driving layup to fall on a nice pass from Carson Rentz to tie the game at 61-61 with 2:02 to play.  The Thorpes scored the next four points and led 65-61 with :37 left.  On the next Dell Rapids possessions, Rentz was fouled on a three-point shot giving him three free throws.  Rentz made all three to cut the lead to 65-64 with :21 on the clock.  After a foul and two made free throws by Pine Ridge, Dell Rapids had an open three-point shot with :12 to go that would have tied the game, but the shot was too strong and Thorpes got the defensive rebound.  Dell Rapids was forced to foul, and Corey Blacksmith made both free throws to give Pine Ridge a 69-64 lead.  Rentz made a last-second shot at the buzzer, but Pine Ridge came away victorious.

Dell Rapids finished the game shooting 41% from the field.  They were just 23% from three-point area and 67% from the free-throw line.  The Quarriers had a total of 35 team rebounds and 21 team assists.

Schuch led Dell Rapids with 21 points, 11 rebounds, and five assists.  Mason Schmidt added 17 points.  Heim finished with 12 points, 15 rebounds, and six assists.  Elijah Story and Rentz both finished with six points in the game.  Rentz also had seven assists.

Dell Rapids has their season come to an end with an overall record of 17-5.

Photo courtesy of Rhonda Rentz

Photo courtesy of Rhonda Rentz

It wasn’t easy, but the Dell Rapids Quarriers won their 11th straight game and earned a trip to the Class A Boys Round of 16 with a 60-50 win over the Tri-Valley Mustangs in the semifinal round of the Region 3A tournament at the Elmen Center in Sioux Falls on Friday, March 2nd.

Dell Rapids raced to a 12-2 advantage early in the first quarter, which would be their largest lead of the game until late in the fourth quarter. The Mustangs closed out the first quarter on a 7-0 run, and Dell Rapids led 12-9 after the first quarter. Tri-Valley scored the first five points of the second quarter and took the lead 14-12. The two teams traded points throughout much of the second quarter. Dell Rapids still had the lead at 28-27 at halftime.

The Quarriers led for most of the third quarter, but never by more than four points. However, Tri-Valley again took the lead after a made three-point shot by Noah Jewett with 2:27 to go in the quarter. The made shot gave the Mustangs a 37-36 lead. Logan Heim scored on a quick inbound pass with 1:55 remaining to give the lead back to Dell Rapids at 38-37. The two teams again traded baskets over the next couple of possessions. Carson Rentz made a three-point shot with under a minute to play to give Dell Rapids a 43-39 lead. The Quarriers led 44-41 at the end of the third quarter. Dell Rapids was finally able to get their up-tempo offense working in the fourth quarter. They were able to turn defensive rebounds into quick transition points as the Quarriers went ahead 53-41 in the first four minutes of the fourth quarter. The lead grew to 60-45 before the Mustangs ended the game scoring the final five points.

Dell Rapids shot 42% from the field in the game, 24% from three-point range, and 76% from the free-throw line. They had a total of 36 team rebounds, 19 team assists, seven blocked shots while only turning the ball over six times.

Three players finished in double figures. Mason Schmidt had a team-high 16 points. Jeffrey Schuch had another double-double with 12 points, 14 rebounds as well as three assists and two blocked shots. Drew Van Regenmorter had 11 points and three rebounds. Logan Heim added eight points, 14 rebounds, and four blocked shots. Rentz tallied seven points, but dished out 11 assists.

Noah Jewett hit the 1,000 career point mark in the loss for the Mustangs.

Dell Rapids (17-4) will enter the Round of 16 as the #6 seed and will play the #11 seed Pine Ridge Thorpes on Tuesday, March 6th. The game will be played at 5:30 p.m. at the Winner Armory in Winner, SD. The game can also be seen on Big Sioux Media.

Photo courtesy of Rhonda Rentz

In another tough, late-season, Dak-12 match-up, the Dell Rapids Quarriers had to come from behind to get a 65-57 win over the Lennox Orioles on Friday, February 16th at Dell Rapids High School.  It was the final regular season game for the Quarriers.

Lennox threw everything they had at the Quarriers in the game.  With Dell Rapids leading 9-7 with 2:20 in the opening quarter, the Orioles went on a 7-2 run to close out the quarter for a 14-11 lead.  Both teams held leads in the second quarter.  Lennox led by as many as four points, and Dell Rapids led by as many as five points, but it was Lennox that held a slight one-point advantage at 31-30 at halftime.

Dell Rapids got the offense rolling in the third quarter while locking down Lennox defensively.  The Quarriers erased the first-half deficit and got ahead by as many as 15 points in the quarter.  Dell Rapids outscored Lennox 21-7 over the entire quarter and led 51-38 heading into the final quarter.  The Quarriers still end a 12-point lead at 53-41 with 6:04 to play in the game.  Lennox got the lead down to seven points at 53-46 by the 4:45 mark of the game.  The Orioles were able to get within six points at 57-51 with 1:43 to play, but Dell Rapids was able to make their free throws down the stretch to not allow Lennox to get any closer.

The Quarriers finished the game shooting 49% from the field, 42% from three-point area, and 75% from the free-throw line.  They had a total of 30 team rebounds, 18 team assists, and only turned the ball over seven times.

Three players finished in double figures.  Carson Rentz led the team in scoring with 17 points.  Rentz also had six assists and four rebounds.  Jeffrey Schuch nearly had a triple-double in the game.  Schuch had 15 points, nine assists, eight rebounds and five blocked shots.  Mason Schmidt also finished the game with 15 points and five rebounds.

Dell Rapids finished the regular season on a ten-game winning streak and a 16-4 overall record.  The Region 3A tournament will begin on Tuesday, February 27th.

Photo courtesy of Rhonda Rentz

It wasn’t easy, but the Dell Rapids Quarriers won their ninth straight game with an 84-67 win over the Canton C-Hawks on Monday, February 12th in Canton.  Dell Rapids, ranked #4 in the latest South Dakota Media poll, got all they could handle from a scrappy Canton team.  Carson Rentz also broke his own school record for made three-point shots in a game with nine in the contest.

Canton got the first quarter started and held a slim one-point lead at 5-4.  Dell Rapids went on a 9-0 run midway through the first quarter to get a 13-5 lead with 2:50 to play in the quarter.  The C-Hawks responded with a 5-2 run to close the gap at 15-10 to end the first quarter.  Canton then scored the first five points of the second quarter to tie the game at 15-15 with 7:05 to play in the first half.  The Dell Rapids defense then held Canton to just eight points the remainder of the quarter while the offense scored 23 points.  The Quarriers held a 38-23 lead at halftime.

Dell Rapids increased their lead to 22 points at 45-23 in the first two minutes of the third quarter.  They increased the lead to 23 points at 55-32 with 3:05 to go in the quarter.  Canton then found an offensive spurt as they closed out the quarter on an 18-5 run to cut the lead to 60-50 by the end of the third quarter.  Canton then scored the first basket of the fourth quarter to cut a 23-point lead down to eight points at 60-52.  The Quarriers were able to maintain a 12-to-15 point lead due to the three-point shooting of Rentz.  The Quarriers made seven free-throws in the final minute and a half while holding Canton to just one made field goal to close out the game for the victory.

Rentz led the team with 31 points in the game on a school-record nine made three-point shots and four free-throws.  Rentz also had five assists and three rebounds.  Mason Schmidt finished with 21 points and three rebounds.  Jeffrey Schuch recorded another double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds.  He also dished out six assists and had three blocked shots.  Elijah Story had seven points and four assists.  Logan Heim had six points and seven rebounds.  Drew Van Regenmorter, while held scoreless, had eight assists and six rebounds.

Dell Rapids (15-4) will close out the regular season at home on Friday, February 16th when the host the Lennox Orioles.  The game can be seen on Big Sioux Media.