Both the Tri-Valley Mustang girls and boys basketball teams won very close games against the Elk Point-Jefferson Huskies on Thursday, January 27th at home.  The girls survived a Huskies comeback for a 41-39 win, and the boys got a 45-42 upset victory.

Tri-Valley 41, Elk Point-Jefferson 39 – Girls

The Mustangs seemed to be headed to an easy victory against the Huskies.  Even though the Mustangs only led 9-7 at the end of the first quarter, they extended their lead to 10 points by halftime, 20-10.  Tri-Valley scored first in the third quarter and led 22-10, but the Huskies made one of their second half runs.  Elk Point-Jefferson pulled within three points, 22-19, with 3:30 to go in the quarter.  Tri-Valley responded with an 8-0 run to lead 30-19 with 1:50 to go.  The third quarter ended with Tri-Valley leading 30-22.

The Huskies made another run to start the fourth quarter.  Elk Point-Jefferson made the score 30-28 with 6:30 to go in the game.  The two teams battled back and forth, and the Mustangs held a 38-37 lead with 3:15 in the game.  Tri-Valley made it a four-point lead, 41-37, with 2:00 to go.  Twenty seconds later, the Huskies scored and trailed 41-39.  The score remained that way until the end of the game.  Ava Pearson saved the win for the Mustangs with two blocked shots in the final seconds of the game.

Tri-Valley shot 28% (13-47) in the game, 21% (4-19) from three-point area, and 52% (11-21) from the free-throw line.  Elk Point-Jefferson finished 22% (12-55) from the field, 25% (5-20) on three pointers, and 45% (10-22) from the free-throw line.  The two teams combined for a total of 77 rebounds.

Paige Jewett finished with 15 points and five rebounds.  Lauren Grinde had eight points, seven rebounds, and three assists.  Madelyn Wenzel had seven points, seven rebounds, three blocked shots, and two steals.  Stephanie Buchmann finished with six points, four rebounds, and three steals.  Pearson had two points, but eight rebounds and four blocked shots.

Tri-Valley 45, Elk Point-Jefferson 42 – Boys

Tri-Valley got out to a quick start in the boys game.  The Mustangs led 10-4 at the end of the first quarter and then extended the lead to 10 points, 14-4, with 5:45 to play in the second quarter.  Tri-Valley only scored three more points the rest of the second quarter, and the Huskies cut the lead to 17-16 at halftime.

Elk Point-Jefferson started the third quarter on an 8-0 run and led 24-17 with 4:00 to play in the third quarter.  The Mustangs finished the quarter on a 10-3 run, and the game was tied 27-27 heading into the final quarter.  The Huskies went on an 8-2 run in the first minute of the fourth quarter for a 37-29 lead.  Tri-Valley got the game tied 37-37 with 5:30 to play.  Elk Point-Jefferson responded with a 5-0 run and led 42-37 with 2:40 to go.  Tri-Valley shut the Huskies down the rest of the game and outscored them 8-0 for the win.

The Mustangs shot 31% (17-55) in the game, 19% (3-16) from three-point area, and 73% (8-11) from the free-throw line.  The Huskies were 22% (12-55) shooting, 10% (2-20) on three-pointers, and 67% (16-24) from the free-throw line.

Cory McDonald had 13 points and seven rebounds.  Lance DeWitt finished with 11 points, five rebounds, four steals, and three assists.  Connor Christensen had a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds.  He also had five blocked shots and two assists.

The Tri-Valley Mustang girls and boys basketball teams traveled to Canton for a doubleheader against the C-Hawks on Tuesday, January 25th.  The Mustang girls won 53-45, but the boys fell 39-67.

Tri-Valley 53, Canton 45 – Girls

The Mustangs had a second and third quarter rallies to give them a lead, and they were able to fend off a rally by Canton for the win.  Tri-Valley had a 9-4 lead at the end of the first quarter, but the C-Hawks tied the game 14-14 midway through the second quarter.  The Mustangs then went on a 9-0 run to lead 23-14.  Canton responded with a 6-0 run to make the score 23-20 in favor of the Mustangs at halftime.

The C-Hawks continued the run into the third quarter to give them a 26-23 lead.  The Mustangs finished the quarter on an 11-0 run for a 34-26 advantage heading into the fourth quarter.  Canton cut the lead to two points, 42-40, but Lauren Grinde made a three-pointer to end a 5-0 run to give the Mustangs a 47-40 lead.  Tri-Valley was able to hold off Canton the remainder of the game for the win.

Grinde had 20 points to lead Tri-Valley.  Paige Jewett had nine points.  Ava Pearson finished with eight points, and Madelyn Wenzel had seven points.

Canton 67, Tri-Valley 39 – Boys

Canton built a 17-point lead throughout the first half of the game.  The C-Hawks led 16-8 at the end of the first quarter and then extended the lead to 35-18 at halftime.  The Mustangs made the first three-pointer of the third quarter to make the score 35-21, but Canton went on a 15-0 run from there to put the game out of reach.  Canton led 56-29 at the end of the third quarter.

Cory McDonald had 10 points.  Noah Haynes finished with seven points.  Owen Besmer had five points, and Connor Christensen added four points.  Riley Carlson, Carter Sorenson, and Trey Johnson all had three points each.

Tri-Valley will host Elk Point-Jefferson on Thursday, January 27th.

The Tri-Valley Mustangs hosted the Dakota Valley Panthers in a girls and boys doubleheader on Friday, January 21st.  The Panther girls defeated Tri-Valley 61-47.  The Panther boys won 66-32.

Dakota Valley 61, Tri-Valley 47 – Girls

After Tri-Valley made the first field goal of the game, Dakota Valley used a 12-0 run in the first quarter to build a lead they wouldn’t lose.  The Panthers led 18-5 after the first quarter and extended the lead to 34-10 with 2:30 to play in the second quarter.  The Mustangs finished the half on a 7-2 run, but still trailed 36-17 at halftime.  Dakota Valley maintained about a 15-point lead in the third quarter and led 48-31 heading into the fourth quarter.

The Mustangs shot 39% (19-49) from the field, 14% (2-14) from three-point area, and 7-10 from the free-throw line.  The Panthers were 37% (23-62) shooting, 2-17 on three pointers, and 62% (13-21) from the free-throw line.

Lauren Grinde had 17 points and seven rebounds.  Pagie Jewett had 15 points and four rebounds.  Hillary Hastings had five points and six rebounds.  Madelyn Wenzel added four points and eight rebounds.  Ava Pearson had three points, nine rebounds, and five blocked shots.

Dakota Valley 66, Tri-Valley 32 – Boys

Dakota Valley opened the game on a 9-0 run and never looked back.  The Panthers built a 25-10 lead by the end of the first quarter.  They held Tri-Valley to just four second-quarter points and led 45-14 at halftime.  Dakota Valley also outscored the Mustangs in the second half, 21-18.

The Mustangs shot 31% (13-42) in the game, 1-9 from three-point area, and 5-5 from the free-throw line.  Dakota Valley was 45% (27-60) from the field, 30% (7-23) from three-point area, and 50% (5-10) at the free-throw line.

Lance DeWitt had 10 points and four rebounds.  Noah Haynes finished with six points.  Riley Carlson had five points and two rebounds.  Trey Johnson added four points.  Brayden Oyen had three points and five rebounds.

Moving the games a day earlier due to weather, the Tri-Valley Mustang girls and boys basketball teams split a doubleheader in Beresford on Thursday, January 13th.  Both games came down to the final shot.  The girls lost by one point, 58-57.  The boys ended their skid with a three-point win on a buzzer-beater, 50-47.

Beresford 58, Tri-Valley 57 – Girls

The Mustangs nearly completed a fourth quarter comeback in their game.  Tri-Valley held a two-point lead after the first quarter, 16-14.  The lead grew to five points, 19-14, with 7:40 to go in the first half.  The Watchdogs then went on a big second quarter run.  Beresford held Tri-Valley to six points the rest of the quarter and led 35-25 at halftime.

Beresford maintained their lead throughout the third quarter.  The Watchdogs led 47-39 heading into the fourth quarter.  The Mustangs went on an 11-3 run to tie the game 50-50 with 4:45 to play.  Tri-Valley eventually took the lead 53-52 with 1:50 to play.  The two teams traded baskets the remainder of the game.  Stephanie Buchmann made a shot with :12 to go to put the Mustangs ahead 57-56.  Beresford followed with a made basket seconds later to retake the lead.  After a timeout, Tri-Valley drew up a play that gave Lauren Grinde a good look for a last second shot, but unfortunately, the shot fell of the back of the rim.

Grinde finished with 22 points, four rebounds, two steals, and two assists.  Paige Jewett had 11 points and four rebounds.  Buchmann added 10 points and four rebounds.  Hillary Hastings had six points and five points.

Tri-Valley 50, Beresford 47 – Boys

The Tri-Valley boys completed their comeback for a 50-47 win over the Watchdogs.  Beresford took advantage of a slow start by the Mustangs in the first quarter for a 13-5 win.  Tri-Valley cut the lead down to one point, 21-20, by halftime.

The Mustangs still found themselves trailing after three quarters of play, 29-26.  The Tri-Valley offense really took off in the fourth quarter, nearly doubling their score in the final quarter alone.  With the game tied 47-47 with 2.9 seconds to go, Noah Haynes hit a three-pointer from the top of the key at the buzzer to give the Mustangs the win.

Three players finished in double figures for the Mustangs.  Haynes finished with 16 points.  Lance DeWitt had 12 points, and Connor Christensen had 10 points.

The Tri-Valley Mustangs hosted the Mt Vernon/Plankinton Titans in a doubleheader on Thursday, January 6th.  The Titans got a win in both games.  They won the girls game 64-37, and the Titan boys won 40-31.

Mt Vernon/Plankinton 64, Tri-Valley 37 – Girls

With about three minutes to go in the first quarter, the game was tied at 13-13.  Mt Vernon/Plankinton then went on a 23-0 run over the next eight minutes.  The Titans finished the first quarter leading 24-13.  The run continued into the second quarter and was finally snapped with three minutes to go in the half.  The Titans led 38-19 at halftime.  Mt Vernon/Plankinton continued to shoot the ball well in the second half and played strong defense.  The Titans grew their lead to 56-28 by the end of the third quarter.

Tri-Valley shot 35% (16-46) in the game, 16% (3-19) on three pointers, and was 2-6 from the free-throw line.  The Titans, meanwhile, shot 48% (26-54), 7-10 from three-point area, and 5-10 from the free-throw line.

Paige Jewett had 14 points and three assists.  Ava Pearson finished with eight points, seven rebounds, and three blocked shots.  Lauren Grinde added six points, four rebounds, and two assists.  Stephanie Buchmann had five points, three rebounds, and two assists.

Mt Vernon/Plankinton 40, Tri-Valley 31 – Boys

The boys game was very physical throughout the entire contest.  The physical play caused problems for both offenses as the two teams both finished shooting under 30% in the game.  The Mustangs held the lead through three quarters of play.  Tri-Valley led 11-8 at the end of the first quarter and then 22-18 at halftime.  The Titans tied the game 25-25 with 4:00 to go in the third quarter, but Tri-Valley held a 29-28 advantage heading into the fourth quarter.  Unfortunately, that’s when the Mustangs went cold offensively.  They made only one field goal in the last quarter, which came with just :50 to play.

The Mustangs shot 23% (12-52) from the field, 25% (5-20) from three-point area, and just 2-5 from the free-throw line.  The Titans took advantage of their trips to the free-throw line as almost half of their points in the game were scored from there.  Mt Vernon/Plankinton finished the game shooting 28% (11-40) from the field, did not make a three-pointer, but went 18-31 from the free-throw line.

Lance DeWitt had eight points, four rebounds, and four assists.  Riley Carlson finished with eight points and two steals.  Cole Focken also tied for the team-high eight points and also had a steal.  Owen Besmer had four points, five rebounds, and two blocks.  Brayden Oyen had three points and seven rebounds.  Connor Christensen had a team-high 11 rebounds.

The Vermillion Tanagers hosted the Tri-Valley Mustang girls and basketball teams in a doubleheader on Tuesday, December 21st.  The Tanagers won both games.  Tri-Valley girls lost 47-37, and the boys team lost 70-35.

Vermillion 47, Tri-Valley 37 – Girls

After falling behind 15-2 early in the second quarter, the Tri-Valley Mustangs couldn’t get out of that hole.  The Mustangs pulled within seven points, 15-8, with 5:00 to play in the second quarter, but Vermillion pushed the lead back to 13 by halftime, 23-10.

Tri-Valley got the deficit down to single digits at 29-20 with 1:00 to play in the third quarter.  But again the Tanagers extended the lead back to 13 points by the end of the quarter, 33-20.  That lead grew to a game-high 17 points, 39-22, with 6:00 to play in the game.  Tri-Valley couldn’t get any closer than the 10 points at the end of the game.

The Mustangs were led by Lauren Grinde with 11 points and Maddie Wenzel with eight points.

Vermillion 70, Tri-Valley 35 – Boys

The Vermillion Tanager boys shot over 50% beyond the arc, and the defense forced 26 Tri-Valley turnovers in their 70-35 win over the Mustangs.  Vermillion led 16-8 at the end of the first quarter, and the lead continued to grow each quarter.  Tri-Valley trailed 33-20 at halftime and 49-26 at the end of the third quarter.

The Mustangs shot 33% (13-40) from the field, 33% (3-9) from three-point area, and 75% (6-8) from the free-throw line.  Vermillion finished 43% (27-63), 53% (9-17) on three-pointers, and 54% (7-13) from the free-throw line.  The Tanagers had 12 steals and 29 rebounds, while Tri-Valley had six steals and 27 rebounds.

Cory McDonald finished the game with 12 points, four rebounds, two steals, and two assists.  Brayden Oyen had nine points, two rebounds, and two assists.  Connor Christensen added five points, 10 rebounds, and three blocked shots.  Lance DeWitt had four points.

The Mustang girls will host Garretson in a make-up game on Tuesday, December 28th.

The Tri-Valley Mustang girls and boys basketball teams hosted the Chester Flyers in the first home doubleheader of the 2021-2022 season on Friday, December 17th.  The girls took the win over the Flyers 66-45.  The Mustang boys lost 42-36.

Tri-Valley 66, Chester 45 – Girls

The Mustangs started fast and held an early 8-1 lead in the first quarter.  Chester then had an 8-0 run to take a 9-8 lead.  The Mustangs finished the quarter on an 9-3 run for a 17-12 lead after the first quarter.  Chester regained the lead 25-24, but again Tri-Valley went on a run.  The Mustangs closed the half on a 9-2 run for a 33-27 halftime lead.

Tri-Valley then had a big third quarter.  The Mustangs outscored the Flyers 22-7 in the third quarter for a 55-34 lead heading into the fourth quarter.  The two teams both scored 11 points in the fourth quarter.

Tri-Valley was 32% (24-74) from the field, 18% (5-28) from three-point area, and 59% (13-22) from the free-throw line.  Chester shot just 23% (12-52) from the field, 25% (5-20) from three-point area, but 67% (16-24) from the free-throw line.  The Mustangs forced 20 turnovers, including 15 steals.

Paige Jewett had 22 points and three rebounds.  Lauren Grinde had 12 points, seven assists, five rebounds, and five steals.  Ava Pearson had a double-double with 11 points and 13 rebounds.  Madelyn Wenzel added 10 points and seven rebounds.  Steph Buchmann ended with nine points, six rebounds, and three assists.

Chester 42, Tri-Valley 36 – Boys

The Mustangs held a 10-point lead late in the third quarter, but the Flyers pulled off the comeback for a 42-36 win.  Tri-Valley led 5-0 early, but Chester went on a 9-0 run for a 9-5 lead.  The Mustangs cut the lead down to 12-11 by the end of the first quarter.  Both teams struggled offensively in the second quarter, and Tri-Valley led 18-15 at halftime.

After Chester scored the first three points of the third quarter to tie the game 18-18, Tri-Valley went on a 10-0 run for a 28-18 lead.  The Mustangs led 31-21 with 1:00 to play in the third quarter.  The Flyers comeback started by scoring the final four points of the third quarter to make the score 31-25.  Chester then outscored Tri-Valley 17-5 in the final quarter for the win.

Tri-Valley shot just 25% (14-56) from the field, 23% (7-31) from three-point area, and just 1-5 on free-throws.  The Fyers were 32% (15-47) from the field, 27% (4-15) from three-point area, and 50% (8-16) from the free-throw line.

Cory McDonald had 14 points, three rebounds, and two assists.  Lance DeWitt finished with eight points, seven rebounds, five assists, and three steals.  Noah Haynes had four points, 15 rebounds, and three steals.  Connor Christensen had four points and three rebounds.  Brayden Oyen had three points, and Owen Besmer finished with two points and six rebounds.