The Vermillion Tanagers defeated the Dell Rapids Quarriers in dramatic fashion, 25-22, on Thursday, January 24th in Dell Rapids. The Quarriers held a slim 9-7 lead after halftime. Vermillion was able to take a three-point lead, 19-22, late in the fourth quarter. With just 27.8 seconds left in the game, Karen Eddy hit a three-point shot to tie the game at 22-22. After a timeout with 6 seconds left, Vermillion’s Blair Gilkyson hit a three-point shot at the buzzer from the top of the key to give the Tanagers the 25-22 win.
Julie Rice led the Quarriers with eight points and eight rebounds. Eddy had six points. Dell Rapids shot just 16% from the field and went 5-13 from the free throw line.
Head coach Jeff Dvorak said, “Our defense is keeping us in games right now, and I’m proud of that effort. We must find players who can hit free throws and the bunnies we are getting, and right now those players are not consistently there. We must continue our effort and faith that we are not that far away from being a good team. I think we all see improvement, but we’re hitting the point of the season when we need to find ways to win these tight games.”
Dell Rapids falls to 4-10 on the year. The Quarriers will host Canton on Tuesday, January 29th. The game will be webcast on Big Sioux Media.