RAPID CITY – 100 years and a day after Yankton beat Mitchell for a state championship, the Bucks prevailed again over the Kernels.
Mac Ryken scored 19 points and Rugby Ryken had 18 Saturday as Yankton held off Mitchell 65-61 in the SDHSAA Boys Class AA championship game at the Summit Arena at The Monument.
Turnovers made the difference. Yankton (19-5) forced 19 Mitchell turnovers and the Bucks outscored the Kernels in points off turnovers 14-3. Yankton turned the ball over just six times.
Markus Talley scored 16 points for Mitchell (19-5), who lost despite shooting 59% from the field and taking 29 rebounds to Yankton’s 17. Aiden Myers scored 14, Charlie McCardle tallied 11 and Dylan Soulek scored 10 with seven rebounds and 11 assists.
The only other boys championship game between these schools happened March 17, 1923 at the Corn Palace in Mitchell. Yankton won that game 25-14.
This is the Bucks’ 10th boys basketball championship and their first since 2018.
3rd Place
Sioux Falls Jefferson 65, Sioux Falls Lincoln 56
Griffin Wilde had a double-double to lead Jefferson (21-3), with 18 points and 13 rebounds. Kaden Year scored 14 and Taylen Ashley had 13.
Seven-footer JT Rock scored 18 points with nine rebounds for Lincoln (19-5).
5th Place
Pierre 68, Harrisburg 67 (2 OT)
7th Place
Sioux Falls Roosevelt 58, Sioux Falls Washington 56
Hayden Goff, with his only points of the game, scored in the paint with four seconds left for the winning points for Roosevelt (14-10).
