WATERTOWN, SD (KELO) — The Class “B” women’s basketball tournament kicked off Thursday in Watertown. White River entered as the defending Class B champion and was seeded 5th. Aberdeen Roncalli, who won the Class ‘A’ title a year ago, moved up to Class ‘B’ this season and entered the top seed.
The Cavaliers took on 8th-seeded Viborg-Hurley. It was a tight first half with Aberdeen Roncalli taking a 28-27 lead into the break.
The Cougars outscored the Cavaliers 18-9 in the 3rd to take a 45-37 lead in the 4th quarter. Viborg-Hurley would not turn against Aberdeen Roncalli, 69-58.
In the second quarter-final, it was last year’s state champions White River who faced Corsica-Stickney in a rematch of a semi-final match from a year ago during which the Tigers eliminated the Jaguars at the buzzer.
White River took a 25-19 halftime lead, and they would retain that 6-point lead going into the 4th. But that’s when the Jaguars took over, outscoring the Tigers, 14-4 in the quarter en route to a 49-43 win.
Second-seeded De Smet trailed 5 at half-time in the quarter-final against Aberdeen Christian. The Bulldogs outscored the Knights 15-8 in the 3rd to take a 2-point lead in the 4th quarter. They would hang on from there for the 52-44 victory.
Faith, seeded 6, took control of their game against Wall, seeded 3. The Longhorns beat the Eagles 20-9 in the 2nd quarter, to take a 15-point lead in the half. They would never return that lead as they rolled to Wall’s 54-34 upset.
Viborg-Hurley and Corsica-Stickney will meet in Friday’s first semi-final at 6:00 p.m. Then, Faith and De Smet will follow this match at 7:45 p.m.
