All three defending state girls basketball champions, along with 16 of last year’s 24 state tournament qualifiers, are back in the field this week.
The Class AA tourney will be held in Rapid City, Class A in Watertown, and Class B in Brookings Thursday through Saturday.
Second seeded Sioux Falls O’Gorman will be seeking its third straight Class AA state crown and fourth in the past five seasons. The Knights’ victim in each of the past two title games has been Brandon Valley. The Lynx, who lost a year ago by a single point, are unbeaten and the number one seed this time around. Four other AA teams are returning to the state tourney this year including Sioux Falls Washington who placed third, Rapid City Stevens was fourth, Mitchell fifth, and Sioux Falls Jefferson seventh.
In Class A Sioux Falls Christian is back to defend its title and is seeded sixth. SFC nipped Mahpiya Luta by one point in last year’s championship and the West River squad is unbeaten and seeded second this season. The two clubs would meet again in this year’s semifinals if both pick up first round wins. Three other teams are back in the title chase this year including top-seeded Hamlin, a third place finisher last season, Sioux Valley who placed fifth, and Wagner was seventh. The eight clubs have a combined 157-20 season mark.
Third-seeded Bennett County returns to defend its title in Class B against a field that has posted a combined 164-19 record this season. Lyman, who finished sixth a year ago, is the top seed while last year’s consolation champion, Parkston, holds down the second seed. The other two squads back this year are Centerville, third a year ago and Class B champ two seasons ago, and Harding County, who placed seventh.
First round matchup in the Class AA event are #1 Brandon Valley (21-0) vs. #8 Tea Area (12-9) 11 a.m.; #43 Rapid City Stevens (17-4) vs. #5 Aberdeen Central (15-6) 12:45 p.m.; #3 Sioux Falls O’Gorman (20-1) vs. #7 Mitchell (13-8) 5 p.m.; and #3 Sioux Falls Washington (17-4) vs. #6 Sioux Falls Jefferson (14-7) 6:45 p.m.
Class A first round pairings are #1 Hamlin (21-1) vs. #8 Lakota Tech (19-4) 11 a.m.; #4 Sioux Valley (21-2) vs. #5 Lennox (19-3) 12:45 p.m.; #2 Mahpiya Luta (21-0) vs. #7 West Central (18-4) 5 p.m.; and #3 Wagner (19-2) vs. #6 Sioux Falls Christian (19-4) 6:45 p.m.
In Class B #1 Lyman (21-2) vs. #8 Corsica-Stickney (17-5) 11 a.m.; #4 Ethan (21-2) vs. #4 Colman-Egan (22-1) 12:45 p.m.; #2 Parkston (20-3) vs. #7 Centerville (21-2) 5 p.m.; and #3 Bennett County (20-3) vs. #6 Harding County (22-1) 6:45 p.m.
