By Jacob Wuertz

605 Sports

SUMMIT — Aberdeen Christian and Waubay/Summit both stepped onto the court on Thursday night, each looking to extend their winning streaks this season. After the final buzzer sounded, Class B No. 2 Aberdeen Christian kept its undefeated season alive with a 53-30 win over Waubay/Summit. The contest was a rematch of a game between the two programs during the Class B consolation semifinals last season, in which Waubay/Summit defeated Aberdeen Christian, 56-42, en route to the consolation championship. 

The Knights overcame first half shooting woes and used an aggressive defense to fuel the victory.

“They (Waubay/Summit) missed the first couple of shots and then we just got energy from there and the whole team D’ed everyone up,” Aberdeen Christian senior Jackson Isakson said.

The two northeastern South Dakota teams struggled to put points on the board in the first half. After leading 7-4 at the end of the first quarter, the Knights found their rhythm in the second quarter, going on an 8-0 run in the first three and a half minutes. Meanwhile, the Knights defense held Waubay/Summit to just three points in the quarter, taking a 17-7 lead into halftime.

After Waubay/Summit opened the second half with a basket, Aberdeen Christian proceeded on an 11-0 run to extend its lead to 28-9. The start to the second half boosted the Knights in a game that had a state tournament-type atmosphere.

“It felt like a state (tournament) game, so we definitely had to maintain our composure a little bit,” Aberdeen Christian head coach Matt Rohrbach said. “So just kinda staying with it and getting our heads back into the game, and more of a state game versus some of the games we’ve had previously.”

Aberdeen Christian took the momentum, and a 31-11 lead, into the final quarter, where both teams picked up the pace and finished the game strong. 

Waubay/Summit’s trio of guards, Damon Opdahl, Jonathan Johnston, and Jackson Wohlleber, were held in check much of the night and struggled to get into rhythm offensively, in part due to Aberdeen Christian’s defensive effort.

“We had specific gameplans for each of them, and they are good players,” Rohrbach said. “But really it just comes back to the guys. I gotta give all the players credit. They were just working their butt off out there tonight, and so they get all the credit for shutting them down.”

The Knights defense held Opdahl to 13 points, with 11 of those points coming at the free-throw line. Wohlleber finished with eight points, while Traveion Neilan had five points. Johnston was held to just two points.

Aberdeen Christian's Malek Wieker attempts a shot against Waubay/Summit's Jackson Wohlleber (1) during a boys basketball game on Jan. 19. (Photo Courtesy of Ashley Jenkins)

Isakson led Aberdeen Christian with 16 points, while Ethan Russell had 13 points. Konnar Furman provided nine points off the bench, while Malek Wieker and Andrew Brennan each added five points.

Waubay/Summit (10-1) plays at Warner on Jan. 27, while Aberdeen Christian (9-0) now turns its attention to the Hanson Classic on Saturday, where the Knights take on perennial power White River in a No. 1 vs No. 2 showdown. The win over the Mustangs propels the Knights forward as they look to Saturday’s showdown with the No. 1 Tigers.

“It’s definitely a big win, especially coming into somebody’s house and getting it done,” Rohrbach said. “Obviously White River is going to be a good one on Saturday, but you know, we’ve got a bunch of competitors on this team. It’s gonna be easy for them to get ready for White River as they are the favorite in the state right now.”