ABERDEEN — Castlewood relied on its calling card on Thursday. 

The No. 1 Warriors limited No. 8 Lyman to just three third-quarter points and pulled away for a 64-38 win at the Class B boys basketball tournament at Wachs Arena. 

Castlewood (22-2) gave up 17 Lyman points in the second quarter, and stretched its lead to 32-24 at halftime. The Warriors surrendered just 14 points in the second half, including three in the third quarter. 

“Our defense is what carried us all year and they were getting to the rim on us early in the game,” Castlewood coach Paul Raasch said. “We had to get that figured out and once we did we were in pretty good shape.”

Castlewood also relied on its depth, finishing with four players in double figures. Luke Baumberger tossed in 15 points and hit three of Castlewood’s seven 3-pointers.  

Baumberger hit two of his three 3-pointers in the first half. 

“You just have to realize that you put in the work all year and you just have to stay calm in the moment and when it goes down you just love that feeling,” Baumberger said. 

Kamden Keszler, Brody Bass, Jamison Keszler and Tyson Manley also hit 3-pointers. The 7-of-15 shooting performance from beyond the arc complemented 6-foot-9 Bryon Laue, who finished with 12 points and 11 rebounds.  

“Other guys have to hit shots and they know that and we are capable of doing that,” Raasch said. “We are comfortable shooting that shot. We shot really well in practice yesterday. Our guys were all feeling good about it. Hopefully that carries through the tournament.”

Jamison Keszler added 13 points, four rebounds and five assists. Kamden Keszler totaled 10 points, four assists and three rebounds.  

Lyman (17-7) was led by MJ Diehm’s 13 points, three steals and three rebounds. Cole Kieffer tallied nine points and four rebounds, while Dawsen Volmer totaled five points. 

The Raiders shot 10-of-23 in the first half to stay within striking distance, but Castlewood closed the second quarter on a 9-2 run and took a 32-24 halftime lead. 

“We just knew we had to shape up defensively a little bit and we did,” Raasch said. “We talk about the first three minutes of the third quarter all the time. We talk about trying to put together two 7-0 runs. We did, and got control of the game that way.”

Lyman will play Wall or Wessington Springs in the consolation semifinals at noon on Friday.

Castlewood will play Wall or Wessington Springs in the championship semifinals at 6 p.m. Friday.  

It will be Castlewood’s second consecutive season playing in the championship semifinals, and Baumberger knows how electric the Wachs Arena atmosphere will be. 

“I am looking forward to it,” Baumberger said. “It’s so fun. It’s one of the best atmospheres to play in.”