MITCHELL — The 43rd annual girls basketball Hanson Classic is Saturday, Jan. 17 at the Corn Palace. 

The eight-game event features 12 teams either ranked or receiving votes in the latest South Dakota Prep Media Basketball Poll. The classic starts at 10 a.m. with Hanson vs. Woodbury Central, Iowa and concludes with Mahpiya Luta vs. Lennox at 8:30 p.m.

The classic will be available to stream online at www.beavers.liveticket.tv. The cost is $24.99 for all day and it includes all eight games at the Corn Palace. The purchase is for live stream only. No playback is available. 

Here are five matchups to watch this year’s Hanson Classic:

Mahpiya Luta vs. Lennox 

The nightcap features the top-two ranked teams in Class A. 

Mahpiya Luta (9-0) is No. 1 in the latest South Dakota Prep Media Basketball Poll, while Lennox (11-0) is No. 2 in the poll. Mahpiya Luta and Lennox are two of the last undefeated teams remaining in Class A girls basketball. Hamlin (8-0) is the third. 

Mahpiya Luta outscores its opponents by an average of 40.5 points per game, and averages 71.2 points per game. Mahpiya Luta won its fifth consecutive Lakota Nation Invitational girls championship in December. 

All-stater Ashlan Carlow-Blount, a 6-foot point guard, engineers the high-powered Mahpiya Luta offense. Carlow-Blount, who will play college basketball at Division I South Dakota, recently went over 1,500 points for her career. Carlow-Blount is coming off 18 points and 17 rebounds in a win over Lakota Tech on Jan. 13. Mya Mills added 19 points and eight steals in the victory. Mahpiya Luta has six players averaging six or more points per game. 

Lennox also features a balanced scoring attack, led by Andie Peters, Teagen Sturm, Bergan Musser, Olivia Niederbaumer (a 6-foot-5 junior forward), Tori Gerdes and Libby Kranz. The Orioles are outscoring their opponents by 26.3 points per game, while they’re scoring 55.1 points per game.

Parkston vs. Ethan

Two ranked Class B teams separated by 12 miles will play at the Corn Palace. 

No. 2 Parkston (9-1) will play No. 4 Ethan (8-1) at 7 p.m. in a marquee Class B matchup. The teams played at last season’s DWU/Culver’s Classic in Mitchell, their first girls basketball meeting since the 1981 Class B state tournament. 

The Trojans have cruised to a 9-1 record, outscoring their opponents by 29.9 points per game.

Parkston is powered by Alexis Holzbauer, Berkley Ziebart, Morgan Maxwell and Keeara Oakley. Ziebart recently scored her 1,000th career point. 

Ethan’s lone setback was a 59-50 decision against Class A power Wagner on Jan. 6. The Rustlers are outscoring their opponents by 33.5 points per game, while they’re averaging 65.2 points per game.

Ethan is powered by Taziah Hawkins, Marissa Storm, Rachel Klock and Macie Dean. 

Wagner vs. Hamlin

Two recent Class A state tourney qualifiers will play at 5:30 p.m.

Class A No. 3 Hamlin (8-0) will play Class A No. 5 Wagner (7-2) in a top-five Class A matchup between two 2025 Class A state girls basketball tourney teams. Hamlin placed third last season, while Wagner took seventh place. 

It is another ranked matchup for Hamlin, which also defeated No. 10 Mobridge-Pollock (51-47) and No. 4 Sioux Valley (51-32). 

Hamlin is led by all-stater Addison Neuendorf, a 5-foot-6 guard headed to play college basketball at Division II Northern State. Issie Steffensen, Addie Jensen and Paxton Neuendorf are also key contributors. 

Wagner is headlined by all-stater Ashlyn Koupal, a 6-foot-3 guard/forward headed to play college basketball at Division I Nebraska. Koupal is currently the 21st leading scorer in South Dakota girls basketball history with 2,197 career points. 

Lyman vs. Mobridge-Pollock

Class B No. 1 Lyman will put its undefeated record up against Class A No. 10 Mobridge-Pollock at the Corn Palace. 

Lyman (7-0) will play Mobridge-Pollock (6-2) at 2:30 p.m. in a cross-class ranked matchup. Lyman has cruised to an undefeated record, outscoring its opponents by 27.2 points and averaging 60 points per game. The Raiders’ signature win was a 60-52 victory over Class AA Mitchell on Dec. 29 at the Corn Palace. They also defeated Corsica-Stickney, which is receiving votes in the latest Class B South Dakota Prep Media Basketball Poll, by a 44-35 score at the Corn Palace.

The Raiders are led by sisters Mak and Jordyn Scott. Mak Scott, a 6-foot senior forward, is inching closer to 2,000 career points. Jordyn Scott, a 5-foot-11 sophomore guard, is coming off 24 points and three 3-pointers against Kadoka Area on Jan. 13. 

Mobridge-Pollock’s two losses were against No. 3 Hamlin (51-47) and No. 4 Sioux Valley (62-47) in back-to-back games. The Tigers own a 46-44 win over No. 9 Aberdeen Roncalli. 

Mobridge-Pollock is led by all-stater Blake Thompson, a 5-foot-8 senior guard headed to play college basketball at Division II Black Hills State University. Thompson scored her 1,000th career point on Jan. 15. 

Corsica-Stickney vs. Harding County

East River meets West River in a Class B matchup.

Class B No. 6 Harding County (9-0) will play Corsica-Stickney (6-2) at 1 p.m. in a Class B girls basketball contest. 

Harding County, which qualified for last season’s Class B state tourney, has cruised to its 9-0 record this season. The Ranchers have outscored their opponents by 41.1 points per game, while they’re averaging 70 points per game this season. 

Harding County is led by Kamry Padden, a 5-foot-9 sophomore guard averaging 13.2 points, 5.2 steals, 5.1 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game. Macey Wendt averages 13 points per game, while Raelee Hunsucker adds 9.4 points per game. 

Corsica-Stickney’s two losses were against Class B No. 1 Lyman (44-35) and Class B No. 2 Parkston (56-47). The Jaguars, who are receiving votes in the latest rankings, defeated Class B No. 9 Sanborn Central/Woonsocket (38-31) on Dec. 18. 

Corsica-Stickney is led by all-stater Braylee Bordewyk, a 5-foot-9 junior guard. 

The pairings are listed below: 

Hanson vs. Woodbury Central, Iowa, 10 a.m.

Sanborn Central/Woonsocket vs. Elk Point-Jefferson, 11:30 a.m.

Corsica-Stickney vs. Harding County, 1 p.m.

Lyman vs. Mobridge-Pollock, 2:30 p.m.

St. Thomas More vs. Dakota Valley, 4 p.m.

Wagner vs. Hamlin, 5:30 p.m.

Parkston vs. Ethan, 7 p.m.

Mahpiya Luta vs. Lennox, 8:30 p.m.