MITCHELL — After a crazy week in Class A girls basketball, No. 1 Mahpiya Luta stands alone as the last remaining undefeated team in the class. 

Mahpiya Luta out-dueled Class A No. 2 Lennox, 66-56, in the nightcap at the girls Hanson Classic at the Corn Palace. The game capped off the prestigious classic, but also closed out a week where seven of the top-10 teams suffered at least one defeat. 

With the win, Mahpiya Luta is 10-0 after an entertaining win over the Orioles (11-1). 

“I feel like this is going to give us a boost of confidence because we are the only team that’s undefeated in the state (Class A),” Mahpiya Luta senior Mya Mills said. “So I feel like that’s good for us and our team. So it’s going to motivate us to keep going.”

The No. 1 vs. No. 2 battle featured 16 total 3-pointers, six ties, five lead changes and seven total double-digit scorers. Mills tossed in 14 points, including 4-of-6 from the 3-point line. Ashlan Carlow-Blount, Dorthie Mesteth and Peyton Knife each scored 12 points apiece. Jayden Standing Soldier added nine points for Mahpiya Luta, which drilled 6-of-10 3-pointers in the first half to help weather a 10-2 deficit midway through the first quarter. 

“We shoot a lot and anybody that’s watched us over the years knows that we are going to shoot the three,” Mahpiya Luta coach Matt Rama said. “We shoot the three at every level. We want people to space out with us. So that then later on in the game we can get to the rim. But they shot the heckuva out of the ball as well.”

Just like Mahpiya Luta, Lennox also hit eight 3-pointers in the game. Lennox’s Andie Peters had the hot hand, tossing in 18 points on 6-of-12 from the 3-point line. Bergan Musser added 13 points and seven rebounds. Karlie Bosma had 10 points.  

Mahpiya Luta took a 28-23 lead into halftime, sparked by an 18-10 second-quarter margin. The teams then traded baskets in front of an electric Corn Palace crowd. 

Mahpiya Luta led 45-41 after the third quarter, and Carlow-Blount scored 10 of her 12 points in the frame. The all-state guard headed to the University of South Dakota was held to two points in the first half, while Lennox keyed on her defensively. 

But the point guard dished out nine assists, added five steals and five rebounds, continuing her all-around play that’s defined her career. 

“I feel like she is making the right play and when it gets into the third and fourth, people are spread out and she is able to get to the rim and do some other things to make big plays,” Rama said. “I feel like we have a really talented roster with a lot of kids that can score, and she trusts them too.”

“It’s good because we know how to play if she’s getting double teamed,” Mills added. “We know how to score without her. So I think that’s good.”

In the fourth quarter, Lennox’s Adie McVey’s 3-point play cut the deficit to 57-56 with three minutes left. Mahpiya Luta closed out the game on a 9-0 run, including an ill-advised 3-pointer by Shania Ferguson. 

In the closing seconds, the Lennox student body attempted to throw off Mahpiya Luta by incorrectly counting down the shot clock seconds. Ferguson launched a deep 3-pointer, swishing it with 30 seconds on the game clock and eight seconds on the shot clock, extending the lead to 64-56. 

“I wasn't mad,” Rama laughed about the shot. “But we are definitely going to have a conversation about knowing what the time is. Not just because someone says it. But it was like an awesome moment.”

Mahpiya Luta erupted, and improved its record to 10-0 with the marquee Class A victory. 

“I feel like we prepared all week for this hard game because we knew it was coming and we took practice very seriously throughout the week,” Mills said. “I feel like we did everything we needed to win tonight.”