By Ryan Deal 

605 Sports

Miller recently received the Louisville scholarship offer and was overwhelmed by the call from the Cardinals, who have qualified for 11 Sweet 16 appearances, seven Elite Eight berths, four trips to the Final Four and two national championship game appearances under veteran coach Jeff Walz. 

“It was like 10 o’clock after one of our games and the assistant coach called me up and I was in tears in my room,” Miller said. “I was just so happy.”

Miller plans to take her final official visit to Louisville later this month. She’s also taken official visits to Central Arkansas, Butler and University of Missouri-Kansas City. She hopes to make a decision before the end of the season. 

Miller has a couple of factors that will weigh heavily in her decision. 

“Team culture is super important to me and I’d also like to go to a school that has high academic accolades,” Miller said. “I’d like to go into med school. So something that will get me high placement into med school would be preferred.”

Wolsey-Wessington's Mallory Miller, left, plays defense against Viborg-Hurley at the Corn Palace on Jan. 14. (Rodney Haas / 605 Sports)

There’s also a family reunion on the table. The University of New Mexico recently offered Miller and her older sister, Hanna, on the same day. A 6-foot-1 forward, Hanna is currently a freshman women’s basketball player at Dodge City Community College, a junior college in Kansas. 

“I would love to play with my sister again,” Mallory Miller said. “That would be an amazing opportunity. It definitely weighs in on the decision.”

Last season, Mallory and Hanna Miller played for Aberdeen Christian, leading the Knights to their first-ever Class B state girls basketball tournament. 

Mallory was a second-team all-stater last season, averaging 19.5 points, 13.2 rebounds and 3.5 blocked shots per game. 

This season, Mallory and Warbirds are ranked No. 2 Class B girls basketball. Wolsey-Wessington (7-1) suffered its first defeat at the Hanson Classic against Class B No. 1 Viborg-Hurley, 72-52. Miller finished with 21 points and 12 rebounds against the Cougars. 

Sayler jumps to No. 15 on state’s all-time scoring list

White River’s Joe Sayler pumped in 90 total points at the Jones County Invitational on Jan. 12-14 in Murdo. 

The all-state guard headed to South Dakota State University scored 35, 32 and 23 points during the three-day tournament. He was named the tournament MVP for the third consecutive season. 

The point total pushed Sayler into No. 15 on the state’s all-time boys basketball scoring list. Sayler currently has 2,279 career points and needs 16 points to pass Dell Rapids St. Mary’s Colby Fitzgerald for 14th place on the scoring list. The No. 1 Tigers (10-1) play St. Francis on Thursday and will play No. 2 Aberdeen Christian at the Hanson Classic on Saturday. 

LaRoche, Ryken bury game-winning 3-pointers

Lower Brule’s Brian LaRoche Jr., and Yankton’s Rugby Ryken both drilled game-winning 3-pointers on Saturday.

LaRoche nailed a 3-pointer to lift Class B No. 4 Lower Brule to a 64-61 win over Class B No. 5 Castlewood at the Dakota Valley Conference Classic in Colman. LaRoche finished with 27 points in the win. 

Ryken also had a dramatic game-winning 3-pointer. Against Sioux Falls O’Gorman, the Bucks forced a steal at halfcourt, Ryken corralled the loose ball and hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer. 

Sheppard, Ross and Wieker join 1,000-point club

Flandreau’s Claire Sheppard, St. Thomas More’s Reese Ross and Aberdeen Christian’s Malek Wieker joined the 1,000-point club this past week. 

Sheppard recorded her 1,000th career point in the Fliers’ 44-29 win over Garretson on Tuesday. Sheppard finished with 19 points and eight rebounds in the win.

Ross reached the 1,000-point club in St. Thomas More’s 47-35 win over West Central on Friday. 

Wieker scored his 1,000th career point in Aberdeen Christian’s 81-36 win over Potter County on Friday. Wieker joins teammates Jackson Isakson and Ethan Russell as 1,000-point scorers. 

ICYMI

In case you missed it, the boys Hanson Classic pairings were released on the Saturday. The annual event is Jan. 21 at the Corn Palace and features a host of top Class A and Class B teams. 

Top Performers

Here's a look at the top performers from the week of Jan. 9-14. 

• Winner’s Shawn Hammerbeck (22) and Blake Volmer (14) combined for 36 points in the Warriors 75-26 win over Bon Homme on Monday. Hammerbeck and Volmer each added 10 rebounds in the win.
• Damon Wilkinson powered De Smet with 30 points, 12 rebounds, and two blocked shots in the Bulldogs 59-40 win over Clark/Willow Lake on Monday. Wilkinson followed up that performance by recording 22 points and 18 rebounds in a 67-23 win over Howard on Tuesday and tossed in 21 points in Thursday’s 69-23 win over Iroquois/Lake Preston.
• Arlington’s Addie Steffensen scored 25 points in the Cardinals 70-56 win over Iroquois/Lake Preston on Monday. Iroquois/Lake Preston’s Adison Moore scored 24 points in the loss.
• Mara Grant totaled 27 points and 14 rebounds to lead Tea Area in the Titans 62-46 loss to Canton on Monday.
• Dani Highum (25) and Ryann Hanssen (15) combined for 40 points to lead Lennox to a 47-38 win over Dell Rapids on Monday.
• Bridgewater-Emery’s Sutton Arend tallied 27 points and 10 rebounds in the Huskies 42-38 win over Ethan on Tuesday.
• Hanson’s Ethan Cheeseman recorded 25 points and 13 rebounds in the Beavers 46-44 win over Parkston on Tuesday.
• Beresford’s Tate VanOtterloo recorded 23 points in the Watchdogs 60-42 win over McCook Central/Montrose on Tuesday. VanOtterloo totaled 24 points in Beresford’s 69-40 win over Tri-Valley on Thursday. 
• The trio of Isaac Bruns (18), Jaxson Wingert (18), and Randy Rosenquist (13) led Class A No. 1 Dakota Valley past West Central, 55-50, on Tuesday. The trio again erupted on Thursday night against Hartington Cedar Catholic, Neb., with Bruns (27), Rosenquist (17), and Wingert (15), along with Jaxon Hennies (14) all scoring in double figures.
• Kimball/White Lake’s Blake Leiferman poured in 33 points and 15 rebounds in the WiLdKats 66-59 overtime win over Sanborn Central/Woonsocket on Tuesday. SCW’s Hayden Beigh (22) and Jeff Boschee (20) combined for 42 points in the loss.
• Mount Vernon/Plankinton’s trio of Mason Hetland (26), Reed Rus (24), and Jordan Stoltz (21) combined for 71 points in the Titans win over Wessington Springs on Tuesday. Rus (32) and Stoltz (17) added another big night on Thursday, combining for 49 points in MVP’s 72-59 win over Platte-Geddes.
• Castlewood’s Lane Tvedt (21) and Bryon Laue (16) combined for 27 points as the Class B No. 4 Warriors edged Clark/Willow Lake, 54-51, on Tuesday. Laue also grabbed 18 rebounds in the win. 
• Dell Rapids St. Mary’s Ella Griffin erupted for 35 points and a school record nine 3-pointers as the Cardinals defeated Elkton-Lake Benton 67-53 on Tuesday.
• Tyler Simon (30) and Ashlee Kaup (16) combined for 46 points to lead Potter County to a 64-42 win over Stanley County on Tuesday.
• Aberdeen Roncalli’s Ava Hanson erupted for 35 points and eight 3-pointers in the Cavaliers 71-43 win over Faulkton Area on Tuesday.
• Wesley Wittler tallied 28 points in Sully Buttes’ 76-59 loss to Miller on Thursday.
• Wagner’s Ashlyn Koupal finished with 26 points in the Class A No. 2 Red Raiders 59-35 win over Parkston on Thursday.
• Lyman’s Mak Scott (26) and Skyler Volmer (20) combined for 46 points in the Raiders 57-41 win over Stanley County on Thursday. Scott added a career-high 32 points and nine rebounds in a 64-34 win over Bennett County on Saturday. 
• Sioux Falls Jefferson’s Taylen Ashley and Griffin Wilde combined for 45 points and 13 rebounds in a 65-56 win over Sioux Falls Washington on Friday. Ashley finished with 25 points, six rebounds and four 3-pointers. Wilde added 20 points, seven rebounds and four assists.
• Redfield's Jerron Haider finished with 35 points in a 73-57 win over Sully Buttes on Saturday.