By Ryan Deal 

605 Sports

The Lower Brule boys basketball team picked up another signature win at the Sacred Hoops Classic. 

Playing their unselfish and fast-paced style, the Sioux outlasted West Central, 67-59, in a matchup of two top-five ranked teams at Mitchell’s Corn Palace. It was another quality win for Lower Brule, which also owns wins over Class A teams Custer, Little Wound and Lakota Tech. The Sioux (6-1) have also defeated Class B powers White River, in the Lakota Nation Invitational title game, and Viborg-Hurley. 

“These kids are playing good,” Lower Brule coach Brian LaRoche Sr., said. “They put on a good show and they play good team ball, trust each other and move the ball.”

Against West Central, Lower Brule held a 47-44 lead with five-minutes and 15 seconds left. That’s when the Sioux scored 10 of the next 13 points in under two minutes for a 57-47 lead. 

“We were just trying to spread them out and move the ball,” Lower Brule junior Gavin Thigh said. “(We) worked the clock since we were up, look for the iso off the top of the key and just find the scorers.”

Lower Brule converted at the free-throw line to secure the win over West Central, which had earned quality wins over Sioux Falls Christian, Mount Vernon/Plankinton and Dell Rapids. 

“It was a lot of fun,” Thigh added about the win. “It was just a lot of intensity because of the crowd and a lot of pressure on us for having a target on our back for being top three.”

Lower Brule remained No. 3 in the Class B poll, but it remained No. 1 in the seed points with 48.143 points. The Sioux’s gauntlet of a schedule is behind them, but they will also play in the Dakota Oyate Challenge in Huron, the DWU/Culver’s Classic and Warner Classic later in the season. 

Lower Brule features five players averaging between 9.7 and 16.9 points per game: Keshaume Thigh (16.9), Brian LaRoche Jr., (14.9), Gavin Thigh (11.9), Ellwyn Langdeau (11.4) and Lane Gray (9.7). As a team, the Sioux average 11.7 assists and 9.7 steals per game. 

Ihnen’s first half catapults him into record books

Lennox’s Porter Ihnen put together a game — more specifically a first half — to remember at the Sacred Hoops Classic. 

A 6-foot-5 sophomore, Ihnen tossed in 45 points in Lennox’s 95-33 win over Pine Ridge at the Corn Palace. Ihnen scored 41 of his 45 points in the first half, converting 13 of 13 at the foul line and 14 made field goals in the first 16 minutes. Ihnen was taken out late in the third quarter with 45 points, which is among the best individual performances in Class A boys basketball history.

Ihnen’s 45-point performance is tied with Cheyenne-Eagle Butte’s Gideon Mendoza, Todd County’s Rich Crow Eagle and Canton’s Bill Christensen for the 13th most points scored in a Class A boys basketball game. 

Ihnen's 45 points are also the most in Lennox boys basketball history. Jared Vlastuin had the previous record of 42 points in the 2007-08 season, while Jacob Hinker is third with a 40-point performance in 2015-16. 

West Central’s Josh Mueller and Red Cloud’s Alejandro Rama are tied atop the Class A single game scoring list with 60 points each. 

West Central girls stay perfect 

Class A No. 3 West Central captured a 59-34 win over Class B No. 3 White River at the Sacred Hoops Classic. 

The win came two days after the Trojans (7-0) defeated Tea Area, nailing 17 3-pointers in the win. Against White River, Rylee Haldeman led the Trojans with 23 points and Tabor Teel scored 10 points. 

The Trojans also have quality wins over Class A foes Mount Vernon/Plankinton and Winner, along with Class AA Sioux Falls Jefferson.