The third annual Sacred Hoops Classic tips off Saturday at the Corn Palace. 

The classic is designed to pit Native American schools against non-Native American schools and is aimed at scheduling East River vs. West River teams against each other.

The nine-game event features boys and girls basketball teams and it starts at 9 a.m. and continues until 9 p.m. Here’s the complete schedule: Crow Creek vs. Kimball/White Lake (boys), 9 a.m.; Madison vs. Pine Ridge (girls), 10:30 a.m.; Madison vs. Winner (boys), noon; Kimball/White Lake vs. Lower Brule (girls), 1:30 p.m.; Custer vs. Parkston (boys), 3 p.m.; Lennox vs. Pine Ridge (boys), 4:30 p.m.; Custer vs. Crow Creek (girls), 6 p.m.; West Central vs. White River (girls), 7:30 p.m., and West Central vs. Lower Brule (boys), 9 p.m.

Here’s are three storylines to watch Saturday:

Virtue, Tennyson powers Custer Wildcats

Two Custer frontcourt players — one a senior and one a freshman — are a driving force behind the Wildcats’ 5-2 start to the season. 

Six-foot-5 senior Gage Tennyson and 6-foot-4 freshman forward Kyle Virtue have been instrumental for Wildcats, who won the Makosika Bracket title at the Lakota Nation Invitational on Dec. 18 in Rapid City. 

Tennyson, who will play football at the University of South Dakota, averaged 13 points and the fourth-most rebounds per game (9.6) at the LNI. Tennyson recorded a 17-point, 13-rebound contest against Crazy Horse at the LNI. 

Virtue was the fifth-leading scorer (21.3) and sixth-leading rebounder (9.3) at the event. Virtue logged a 30-point, nine-rebound game against Todd County at the LNI. 

Custer plays Parkston (5-2) at 3 p.m 

No. 3 vs. No. 3 

A pair of No. 3-ranked teams will clash in Saturday’s penultimate game. 

Class B No. 3 White River, which won last year’s state championship, plays Class A No. 3 West Central at 7:30 p.m., in the second to last game of the night. The contest also pits a pair of high-scoring guards in White River’s Maleighya Estes and West Central’s Addy Kramer. 

Estes, who will play basketball at Dakota Wesleyan University, averaged 29.3 points per game at the Lakota Nation Invitational earlier this season. Estes and White River (6-1) captured third place in the Oceti Sakowin Bracket at the LNI. Estes erupted for 33 points and 15 rebounds in White River’s 59-47 win over Crow Creek at the event. 

Kramer is coming off a 30-point, nine-rebound performance in a 68-58 win over Tea Area on Thursday. Kramer finished 10 of 18 from the field, including 9 of 16 at the 3-point line. West Central (6-0) converted 17 of its 36 3-point attempts in the win. Rylee Haldeman canned four 3-pointers, while Tabor Teel nailed three 3-pointers. 

Lower Brule's Brian LaRoche is honored after scoring his 1,000th career point at the Lakota Nation Invitational. (Rodney Haas / 605 Sports)

Two top-5 teams clash in nightcap

Two top-five teams — Lower Brule and West Central — will collide in Saturday’s nightcap at the Corn Palace. Lower Brule is No. 3 in Class B, while West Central is No. 5 in Class A.

West Central (4-1) is powered by Grafton Stroup, 6-foot guard, who is averaging 21 points per game. West Central (4-1) began the season with an 85-74 win over 2021 Class A state champ Sioux Falls Christian. It also recorded wins over Mount Vernon/Plankinton, Garretson and Dell Rapids.

Lower Brule, which captured its first Lakota Nation Invitational since 2004, defeated Class B powers White River and Viborg-Hurley this season. The Sioux (5-1) are coming off a 53-52 defeat against Class A Clark/Willow Lake at the Huron Holiday Classic. 

Lower Brule features a balanced scoring attack, with five players averaging in double figures: Keshaume Thigh (16.3), Brian LaRoche, Jr., (15.3), Ellwyn Langdeau (12), Gavin Thigh (11.2) and Lane Gray (10).