RAPID CITY — For the first time in 16 years, the Tigers are semifinal bound.

No. 3 Huron outlasted No. 6 O’Gorman, 60-45, advancing to the Class AA state boys basketball semifinals for the first time since 2010.

“It was one that we were really waiting for,” said senior guard Blake Ellwein. “It’s been 16 years since we made it to semifinal night and that was a really big goal for our team and it was just a fun team win.”

The Tigers, powered by a 39-26 second-half scoring run, were able to pull away for a win over the No. 6 Knights.

Huron, facing a 26-25 deficit midway through the third quarter, Blake and Myles Ellwein along with Davis Chase exploded for a 12-0 run to take a double-digit lead.

“We just got the ball inside,” said Blake, of the second-half scoring. “We kind of attacked more downhill and on fastbreaks, and then we found Myles. Myles shot the lights out. It’s a lot easier when you can defend them for 30 seconds and get runouts. With having 6-10, 6-8, 6-5 trailing, that’s really tough to guard.”

And defensively, the Tigers honed in on O’Gorman’s guard play, something that hurt Huron in the first game back on Feb. 24.

“We knew we had to keep (Mason) Clark and (Kamden) Cisse out of the middle of the lane,” said Huron head coach Tim Buddenhagen. “If they get to the middle of the lane, now we got to help and now it’s an easy pitch. Weeldreyer hit six three’s against us the first time so we needed to make sure we had guys on the elbows, hedge hard and as soon as they start picking it up we got to go find the shooters.”

Huron utilized its length to take care of the dribble drives, forcing 13 turnovers, six blocked shots and holding the Knights to just 33% from the floor. Clark was held to 14 points, two assists and two steals while Cisse totaled just four points on 1-of-7 shooting, adding nine boards as well.

“We knew we had to stop their guards,” Blake said. Clark is a really good downhill guard and he’s just really good at finding his guys. We just knew we had to defend the paint and that was about it.”

Holding a 43-32 advantage heading to the fourth, the Tigers needed to weather one last OG push to secure the win. A Braylen Yellow Bird bucket cut the lead to six with just over four minutes to go before a 6-0 run by Huron pushed the lead back to 12.

“We thought we needed to iso our guys up in the post when we had a mismatch,” Buddenhagen said. “We had to stuff it in, but they did a really nice job of helping on the backside and that allowed our shooters to get open and that allowed Myles to get a couple of good looks. Fortunately, he buried them.”

Clark and Myles Ellwein traded 3-pointers, before the Huron defense put the clamps on the win.

Myles Ellwein finished with 15 points, Anderson Porisch added a double-double with 11 points, 12 rebounds and four assists while Chase had 13 points, four rebounds and two blocks for the Tigers.

Blake Ellwein, who finished with a game-high 16 points along with six boards, three assists, four steals and four blocks, says the team’s distribution was a big factor in the win.

“The thing with us is you can send doubles at me and Davis, but there’s somebody always open. I don’t think Mason shot a three tonight, but he’s been shooting really well so that’s some shots we were going to have to live with and I was fine living with those shots.”

The Tigers will play in the state semifinals vs. No. 2 Sioux Falls Roosevelt at 6:45 p.m., MT, Friday night inside the Ice Arena at the Monument.

“The last time we played them, they hit 14-of-26 threes so we got to make sure we guard the 3-point line,” Buddenhagen said. “And much like tonight, we’ve got to make sure that we stop penetration and make sure we high-hedge and make them give it up early.”

“It’s going to be a tough, physical game just like it was in Huron, but we’re looking forward to it,” Ellwein said. “They beat us early in midseason and it’s just one of those challenges we’re ready to face as a team.”