By Rich Winter

605 Sports

BROOKINGS — Trailing by as many as 10 points in the second half Vermillion came roaring back with the help of an unlikely hero.

Junior guard Kasey Hanson drained a 3-pointer with 3:39 remaining to give the Tanagers their first lead of the game. On Vermillion’s next possession Hanson went deep again to give Vermillion a 54-52 lead with three minutes remaining in Saturday’s Class A state championship game in Brookings. Vermillion would go on to win the title with a 60-54 win. 

“Kasey is a shooter and a kid that tore her ACL this summer,” Vermillion coach Jon Brooks told South Dakota Public Broadcasting after the game. “She just got back like six or seven days ago. She worked her tail off and she showed up big time for us tonight.” 

A high scoring first quarter saw both teams trade leads with Tanager eighth-grader Taylor Reuvers giving Vermillion an 11-8 lead on a left-handed layup. Tea Area’s Mara Grant hit a pair of free-throws and Katie Vasecka hit a jumper that gave the Titans a 16-11 lead. Vasecka hit a baseline jumper and Grant scored off glass as Tea Area led 22-15 after one quarter. 

Vermillion’s Chandler Cleveland led Vermillion with 20 points and kept the Tanagers hanging around by scoring eight, second-quarter points. Cleveland’s basket cut Tea Area’s lead to 30-24 but Ellie Clayberg answered with a 3-pointer. Another basket from Vasecka stretched the first half lead to 36-26.

Vermillion closed the half on a 9-3 run and trailed 39-35 with some momentum for Brooks to spin positively at halftime. 

“I told the girls this is what we’ve been doing all tournament,” Brooks told South Dakota Public Broadcasting. “When we got it back to four and came from behind we just kept hanging in there. Man, we have a bunch of fighters.”

The Tanagers opened the third quarter with a basket and trailed 39-37 before Tea Area opened up their offense. Vasecka scored on a pull-up drive then found Grant for a basket. When Vermillion’s Jeneya Cleveland missed a pair of free-throws, a basket by Tea Area’s Jaycie Babb stretched the Titans lead to 47-37.

LIke they did before the half the Tanagers closed the third quarter on a 10-3 run and trailed 50-44 heading into the final period. 

Cleveland got loose for an inside hoop then scored her 20th point to cut the lead to 50-48 forcing the timeout call from Tea Area. Vermillion’s Hanson hit back-to-back free-throws and Reuvers and Brooke Jensen (three total points) hit just enough free-throws for Vermillion to win their first Class A state title since 2007.

“Brooke didn’t score a lot but she defended so well for us in the second half,” Brooks told South Dakota Public Broadcasting. “We really needed her help defending Vasecka. I thought she played a great game on that end of the floor. 

Cleveland led Vermillion with 20 points and five rebounds. Reuvers added 15 points, five rebounds and six assists. Hanson finished with 12 points for the Tanagers. 

Katie Vasecka led Tea Area with 16 points, nine rebounds and four assists. Mara Grant added 16 points and eight rebounds. Ellie Clayberg and Jaycie Babb each had 10 points for Tea Area. 

Brooks got a little emotional while describing the seniors on this Tanager team.

“We have six great seniors on this team,” he told South Dakota Public Broadcasting. “We see their athleticism but they are better kids than they are athletes.”