- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 372,706
- Reaction score
- 43
Mar. 18—WESSINGTON SPRINGS, S.D. — For the second-straight season, the Wessington Springs boys basketball team is headed back to Aberdeen, eyeing a deep run at the Class B boys basketball state tournament.
After a 24-2 and fifth-place state finish last season, the Spartans haven't missed a beat this season. With Joey Mitchell back as head coach following a two-year hiatus, Wessington Springs enters this year's state tournament with a 21-2 record and notable wins over Wolsey-Wessington, Class A squad Hanson, Tripp-Delmont/Armour and Timber Lake in the SoDak 16.
The Spartans' qualifying path wasn't easy though. They narrowly beat James Valley Christian in the regional quarterfinal before coming face-to-face with Wolsey-Wessington. The two played each other twice during the regular season with Wessington Springs winning the first meeting in the 281 Conference boys basketball tournament championship and Wolsey-Wessington winning just a few weeks later.
But having postseason experience came in handy for Wessington Springs. After the two appeared to be headed for another close matchup, the Spartans took control in the second half, eventually winning handily 61-37. They made easy work of Timber Lake 75-49 in the SoDak 16 to punch their second consecutive trip to Aberdeen.
"Being there last year, it pays dividends. The [region semifinal] game against Wolsey-Wessington, there was nerves for us and there was nerves on their side as well," Mitchell said. "I think we were able to play through it and get through that a little easier because of our experience. Last year was a fun experience and we just want to go up there and play well and show what kind of team we are. We want to be able to compete at that level."
The Spartans enter state on a hot streak as well. Winners of nine straight, they were already playing at a high level prior, good enough to make state. But sometimes, outside noise can lead to increased incentive.
Mitchell said using any type of motivation to get amped can help. Specifically, he alluded to a Class B power ranking list on social media that the team felt wasn't giving Wessington Springs enough credit for its strong season.
"I know we got to the end of the season and there was something on Twitter, some sort of power rankings that had us as the No. 10 team in the state," Mitchell said. "We were No. 4 in the seed points and this list had us at No. 10. I guess, we're using whatever kind of motivation we can get at this point of the season."
Wessington Springs has come this far with a top-10 scoring offense (63.1 ppg) and a top-15 scoring defense (46.9) in Class B. Leading that charge has been Colby Flowers. He leads the team in both scoring (16.5) and rebounding (8.8). He also adds 2.2 assists per game as well.
Parker Graff has been impactful too, averaging 14 points and 3.8 rebounds. However, he missed the Spartans' SoDak 16 matchup due to injury. Karter Mebius adds 11.5 points, three rebounds and 2.2 assists. But he came up huge in the SoDak 16, scoring 25 points against Timber Lake.
"He's able to do it from all levels, driving to the basket, shooting the three-point shot. He's capable of doing that all over and against good opponents," Mitchell said of Mebius. "It was good to see his confidence get going into the state tournament. I remember seeing him as a freshman with six-minute quarters and he scored 29 points in a game at that level. So he's always had a knack for scoring."
The No. 4 seed at state, Wessington Springs faces No. 5 Wall in its quarterfinal matchup. The Eagles have made it to state with a 17-6 mark, highlighted by regular-season victories over Cheyenne-Eagle Butte, Sully Buttes and two over New Underwood. They've been led by the third-best scoring offense in the class, averaging 68.1 points per game.
The two play in the second quarterfinal game on Thursday with tip scheduled for 1:45 p.m. at the Barnett Center in Aberdeen.
Continue reading...
After a 24-2 and fifth-place state finish last season, the Spartans haven't missed a beat this season. With Joey Mitchell back as head coach following a two-year hiatus, Wessington Springs enters this year's state tournament with a 21-2 record and notable wins over Wolsey-Wessington, Class A squad Hanson, Tripp-Delmont/Armour and Timber Lake in the SoDak 16.
The Spartans' qualifying path wasn't easy though. They narrowly beat James Valley Christian in the regional quarterfinal before coming face-to-face with Wolsey-Wessington. The two played each other twice during the regular season with Wessington Springs winning the first meeting in the 281 Conference boys basketball tournament championship and Wolsey-Wessington winning just a few weeks later.
But having postseason experience came in handy for Wessington Springs. After the two appeared to be headed for another close matchup, the Spartans took control in the second half, eventually winning handily 61-37. They made easy work of Timber Lake 75-49 in the SoDak 16 to punch their second consecutive trip to Aberdeen.
"Being there last year, it pays dividends. The [region semifinal] game against Wolsey-Wessington, there was nerves for us and there was nerves on their side as well," Mitchell said. "I think we were able to play through it and get through that a little easier because of our experience. Last year was a fun experience and we just want to go up there and play well and show what kind of team we are. We want to be able to compete at that level."
The Spartans enter state on a hot streak as well. Winners of nine straight, they were already playing at a high level prior, good enough to make state. But sometimes, outside noise can lead to increased incentive.
Mitchell said using any type of motivation to get amped can help. Specifically, he alluded to a Class B power ranking list on social media that the team felt wasn't giving Wessington Springs enough credit for its strong season.
"I know we got to the end of the season and there was something on Twitter, some sort of power rankings that had us as the No. 10 team in the state," Mitchell said. "We were No. 4 in the seed points and this list had us at No. 10. I guess, we're using whatever kind of motivation we can get at this point of the season."
Wessington Springs has come this far with a top-10 scoring offense (63.1 ppg) and a top-15 scoring defense (46.9) in Class B. Leading that charge has been Colby Flowers. He leads the team in both scoring (16.5) and rebounding (8.8). He also adds 2.2 assists per game as well.
Parker Graff has been impactful too, averaging 14 points and 3.8 rebounds. However, he missed the Spartans' SoDak 16 matchup due to injury. Karter Mebius adds 11.5 points, three rebounds and 2.2 assists. But he came up huge in the SoDak 16, scoring 25 points against Timber Lake.
"He's able to do it from all levels, driving to the basket, shooting the three-point shot. He's capable of doing that all over and against good opponents," Mitchell said of Mebius. "It was good to see his confidence get going into the state tournament. I remember seeing him as a freshman with six-minute quarters and he scored 29 points in a game at that level. So he's always had a knack for scoring."
The No. 4 seed at state, Wessington Springs faces No. 5 Wall in its quarterfinal matchup. The Eagles have made it to state with a 17-6 mark, highlighted by regular-season victories over Cheyenne-Eagle Butte, Sully Buttes and two over New Underwood. They've been led by the third-best scoring offense in the class, averaging 68.1 points per game.
The two play in the second quarterfinal game on Thursday with tip scheduled for 1:45 p.m. at the Barnett Center in Aberdeen.
Continue reading...
