Parkston Classic Recap & Top Performers

Dakota Valley edges Corsica-Stickney The Parkston Classic took place in Parkston, South Dakota Tuesday, December 28th. There were a number of prospects. in South Dakota girls basketball games initiated by a marquee matchup between the # 2 overall Class B Corsica-Stickney Jaguars and the # 6 Class A Dakota Valley Panthers. Dakota Valley is loaded with talent and came into this matchup with a 5-0 record. This group is led by seniors [player_tooltip player_id="99782" first="Grace" last="Bass"], [player_tooltip player_id="99786" first="Brooke" last="Carlson"], and [player_tooltip player_id="99768" first="Rylee" last="Rosenquist"]. Junior [player_tooltip player_id="246511" first="Jorja" last="Van Den Hul"] and Sophomore [player_tooltip player_id="201470" first="Peyton" last="Tritz"] round out a starting lineup loaded with elite talent. This group jumped out to an early lead after the first quarter but would go into halftime down 31-26 after a 21-6 run by the Jaguars to end the first half. Rosenquist stuffed the stat sheet scoring bucket after bucket in an intense performance where she put up a game-high 31 points. This young lady plays the game with passion, works hard on both ends, and takes the game on her shoulders at times for her team. She filled the hoop from all over the floor with post moves, mid-range jump shots, and shots from deep. This kid can score the basketball and does a lot of everything well for the Panthers. The youngest of the Panther starters [player_tooltip player_id="201470" first="Peyton" last="Tritz"], would finish the night well scoring 12 points. She operates the offense well for Dakota Valley and is developing into one of the state’s elite floor generals. She moves the ball quickly and plays aggressively on both ends. With a quick trigger, she gets good looks within the offense and keeps this offense humming. Corsica-Stickney is no stranger to talented players with the uber-talented and University of South Dakota commit [player_tooltip player_id="100468" first="Avery" last="Broughton"]. Broughton would have a nice game but the story on this team were the players who consistently step up around her. This group is well-rounded and features a plethora of quality pieces around Broughton including Seniors [player_tooltip player_id="99767" first="Morgan" last="Clites"], Casey Tolsma, and [player_tooltip player_id="99754" first="Rachel" last="Gerlach"]. [player_tooltip player_id="99754" first="Rachel" last="Gerlach"] led the Jaguars with 19 points, including three shots from beyond the arch in the second half that would keep Corsica-Stickney in the battle. She features a great first step to the rim and is capable of scoring from all over the floor. Casey Tolsma had an impressive night inside the paint putting up 16 points with a variety of post moves and put-backs. She hangs around the rim often, working for position and setting herself up for second-chance points. She is a physical post who can score effectively when she catches inside of 15 feet. [player_tooltip player_id="99767" first="Morgan" last="Clites"] ran the point for her team all night and could be heard vocally orchestrating her team’s offense the entire game. Her leadership and willingness to organize her team on both ends pays dividends for this team. She had an efficient 11 points and controlled the tempo of the game with her decision-making and floor general skills. After a late run in the fourth quarter and [player_tooltip player_id="99768" first="Rylee" last="Rosenquist"] willing her team to victory, the Panthers edged the Jaguars 67-66. A fantastic game from two high-quality South Dakota girls basketball teams! Parkston downs Viborg-Hurley Another big-time matchup took place with the closing event of the night between the #6 in Class B Viborg-Hurley Cougars and a top ten Class A team in the Parkston Trojans. Viborg-Hurley led by do it all Junior [player_tooltip player_id="166689" first="Coral" last="Mason"] came into the matchup at 4-0 with four quality wins and a nice start to their year. The Trojans shared the same overall winning percentage at 5-0 and are off to a solid start of their own. Parkston led by Junior [player_tooltip player_id="100493" first="Abby" last="Hohn"], got off to a hot start with Hohn hitting on four 3’s in the first half. Hohn would end the game with a solid performance including 21 points. This junior combo guard has a smooth jump shot and as you watch the ball move through the shooting pocket it’s almost a lock that it’s going in. She helped her team build a 32-19 lead at the half. [player_tooltip player_id="166689" first="Coral" last="Mason"] and the Cougars would battle back late in the third and early fourth cutting the Trojan lead all the way down to three at one point. Mason is a phenomenal talent and leads her team on both ends of the floor. She would stuff the stat sheet with 17 points and six rebounds. You could hear her encouraging her team and helping to keep them engaged in the game all night. Fellow junior guard Estelle Lee would add 12 points and 4 assists on the night including two 3’s late in the game that would bring her team within reach of a victory. Lee has a nice outside shot and moves well within the Cougar offense to find open jump shots. [player_tooltip player_id="100500" first="Denae" last="Mach"], a long athletic junior guard scored eight points and grabbed three rebounds as well. Mach is disruptive on the defensive end with her quickness and impressive length. She is another great scoring option for the Vib0rg-Hurley offense as she can get to the rim and hit the outside shot. Brooke Horstman’s Parkston Trojans led by a group of upperclassmen in Seniors [player_tooltip player_id="150862" first="Allison" last="Ziebart"] and Lindsey Roth, and Juniors [player_tooltip player_id="100493" first="Abby" last="Hohn"]. and [player_tooltip player_id="317766" first="Faith" last="Oakley"]. Roth spent the evening defending the talented [player_tooltip player_id="166689" first="Coral" last="Mason"] and did a nice job making her earn the shots she scored. Ziebart edged Hohn by one point as the game’s leading scorer with 22 points. Ziebart is a high-volume scorer with a great first step and a quality shot from deep. She also added 10 rebounds and 3 assists to help lead her team to a big-time victory against a quality Cougar team. Oakley added 10 points on a variety of finishes in the paint with her physical post play. Holding off the late run by Viborg-Hurley, Parkston would seal the victory 58-51 moving to 6-0 on the season and climbing the Class A polls. Another solid game on the day from two talented programs! Chargers over the Wolves In another matchup on the night the Sully Buttes Chargers led by Junior guard Calleigh Chicoine cruised to a 43-20 win. The talented Chicoine would lead the Chargers with 11 points. Sophomore guard [player_tooltip player_id="235513" first="Stevie" last="Wittler"], an athletic guard who distributes the ball well and can create her own shot added 10 points. Fellow Wittler, junior [player_tooltip player_id="100496" first="Allyson" last="Wittler"] added 9 points on the night. Menno guard Paityn Huber worked to keep her team alive with 5 points and 6 rebounds. Huber has a nice shot from deep and works hard on both ends. Sully Buttes moves to 5-1 on the year and is making some noise in Class B basketball with a solid start a quarter of the way through the year.