Top Performers from the Hoop City Classic

The Hoop City Classic was hosted at the Mitchell Corn Palace and the Sanford Pentagon on December 28th-30th. Many of South Dakota’s top prospects took part in this event. Here are some of the standout performers from the event! Bridgewater-Emery’s [player_tooltip player_id="99752" first="Julia" last="Weber"] got the event rolling with a game-high 21 point performance for the Huskies and helped her team to a 49-32 victory. Weber is no stranger to 20 point performances. This girl can score in bunches and has done it her whole career. With a smooth jumper and confidence to go with it, this guard can put up big nights on the offensive end. Weber is a must-watch scorer who looks to continue building on her 12.5 points per night. She is automatic from the FT line shooting 83% thus far. Fellow senior Huskie [player_tooltip player_id="246938" first="Taylor" last="Schallenkamp"] had a big game herself posting a 16 point night along with nine hard-earned rebounds. Shallenkamp is averaging 8.5 PPG, 3.5 RPG, and 1.3 SPG this season. She has struggled to get it going from three thus far but has made up for it at the FT line shooting 68% from the stripe. She is a part of a loaded Huskie senior class. Look for her to continue to put up near double-double nights as the season progresses. Another standout performance came from Gregory Junior [player_tooltip player_id="100479" first="Jessy" last="VanDerWerff"]. Her team would fall to a comeback put on by the Viborg-Hurley Cougars but VanDerWerff put on a show with 18 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 steals. She shot efficiently from the floor as she did all of last season per MAXPREPS the talented guard scored 18.9 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 2.9 APG, and 2.6 SPG and she has picked up right where she left off during the initial games of this season. Look for this guard to continue to lead her team to success and put up big numbers. The 48-44 comeback win for Viborg-Hurley over Gregory was led by a pair of guards for the Cougars, junior [player_tooltip player_id="100500" first="Denae" last="Mach"] and freshman Charley Nelson. Mach put up 15 points on a solid shooting night from the floor and Watchlist riser Charley Nelson put up 12 points off the bench. This included three makes from beyond the arch to go along with three key steals on the defensive end. This duo of guards came through clutch in the second half as they paced their team to a comeback victory after being outscored 23-7 in the first half. Junior guard [player_tooltip player_id="100467" first="Hilary" last="Behrens"] stood out amongst the crowd of talent as she pushed her team to a perfect 5-0 with a 67-66 overtime victory against Thunder Basin, WY. She led her team with 18 points, 4 rebounds, and two steals. The South Dakota State commit has been putting up solid numbers all year long averaging 16.3 PPG on 38% shooting from beyond the arc and 71% from the free-throw line. She also adds 4.8 RPG, 3.3 APG, and 3.0 SPG according to MAXPREPS. Canton’s super talented young guard [player_tooltip player_id="250045" first="Amanda" last="Lease"] went off for 30 points to lead her team to a five-point win against Chamberlain and the talented [player_tooltip player_id="99789" first="Mya" last="Knippling"]. Lease went 13-23 from the floor and filled it up from all over. This talented guard is AGGRESSIVE. She will attack the rim from all around the perimeter and knows how to find the gaps. Paired with a great handle on the basketball and a solid knowledge of the game this young guard is a name to remember. Chamberlain’s [player_tooltip player_id="99789" first="Mya" last="Knippling"] left it all on the floor and kept her team in this one until the finish and posted a monster night herself with a game-high 35 points. She added 7 rebounds and went 19-21 from the FT line, CLUTCH! A great game and two big-time scoring outings in this one. Mitchell’s sophomore guard [player_tooltip player_id="241312" first="Sawyer" last="Stoebner"] had a big influence in a win over Cambell County, WY. She had a HUGE night with 28 points, 10 rebounds, and 9 steals, 1 shy of a triple-double! Stoebner can fill it up and will be a big name to watch over the next couple of years.j The Hoop City Classic proved to be a stellar basketball event hosted at two fantastic sites, the Mitchell Corn Palace and the Sioux Falls Sanford Pentagon. What a great stretch of basketball for these talented South Dakota athletes.

The Hoop City Classic was hosted at the Mitchell Corn Palace and the Sanford Pentagon on December 28th-30th. Many of South Dakota’s top prospects took part in this event. Here are some of the standout performers from the event!

Bridgewater-Emery’s Julia Weber Julia Weber 5'9" | PG Bridgewater-Emery | 2022 State SD got the event rolling with a game-high 21 point performance for the Huskies and helped her team to a 49-32 victory. Weber is no stranger to 20 point performances. This girl can score in bunches and has done it her whole career. With a smooth jumper and confidence to go with it, this guard can put up big nights on the offensive end. Weber is a must-watch scorer who looks to continue building on her 12.5 points per night. She is automatic from the FT line shooting 83% thus far.

Fellow senior Huskie Taylor Schallenkamp Taylor Schallenkamp 5'9" | SG Bridgewater-Emery | 2022 State SD had a big game herself posting a 16 point night along with nine hard-earned rebounds. Shallenkamp is averaging 8.5 PPG, 3.5 RPG, and 1.3 SPG this season. She has struggled to get it going from three thus far but has made up for it at the FT line shooting 68% from the stripe. She is a part of a loaded Huskie senior class. Look for her to continue to put up near double-double nights as the season progresses.

Another standout performance came from Gregory Junior Jessy VanDerWerff Jessy VanDerWerff 5'7" | CG Gregory | 2023 State SD . Her team would fall to a comeback put on by the Viborg-Hurley Cougars but VanDerWerff put on a show with 18 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 steals. She shot efficiently from the floor as she did all of last season per MAXPREPS the talented guard scored 18.9 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 2.9 APG, and 2.6 SPG and she has picked up right where she left off during the initial games of this season. Look for this guard to continue to lead her team to success and put up big numbers.

The 48-44 comeback win for Viborg-Hurley over Gregory was led by a pair of guards for the Cougars, junior Denae Mach Denae Mach 5'9" | SG Viborg-Hurley | 2023 State SD and freshman Charley Nelson. Mach put up 15 points on a solid shooting night from the floor and Watchlist riser Charley Nelson put up 12 points off the bench. This included three makes from beyond the arch to go along with three key steals on the defensive end. This duo of guards came through clutch in the second half as they paced their team to a comeback victory after being outscored 23-7 in the first half.

Junior guard Hilary Behrens Hilary Behrens 6'1" | SG Brandon Valley | 2023 State SD stood out amongst the crowd of talent as she pushed her team to a perfect 5-0 with a 67-66 overtime victory against Thunder Basin, WY. She led her team with 18 points, 4 rebounds, and two steals. The South Dakota State commit has been putting up solid numbers all year long averaging 16.3 PPG on 38% shooting from beyond the arc and 71% from the free-throw line. She also adds 4.8 RPG, 3.3 APG, and 3.0 SPG according to MAXPREPS.

Canton’s super talented young guard Amanda Lease Amanda Lease 5'8" | PG Brandon Valley | 2025 State SD went off for 30 points to lead her team to a five-point win against Chamberlain and the talented Mya Knippling Mya Knippling 6'1" | C Chamberlain | 2022 State SD . Lease went 13-23 from the floor and filled it up from all over. This talented guard is AGGRESSIVE. She will attack the rim from all around the perimeter and knows how to find the gaps. Paired with a great handle on the basketball and a solid knowledge of the game this young guard is a name to remember. Chamberlain’s Mya Knippling Mya Knippling 6'1" | C Chamberlain | 2022 State SD left it all on the floor and kept her team in this one until the finish and posted a monster night herself with a game-high 35 points. She added 7 rebounds and went 19-21 from the FT line, CLUTCH! A great game and two big-time scoring outings in this one.

Mitchell’s sophomore guard Sawyer Stoebner Sawyer Stoebner 5'10" | CG Mitchell | 2024 State SD had a big influence in a win over Cambell County, WY. She had a HUGE night with 28 points, 10 rebounds, and 9 steals, 1 shy of a triple-double! Stoebner can fill it up and will be a big name to watch over the next couple of years.j

The Hoop City Classic proved to be a stellar basketball event hosted at two fantastic sites, the Mitchell Corn Palace and the Sioux Falls Sanford Pentagon. What a great stretch of basketball for these talented South Dakota athletes.