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Road to Aberdeen and State B boys tourney starts this week

Britton-Hecla boys basketball coach Troy Knecht, center, talks to his players before the start of a game earlier this season at the Roncalli High School gym. The Braves host Wilmot this evening in the opening round of the Region 1B tournament. Photo by John Davis taken 2/10/2022

While four of the top five Class B teams in the state reside in area regions, the time has come where ratings and past accomplishments mean nothing. Each night the season will be on the line as squads head into post-season action hoping the end result will be a berth in the state tournament at Wachs Arena in mid-March.

Defending state champion De Smet, runner-up Aberdeen Christian, Lower Brule and Potter County have a combined record of 72-8 heading into region action. While each will be favored to reach next week’s SoDak 16, there are no guarantees as underdogs will look to make their mark.

Here is a look at each of the Class B regions in the area:

Region 1B

Today and Tuesday at highest seeds, Friday at Webster

It will take a big effort to prevent the top two seeds from advancing out of this region.

Top-seeded Aberdeen Christian has been rated among the top five all season and the Knights will be looking to get back to the state tournament where they finished runner-up a year ago.

Second-seeded Waubay-Summit closed the regular season with nine straight victories. The Mustangs reached the SoDak 16 last season and would like to take the next step this time around and advance to the state tourney.

Warner and Langford Area are other teams with winning records in the field.

Teams W L

Aberdeen Christian 17-3

Waubay-Summit 17-3

Warner 12-8

Langford Area 11-9

Northwestern 8-12

Aberdeen Roncalli 6-14

Leola-Frederick 8-12

Britton-Hecla 4-16

Wilmot 3-16

Tonight’s Game: (9) Wilmot at (8) Britton-Hecla, 7 p.m.

Tuesday’s Games: (5) Northwestern at (4) Langford Area, at 7 p.m.; Wilmot/Britton-Hecla winner at (1) Aberdeen Christian, 7 p.m.; (6) Aberdeen Roncalli at (3) Warner, 7 p.m.; (7) Leola-Frederick at (2) Waubay-Summit, 7 p.m.

Friday’s Games: semifinals at Webster.

Faulkton’s Hunter Niederbaumer, right, blocks the shot attempt of Aberdeen Christian’s Andrew Brennan, left, during a game earlier this season at the Aberdeen Christian School gym. Faulkton hosts Herreid-Selby Area Tuesday in Region 2B. Photo by John Davis taken 1/18/2022

Region 2B

Monday, Tuesday and Friday at highest seeds

While there are seven teams all around .500 or better in this region, the top two seeds seem primed to advance to next week’s SoDak 16.

Lower Brule has been rated all year, played in last year’s state tournament and faced a demanding schedule that featured many solid Class A opponents.

Potter County has also been rated during the last half of the season. The Battlers have won 13 games in a row and have scored at least 70 points or more 13 times so far this season.

Faulkton, Ipswich and Highmore-Harrold are also dangerous foes looking to pull an upset.

Teams W L

Lower Brule 17-3

Potter County 19-1

Faulkton 15-5

Ipswich 13-7

Highmore-Harrold 12-8

Herreid-Selby Area 9-10

Sully Buttes 9-11

Miller 3-17

North Central 2-18

Sunshine Bible 0-16

Tonight’s Games: (10) Sunshine Bible at (7) Sully Buttes, 7 p.m.; (9) North Central at (8) Miller, 7 p.m.

Tuesday’s Games: Sunshine Bible-Sully Buttes winner at (1) Lower Brule, 7 p.m.; (5) Highmore-Harrold at (4) Ipswich, 7 p.m.; North Central-Miller winner at (2) at Potter County, 7 p.m.; (6) Herreid-Selby Area at (3) Faulkton, 7 p.m.

Friday’s semifinals: at highest seeds.

DeSmet’s Kalen Garry, center, goes up with a shot between Lower Brule’s Brian LaRoche Jr., left and Keshaume Thigh, right, during a game at last year’s South Dakota Class B Boys Basketball Tournament at Wachs Arena. photo by John Davis

Region 3B

Monday, Tuesday and Friday at highest seeds

Defending State B champion De Smet heads into the post season on a 16-game winning streak. The top-rated Bulldogs have faced a schedule that featured some of the top teams in both Class A and Class B.

A potential semifinal matchup between Castlewood and Wolsey-Wessington could get interesting. Castlewood won a regular season encounter by 10, but the Warbirds will not go lightly. Wolsey-Wessington has lost just five times, three coming to foes rated in the latest top five Class B poll.

Teams W L

De Smet 19-1

Castlewood 14-6

Wolsey-Wessington 15-5

Estelline-Hendricks 12-8

James Valley Christian 10-10

Hitchcock-Tulare 8-12

Arlington 7-13

Waverly-South Shore 3-15

Lake Preston 2-18

Iroquois-Doland 3-17

Tonight’s Games: (10) Iroquois-Doland at (7) Arlington, 7 p.m.; (9) Lake Preston at (8) Waverly-South Shore, 7 p.m.

Tuesday’s Games: Iroquois-Doland/Arlington winner at (1) De Smet, 7 p.m.; (5) James Valley Christian at (4) at Estelline-Hendricks, 7 p.m.; Lake Preston/Waverly-South Shore winner at (2) Castlewood, 7 p.m.; (6) Hitchcock-Tulare at (3) Wolsey-Wessington, 7 p.m.

Friday’s semifinals: at highest seeds.

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