YANKTON – A first-quarter run and a fourth-quarter blitz helped the fourth-seeded Yankton Bucks fend off No. 13 Aberdeen Central 68-52 Saturday afternoon in a Class AA boys’ basketball SoDak 16 contest in Yankton.

Yankton used a 10-0 run in the opening quarter to open up a 14-4 lead.

Aberdeen Central made several runs at the Bucks over the course of the game, cutting it to a two possession contest numerous times, including a push at the end of the third quarter that cut it to 49-43 at the buzzer.

Yankton pushed the lead back to double digits, then went on a 6-0 blitz in less than a minute to turn a 10-point lead into a 16-point advantage and put the game out of reach.

“I’m very proud of the season these guys had,” said Central coach Brent Norberg of his squad. “We ran into a very good team today and we just couldn’t keep the ball out of the lane.”

Rugby Ryken led all scorers with 21 points. Mac Ryken added 19 and Michael Mors finished with 13 points and seven rebounds. Yankton will enter the state tournament as the fourth seed and take on Sioux Falls Washington in the opening round on Thursday, March 16 in Rapid City.

Spencer Barr and Jett Carlson had 13 points apiece to lead the way for Aberdeen Central, which struggled to find its shooting touch much of the game. The Golden Eagles finished with just three treys on the afternoon.

Grant Fritz added 11 points off the bench for the Golden Eagles, which concluded the season with a 6-13 record.

“The kids played hard and I’m proud of their effort,” Norberg said. “This group of seniors was as good of leaders as we have ever had.”

The loss marks the final career game for five seniors, including Barr, Carter Dingman, Brady Neys, Karson Carda and Brian Johnson.

ABERDEEN CENTRAL (6-13): Carter Dingman 1 2-2 5, Karson Carda 1 0-0 2, Jett Carlson 6 0-0 13, Parker Lemer 3 1-2 8, Spencer Barr 6 1-1 13, Grant Fritz 5 1-2 11. Totals 22 5-7 52.

YANKTON (16-5): Drew Ryken 3 1-1 7, Mac Ryken 7 3-4 19, Rugby Ryken 8 5-6 21, Cody Oswald 1 0-0 2, Landon Potts 2 0-1 6, Michael Mors 6 1-2 13. Totals 27 10-14 68.

Aberdeen Central 13 23 43 52

Yankton 19 33 49 68

3-pt field goals – Dingman, Carlson, Lemer; M. Ryken 2, Potts 2. Fouled out – Lemer. Total fouls – Aberdeen Central 19; Yankton 12. Rebounds – Aberdeen Central 28 (Carlson 8, Fritz 7); Yankton 23 (Mors 7).