Aberdeen Roncalli played exactly the type of game it needed to play for the first two quarters of Tuesday night’s home opener against Mobridge-Pollock, but could not find a way to get shots to fall in the second half as the visiting Tigers pulled away late for a 52-27 boys’ basketball victory at the Roncalli Gym.

Despite giving up a 7-0 lead to start the night, the Cavaliers held sway in the first half, matching the Tigers nearly blow for blow in a defensive, low-scoring contest.

“That’s the kind of game we need to play,” said Roncalli coach Dan Gallagher. “It might look sloppy to people in the stands, but we’re forcing a lot of tough shots, forcing them into some bad passes. They’re playing near the half-court line, which is where we want to keep them, but after the first half, the defense was still there and the effort was still there, but shots didn’t fall.”

Roncalli didn’t get its first field goal of the game until nearly halfway through the opening quarter, but still kept the Tigers within reach despite that seemingly slow start. The Cavaliers cut Mobridge-Pollock’s lead to just four points at 18-14 midway through the second quarter and kept it there through the halftime break.

The second half, however, was not nearly as kind to the Cavaliers, who managed just two field goals and a pair of free throws the remainder of a night fraught with turnovers.

“There’s some inexperience there,” Gallagher said of his team’s second-half miscues. “But it’s something we can continue to work on in practice. It involves slowing things down and not having to push it as much as we are at times, but looking for what’s best for us.”

Roncalli was led by Maddox May’s 13 points. Keegan Stewart, who had a breakout night against Deuel in the season opener, was held to just five points on Tuesday.

Mobridge-Pollock was led by Ashton Pfitzer with 15 points. Jackson Eisemann went 6-for-7 from the line and finished with 14 points for the Tigers.

Roncalli will travel to Redfield on Friday.

“We played hard and (the guys) are going to recognize just what that effort brings,” Gallagher said. “That effort can be rewarded and eventually shots are going to fall, too. We’re going to figure it out.”

MOBRIDGE-POLLOCK: Brady Bauer 0 2-6 2, Jackson Eisemann 4 6-7 14, Trent Schmeichel 1 0-0 2, Caelan McCollam 4 2-4 10, Ashton Pfitzer 6 2-6 15, Thane Beheler 3 1-2 7, Michael Wald 1 0-0 2. Totals 19 13-27 52.

ABERDEEN RONCALLI: Maddox Miller 1 0-0 3, Caden Shelton 1 0-0 2, Keegan Stewart 2 1-2 5, Maddox May 6 0-1 13, Aiden Fisher 0 2-2 2, Zane Backous 0 2-2 2. Totals 10 5-7 27.

Mobridge-Pollock 13 25 33 52

Aberdeen Roncalli 5 21 25 27

3-pt FG: Mobridge-Pollock 1 (Pfitzer); Aberdeen Roncalli 2 (Miller, May). Fouls: Mobridge-Pollock 14; Aberdeen Roncalli 21. Fouled out: Miller.