SPEARFISH - The Huron Tigers got 22 from Isabelle Ellwein and 20 from Hamtyn Heinz to come away with a 58-54 victory in a nip-and-tuck game against the Spearfish Spartans Friday in Spearfish.

Tigers coach Kody Kopfmann assumed that Spearfish would play a physical game, and true to his pregame prediction, the two teams scored their first points after fouls. Taylor Duncan was fouled on a drive for the Spartans and hit one of two free throws to open scoring in the game, then Bryn Huber was fouled for the Tigers on a drive to the hoop and she sank one of two free throws.

Jozie Dana streaked down the court after a Huron miss and put in a bucket. The Tigers were able to work the ball around after getting an offensive rebound on the next possession and find Isabelle Ellwein for a three to make it 4-3.

Hamtyn Heinz got a kick out after a drive by Ellwein and nailed a three to make it 7-3.

Dana and Addi Reiners got put back offensive rebounds in consecutive possessions to allow the home team to tie the score.

Bryn Huber stole the ball and got it to Hylton Heinz, and Heinz hit a pair of free throws after being fouled. After a defensive stop, Ellwein drove into the lane and hit a pull-up jumper to give the Tigers a 11-7 lead.

After struggling as a team to hit from long range, Kate Scharf hit a three in the Spartans' final first quarter possession to make it 11-10 at the end of one period.

Duncan opened the second quarter with a long ball for Spearfish and Reiners connected from downtown as well to quickly give the Spartans a 16-11 lead early in the second period.

Heavan Gainey made a strong defensive play, then got the offensive rebound on the ensuing possession, made the put back shot and drew a foul, really getting the team back into the game emotionally.

Ellwein followed the emotional lead by hitting a pair of shots in the lane on consecutive possessions to get Huron back out front 17-16.

Spearfish's Brylee Grubb would get fouled and sink both free throws, then she would foul Hamtyn Heinz on a drive that left Hamtyn on the ground recovering for a while before she was able to get up to shoot her free throws. Heinz hit one of two, leaving the score tied at 18.

Spearfish 6'1" center Maria Bouman got on the board with a slick move under the hoop to get a bucket. The Spartans came down the court and Sharf launched from five feet behind the line for her second three of the game to make it 23-18.

After a pass inside was deflected out into her hands, Kristen Janes nailed a three for Huron, but Mya Kochuten closed out the half with a strong drive to the hoop, shaking off her defender and stopping for a jumper halfway down the lane to send it to the break with the home team ahead 25-21.

Kochuten showed the quick trigger on the first shot of the second half, nailing a three before the Tigers could get over to her defensively to open up a 28-21 Spartan lead, the largest Spearfish lead of the game.

Hamtyn Heinz took the ball hard into the lane, made her shot and hit the free throw, but Grubb got a layup on the release after the rebound on the Tigers' next possession to make it 30-24.

Ellwein hit a three to bring the Tigers within three, but Grubb made a bucket and Sofie Guthmiller came off the bench to score on a drive to the hoop for Spearfish to push the lead back out to seven at 34-27.

Ellwein and Hamtyn Heinz hit threes on consecutive possessions to make it a one-point game, but Duncan answered with a long ball of her own to make it 37-33.

Ellwein then posted her defender up, made the turn around bucket and got the foul. She sank the free throw, bringing it within one again.

After a Kochuten drive, Hamtyn Heinz drove to the hoop to keep it a one-point game. Sister Hylton Heinz connected on the next possession to give the Tigers their first lead since early in the second quarter with a three that made it 41-39.

Maria Bouman drew a foul down low and hit both shots to tie the score, but at the third quarter buzzer, Hamtyn Heinz nailed a three, giving her 11 points in the quarter, as the Tigers took a 44-41 lead into the final frame.

After the buzzer-beater shot at the end of the quarter, Coach Kopfmann told his girls that he had confidence in the outcome of the game.

"I told them going into the fourth quarter that this thing was going to be a roller coaster, but we would come out on top in the end," Kopfmann recalled. "The girls made it happen."

The fourth quarter opened with Scharf connecting on her third three to tie the score at 44.

Hylton Heinz drove into the lane to hit a runner off a pass from Gainey after Gainey had secured an offensive rebound.

Reiners worked the offensive glass for Spearfish and knotted the score at 46. After the ball was knocked out and the Tigers got an offensive rebound, Ellwein drove into the lane and kicked out to Bryn Huber who nailed a three to make it 49-46 Huron.

Grubb would hit one of two free throws and Adelyn Bouman would steal the Huron inbounds pass and make a layup to even the score at 49.

Ellwein drove into the lane and was fouled, hitting both free throws, then Adelyn Bouman appeared to travel when she pulled up for a jumper in the lane but no call was made, and the bucket tied the score at 51.

Hamtyn Heinz drove into the lane, froze her defender, and rose up for a tough jumper in the lane. After a night of hard play on both ends, a touch foul on a Maria Bouman put back sent Bouman to the line, and her free throw gave Spearfish a 54-53 lead.

After Huron came up empty on its offensive possession, the Tigers were forced to foul, but Huron only had five team fouls, so the Spartans had to bring the ball in against the Tiger press defense three times. Huron committed two fouls, but on the third attempt to bring in the ball, Gainey made a steal with 23 seconds left and the Tigers called time out.

On the set play, Ellwein missed the three, but Gainey came up with the offensive rebound and found Hamtyn Heinz for a three, which she hit with 10 seconds left in the game to put the Tigers ahead 56-54.

After Huron got the rebound and Ellwein sank a pair of free throws, the game was decided for the Tigers.

While the Tigers got most of their scoring from Ellwein and Hamtyn Heinz, Kopfmann noted the contributions of everyone on the team.

"I think everybody made a big bucket tonight. We needed every one of them," Kopfmann emotionally stated, even praising the cheering efforts of the girls who didn't play on the night. "I couldn't be more proud."

Huron got 22 from Ellwein and 20 from Hamtyn Heinz on the night. Hylton Heinz came off the bench to add seven points.

Spearfish fell to 5-7 with a very balanced attack. Kate Scharf led the Spartans with nine points. Duncan, Grubb, Reiners, Kochuten, and Maria Bouman each scored seven points for Spearfish.

The Tigers take an 8-6 record on the road to Sturgis today.

Huron     11 21 44 58
Spearfish      10 25 41 54

Huron (8-6): Bryn Huber 1 1-2 4, Kristen Janes 1 0-0 3, Hylton Heinz 2 2-2 7, Hamtyn Heinz 7 2-3 20, Isabelle Ellwein 7 5-5 22, Heavan Gainey 1 0-1 2. Totals: 19 10-13 58.

Spearfish (5-7): Sofie Guthmiller 1 0-0 2, Taylor Duncan 2 1-2 7, Jozie Dana 2 0-1 4, Brylee Grubb 2 3-4 7, Addi Reiners 3 0-1 7, Kate Scharf 3 0-0 9, Adelyn Bouman 2 0-0 4, Maria Bouman 2 3-3 7, Mya Kochuten 3 0-0 7. Totals: 20 7-11 54.