HURON - The Rapid City Stevens Raiders only led twice in the game, but they made it challenging for the Huron Tigers, but the home squad came away with a 60-52 victory Saturday afternoon at Huron Arena.

The Tigers move to 3-1 with the victory. The Raiders fall to 2-2.

The Tigers got on the board quickly as a few shots wouldn’t fall in the first two possessions, but a kick out to CJ Gainey for a long three was true for the first points of the game.

Stevens got one of two free throws for Dayler Segrist after he was fouled on a drive, and Minkah Hawley hit a jumper in the lane to tie the game.

Anderson Porisch drew a foul on a baseline drive and hit one of two free shots, but Minkah Hawley then nailed a long three to give Stevens a 6-4 lead.

Gainey drove end to end after a rebound and got the layup and made a foul shot to give Huron back the lead at 7-6, but Shun-Zi White Woman hit a reverse layup down low for the Raiders to get them back on top 8-7. That would be Stevens’ last lead of the first half.

After missing a few attempts early on, Blake Ellwein finally got on the scoreboard with a move from the top of the lane that ended in a floating jumper in the lane. Minkah Hawley drew a foul and hit one of two free shots to tie the game at 9-9.

The Tigers then went on a big run, with Ellwein scoring on a putback and then nailing a three-point basket on the next possession. Gainey then grabbed a steal and took it to the hoop to put the Tigers up 16-9.

Segrist nailed a three as the first quarter ended to close the first quarter with Huron up 16-12.

Kaelem Brooks hit one of two free throws on Stevens’ first possession of the second quarter and White Woman hit on a post-up move down low to get the Raiders within one, 16-15.

Moeding nailed a pair of free throws after he was fouled attempting a layup after a steal, then Ellwein hit a smooth fadeaway turnaround jumper and was fouled. He nailed the free throw to make it 21-15.

White Woman was fouled down low and hit both free throws, but Ellwein immediately responded by getting his own rebound and being fouled on the putback attempt, sinking both free throws to make it 23-17.

Moeding got an offensive rebound and putback, then Trace Wenz nailed a three to give the Tigers a 28-17 lead, drawing a timeout from Stevens coach Chris Stoebner.

Stevens put together a run to end the half, with White Woman and Segrist both hitting a pair of free throws and Madinko Hawley made a backdoor layup to bring Stevens within 28-23 at half.

Huron’s Carsen Evans handles the ball near the post as Kaelem Brooks of Rapid City Stevens defends during their game Saturday at Huron Arena.

The Raiders attacked the bucket early in the third quarter , and Brooks got one of two free throws. The Tigers then went on a run, though, as Carsen Evans made the front end of a pair of free throws, but when he missed the back end, Ellwein skied for a putback bucket. Ellwein then came down and was fouled on another putback attempt, sinking both free throws, and he keyed a fast break, passing off to Porisch to finish the break, giving the Tigers a 35-24 lead.

Minkah Hawley got behind the Tiger defensive press for a layup then got a steal and a layup, but Ellwein quickly answered with a step-back three to make it 38-28.

The Raiders went down low to their big guy, getting a bucket from White Woman, and after Colton McNeil hit a three, Stevens went right back to White Woman for a bucket.

JD Green’s defense on the Stevens press ended up netting him a layup, but McNeil answered with another deep shot to make the score 44-34.

Ellwein grabbed an offensive rebound and was fouled as he made the putback. The free throw made it 47-34, but Stevens was able to get a bucket from Brooks and then a free throw from Brooks to close within nine.

Porish hit a jumper to close out the scoring in the third with the Tigers up 49-38.

Ellwein opened the final period with a pair of free throws, but then he was whistled for the foul on a controversial block attempt that Green was able to still make. Green also hit the free throw to get the game to 51-41.

Porisch hit a pair of free throws and then Brooks hit a drive across the lane and Minkah Hawley put in an offensive rebound before Porisch got to the hoop on a quick cut to make it 55-45 Tigers.

White Woman, playing with four fouls, hit a bucket inside, and Green took the ball after a defensive rebound and drove the length of the court for a bucket to cut the lead to 55-49.

Porisch hit one of two free throws, but Segrist quickly answered with a long ball to cut the lead to 56-52, the closest the Raiders had been since the opening moments of the second half.

Moeding and Ellwein each made one of two shots at the line before Ellwein stole the ball and dunked it as time ran out to make the final score 60-52 in favor of Huron.

Ellwein led the Tigers with 27 points and six rebounds. Porisch pitched in 10 points and Gainey had eight, all in the first quarter.

The Raiders were led by White Woman with 14 points. Minkah Hawley had 12 points and Segrist had nine points and six rebounds for Stevens.

Huron took the sophomore game 54-46 but dropped the JV game by the same score.

Coach Tim Buddenhagen praised his team’s defensive effort on the day.

“Defensively, we’re unorthodox enough that we can give teams fits,” Buddenhagen explained. “If we can keep them out of system, we’ve won the battle.”

Looking forward, Buddenhagen continued, “We have to keep improving offensively and keep being unselfish.”

The Tigers will host Sioux Falls Washington Thursday.

Rapid City Stevens     12 23 38 52
Huron         16 28 49 60

Rapid City Stevens (2-2): JD Green 3 1-1 7, Minkah Hawley 5 1-2 12, Dayler Segrist 2 3-4 9, Kaelem Brooks 2 3-7 8, Madinko Hawley 1 0-0 2, Shun-Zi White Woman 5 4-4 14. Totals: 18 12-18 52.

Huron (3-1): Trace Wenz 1 0-0 3, Colton McNeil 2 0-0 6, Gavin Moeding 1 3-4 5, CJ Gainey 3 1-1 8, Blake Ellwein 8 9-10 27, Anderson Porisch 3 4-6 10, Carsen Evans 0 1-2 1. Totals: 18 18-23 60.

FG: RCS - 19/49 39%; H - 18/53 34%. 3-pt FG: RCS - 4/10 (Segrist 2, Brooks, MiHawley); H - 6/17 (Ellwein 2, McNeil 2, Gainey, Wenz). Rebounds: RCS 36 (Segrist 6), H 31 (Ellwein 6). Turnovers: RCS 12, H 5. Fouls: RCS 16, H 17.