SIOUX FALLS — The Sioux Falls Roosevelt Rough Riders brought in a four-game losing streak while the Huron Tigers rode in on a three-game winning streak to Tuesday’s game in Sioux Falls. Both of those streaks came to an end, though, as the Rough Riders came back from a huge first quarter deficit to pull out a 39-32 overtime win.

The first half was really a tale of two quarters. The Tigers came out with impressive defense that turned the Rough Riders over multiple times and kept them off the scoreboard, but a baseline jumper from Hamtyn Heinz and a free throw from Aly Davis constituted all of the Huron scoring when coach Kody Kopfmann called a timeout halfway through the first quarter to gather his troops.

Elizabeth Heinen came out of the timeout and was able to get a bucket by screening off her defender. Mateja Cousins then responded with the first basket for Roosevelt on a backdoor pass from Morgan Johnson.

Heinen was fouled on a move in the post and hit one of two free throws. After a steal on the defensive side, the ball worked around to Hamtyn Heinz who nailed a long three.

Hylton Heinz then made a strong move from the top of the key and put in a layup. Hamtyn hit another long three from the top of the key to make it 15-2.

Hylton Heinz was fouled on a drive and nailed both free throws to make it 17-2, but Johnson hit a baseline jumper on the final Roosevelt possession of the first quarter to make it 17-4 Huron at the end of the first period.

The teams again were empty in scoring for multiple minutes in the second quarter before Roosevelt’s Brooklyn Rose came off the bench and hit a three. Johnson hit a deep three the next trip down the court to make it 17-10 Huron.

Hamtyn Heinz finally scored Huron’s first point of the second quarter, hitting one of two free throws with 3:18 left in the first half. Heinen would get fouled on a putback attempt and also hit one of two free throws to push the lead to 19-10, but that would be all of Huron’s scoring in the quarter.

Cousins was fouled on a drive and hit one of two free throws for Roosevelt and the defense lost Emma Adams off the bench, and the Tigers headed into half with a 19-13 lead.

Turnovers continued to plague the Tigers offensively to open the second half as two turnovers led to a pair of baskets for Roosevelt, first from Elisabat Assefa down low and then a steal and layup by Cousins to trim the Tiger lead to 19-17.

Hamtyn Heinz was fouled on a drive and hit both free throws, but Cousins answered with a long jumper to keep the lead two, 21-19.

Hylton Heinz was then fouled on a drive and made the basket and foul shot. She then followed up an Adams put back basket by Roosevelt with a drive across the lane for another basket to give Huron a 26-21 lead.

Johnson hit a pair of free throws, but Hamtyn Heinz made a layup off a rocket backdoor pass from Heinen to head into the final quarter leading 28-23.

Huron simply couldn’t buy a bucket from that point. After two baskets by Roosevelt to open the fourth, Hamtyn Heinz hit a leaner to make it 30-27 Huron. That would be the final Huron points of regulation.

After a couple empty possessions for both teams, Hamtyn drove hard to the hoop and felt she was fouled, but no foul was called. She said something that the referee did not appreciate and was tagged with a technical foul.

Johnson hit one of two technical free throws to make it 30-28 Huron.

Coach Kopfmann recognized that the fouls weren’t going Huron’s way, but he said his team let it get to them too much.

“They played physical and it wasn’t getting called, and (Roosevelt) took advantage of it,” Kopfmann observed. “We fought ourselves all game. We fought the officials instead of focusing on the game.”

Huron had a chance to clinch the game as Hylton Heinz was fouled with a little more than a minute remaining, but she missed both free throws. Assefa made a move down low to tie the score, and it would be 30-30 at the end of regulation.

Heinen missed a pair of free throws after finally getting a foul call down low. After the ball bounced around on a missed Roosevelt shot, Cousins ended up with the ball and hit a three for the first Roosevelt lead of the game.

From that point, it was a game of fouls for the Rough Riders as they hit six of eight free throws and controlled the ball with multiple offensive rebounds. Davis hit a bucket for Huron as time expired in the extra period to make the final 39-32 in favor of Roosevelt.

The Rough Riders move to 3-9 behind 12 points from Johnson and 10 points from Cousins.

Huron dropped to 5-7 on the season despite 15 points from Hamtyn Heinz. Hylton Heinz added nine.

Huron won the freshman game 44-32 but fell in the junior varsity matchup 53-46.

Kopfmann says the team will work on correcting the offense heading into the weekend series out West.

“We have to figure out how to play stronger and tougher,” he stated. “We forced (shots) too much inside the lane tonight and missed a lot of rolls to the basket by our big girls.”

The Tigers travel Friday and Saturday to Spearfish and Sturgis.

Score by quarters
Huron 17 19 28 30 32
S.F. Roosevelt 4 13 23 30 39

HURON (5-7): Aly Davis 1 1-2 3, Hylton Heinz 3 3-5 9, Hamtyn Heinz 5 3-4 15, Tatum Peterson 0 0-2 0, Elizabeth Heinen 1 3-6 5. Totals: 10 10-19 32.

S.F. ROOSEVELT (3-9): Mateja Cousins 4 1-2 10, Brooklyn Koll 1 0-0 2, Elisabat Assefa 2 0-0 4, Susan Olson 0 2-2 2, Kinsley Pesicka 1 0-0 2, Morgan Johnson 2 7-10 12, Emma Adams 2 0-0 4, Brooklyn Rose 1 0-0 3. Totals: 13 10-14 39.