RAPID CITY –– The Huron Tigers were able to limit the Spearfish Spartans to nine points total in the second and third quarter as the Tigers built up a lead on the way to a 49-35 victory in consolation semifinal action at the South Dakota Class AA State Boys’ Basketball Tournament at The Monument in Rapid City.

Huron had a pair of shots on their first possession but came up empty. Spearfish’s Kade Vavruska was fouled on the drive and hit one of two, then Anderson Porisch hit in the lane for two to give Huron a 2-1 lead.

The teams exchanged turnovers and missed shots before a steal by the Tigers ended up in Blake Ellwein’s hands at the end, and he was fouled. Ellwein hit one of two for a 3-1 Tiger advantage with 5:13 remaining in the first.

Dylan Doren drove through the lane and adjusted to Davis Chase in the middle to get a layup, tying the game at 3-3 at the first media timeout.

Huron was able to get a pair of steals but could not generate a basket. On the third Tiger steal in a row, Huron was able to work the offense to get Porisch a basket from the post for a 5-3 lead with 3:22 left in the quarter.

Kamren Davis nailed a three from the top of the key to give the Spartans a 6-5 lead and draw a timeout from Huron coach Tim Buddenhagen. Spearfish got a steal on the Tigers’ possession out of the timeout and Bennett Kortan was fouled but he missed both charity tosses.

Chase made a strong post move and was fouled. He hit both free throws to give the Tigers back the lead at 7-6 with 2:07 remaining. Mason Southern made a nice up-and-under move for a short bucket and Ellwein attempted to respond but drew an offensive foul, his second of the game.

Chase got the ball in the post and was again fouled as he worked to the hoop. He would nail both free shots to give Huron a 9-8 lead with 1:14 left. Trace Wenz took the ensuing rebound and went coast-to-coast for a layup for Huron.

Davis was fouled moving the ball around the perimeter and Spearfish was in the bonus, so he got two free throws and nailed them both to make it an 11-10 game.

Porisch got a putback of his own shot as the first quarter clock ran out to send the teams to the second frame with the Tigers on top 13-10.

Davis connected for another three to open the second to knot the game at 13. After a pair of empty possessions for both clubs, Myles Ellwein spotted up for three from the top of the key to put Huron back out front 16-13.

Chase got a putback to take an 18-13 lead with 5:26 left and draw a Spearfish timeout. Wenz found Porisch backdoor for a basket to make it 20-13 with three minutes remaining.

Chase ran the baseline and got fouled, hitting both free throws to push the Huron lead to 22-13 with 2:09 remaining in the half. Blake Ellwein released to Bubba Peterson streaking down the court and got the hoop and harm to give Huron a double-digit lead, 25-13.

Haroon Khan was fouled from behind by Porisch on the drive and sank both free throws to make it 25-15. Huron had three chances right at the hoop but could not get it to fall.

Southern was fouled with two seconds remaining, but the Spartans could not get a clean shot, so the Tigers took a 25-15 lead to half.

Davis made an athletic drive and hit a scoop shot for the first bucket of the second half. Cooper Gibbs got a short basket for the Spartans to cut the lead to 25-19, but that would be the last Spartan scoring of the third quarter.

Blake Ellwein drove the baseline for a layup for Huron’s first score of the second half. Ellwein then was on the backend of a transition push by the Tigers and was fouled, hitting one of two charity shots to push the Huron lead back out to 28-19 with five minutes remaining, and that would be the score at the third quarter media break.

Porisch was fouled on a move to the hoop, hitting one of two free throws to push the lead back out to 10 for Huron.

Ellwein was fouled on a drive to the hoop and hit both shots. The Tigers got the miss on defense and ran a textbook fast break, with Peterson finishing for a layup to make it 33-19 with 1:45 left in the third quarter.

Southern missed a pair of free throws, and Ellwein then attacked the hoop and got a hoop and drew a foul. After sinking the free throw, the Tigers led 36-19 with 37 seconds remaining in the third period. Ellwein would hit a baseline jumper for the final points of the frame, sending the game to the fourth with Huron up 38-19 and on a 13-0 run.

Porisch drove in for the first points of the fourth with 6:12 remaining in the game to make it 40-19.

Doren hit a three for Spearfish to break the quarter-long drought and he quickly got a drive to the hoop as well to cut it to 40-24. Ellwein was then fouled on the ensuing possession, sending the game to the last media timeout. After the break, Ellwein would drop in one of two.

Doren got to the hoop and drew a foul, and he hit both free throws to make it 41-25. The Tigers broke the press and Chase got a dunk to push the lead out to 43-26 before Ellwein was fouled on a drive, hitting both free throws to make it 45-26 with 3:49 left.

Davis hit his third three of the day for Spearfish from the top of the key, but the Spartans immediately got a foul in the backcourt. Chase would get a putback bucket at the end of the play to make it 47-29 as the three-minute mark passed.

Ellwein then broke away for a dunk after a Spearfish turnover to push the Huron margin to 49-29 and get the seniors into the game. Doren got a bucket on the back of a steal by Spearfish. Huron would put the four active seniors on the court with eighth-grader Carter Porisch as the Tigers closed out the game.

Kortan got a jump shot to fall, then Doren was fouled and hit both free throws. Spearfish then emptied the bench for the final 13 seconds as Huron won 49-35 to advance to the consolation championship.

Huron moves to 16-7 with three double-figure scorers. Blake Ellwein had 16 points. Chase had 12 points and 14 rebounds. Porisch contributed 11 points.

The Spartans fall to 14-9. Doren and Davis each had 13 points to lead the Spearfish attack. Doren grabbed six rebounds.

Buddenhagen was ecstatic about his team’s effort on both ends of the court, but especially the tough defense the Tigers played.

“If the shots aren’t falling, you have to lock in. Defense was our goal (this game),” Buddenhagen raved. “I can’t say enough about our guys today. We played tough all day.”

The Tigers will face Sioux Falls Jefferson in the consolation championship game at approximately 2:45 p.m. today.

Spearfish 10 15 19 35
Huron 13 25 38 49

Spearfish (14-9): Bennett Kortan 1 0-2 2, Dylon Doren 4 4-4 13, Kamren Davis 4 2-2 13, Kade Vavruska 0 1-2 1, Cooper Gibbs 1 0-0 2, Mason Southern 1 0-2 2, Haroon Khan 0 2-2 2. Totals: 11 9-14 35.

Huron (16-7): Trace Wenz 1 0-0 2, Bubba Peterson 2 1-1 5, Blake Ellwein 4 8-11 16, Anderson Porisch 5 1-2 11, Davis Chase 3 6-6 12, Myles Ellwein 1 0-0 3. Totals: 16 16-20 49.

FG: S - 11/48 23%; H - 16/40 40%. 3-pt FG: S - 4/23 (Davis 3, Doren); H - 1/10 (MEllwein). Rebounds: S 25 (Doren 6), H 42 (Chase 14). Assists: S 4, H 7 (Wenz 3). Blocks: S 0, H 3 (APorisch 2). Steals: S 13 (Doren 4), H 8 (BEllwein, APorisch 2). Turnovers: S 12, H 20. Fouls: S 19, H 19 (Wenz out).