HURON - It was never easy, but the Huron Tigers returned to the state tournament with a 68-58 victory over the Sturgis Scoopers Saturday at Huron Arena in SoDak 16 basketball action.

The Tigers came out and got the first points on the board as Trace Wenz drove through the Scooper defense for a bucket. Dalyn Dschaak got Sturgis on the board on a layup after an excellent pass from Teigen Wormstadt.

Anderson Porisch missed a pair of free throws, but the Tigers got the ball back and Bubba Peterson nailed a wing three to give Huron a 5-2 lead with 90 seconds gone in the game.

Wenz would get a sharp pass from Peterson and glide in for a lay-in and Davis Chase got a putback basket, putting Huron in the lead, 9-2.

Wormstadt used his speed to get a reverse layup along the baseline, but Blake Ellwein was fouled on a putback and hit both free throws.

Chase got a bucket on a post move to put Huron up 13-4, but Ryan Heinert got his first basket with a three from the deep wing. Ty Ferguson got right through the Huron defense and Heinert drove into the teeth of the Tiger defense to get a bucket, and Huron held a slim 13-11 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Wenz opened the second quarter with a steal and a basket. Heinert then drew Ellwein’s second foul and hit both free throws.

Huron then went on a run as Porisch hit one of two free throws, Wenz got a putback basket, Porisch made a strong post move, Chase hit a pair of free throws, and Ellwein hit one of two free throws. Huron was quickly up by ten, 25-15.

Wormstadt blew through the Huron defense for a layup, but Huron answered with a Chase dunk.

Heinert found Jaxon Cano with a slick pass. Ellwein got one of two free throws, and then Heinert got a basket and drew Chase’s second foul, but he missed the free throw, leaving Huron’s lead at 26-19.

Wormstadt would hit a jumper in the lane to get Sturgis within five, but Wenz responded with a corner three.

Heinert and Ellwein exchanged a pair of free throws each before Hayden Rock got a layup for the Scoopers.

Ellwein would get a pair of free throws as time was running down, and then Colton McNeil got a steal on the ensuing inbounds and found Wenz for a jumper at the buzzer. Huron took a 35-25 lead to the locker room.

Porisch was able to get the first two baskets of the second half on a drive to the hoop and a transition layup to push the Huron lead out to 14, 39-25.

Carter Williams nailed a three, then Sturgis turned their offensive gameplan to handing the ball to Heinert and clearing out as he bowled his way to the hoop. He got one of two free throws, but Colt McNeil was able to get a pair of free throws to keep the Tigers up 41-29.

Heinert hit a pair of free throws and Chase responded with a pair of charity shots as well. Heinert and Chase then traded one of two free throws, with Huron up 44-32 at the end of the exchange.

Rock hit a jumper over Ellwein, but McNeil sped out after a turnover for a bucket to make it 46-34. Dschaak hit a quick trigger shot in the lane and Cano got a putback to send the game to the final period with Huron up 46-38.

Chase would get the first bucket of the fourth quarter on a pass from Peterson, then Ellwein hit a pair of free throws to make it 50-38.

Williams hit his second long ball of the game, but Chase responded with a three in the corner to keep it 53-41.

Williams scored on a give-and-go for Sturgis, and Huron answered with the same as Peterson fed McNeil.

Ty Petrocco then got a hoop and a foul shot for Sturgis. Chase then hit a bank shot three from the top of the key as time was running out to give Huron a 58-46 lead.

Petrocco then hit a short jumper and got a steal and a layup to quickly cut the Tiger lead to eight at 58-50. Porisch hit one of two free throws, but then Rock cut through the lane for a bucket to make it 59-52.

Chase would hit one of two free throws. Wormstadt was fouled on a drive and hit both free throws.

McNeil hit one of two free throws and Ellwein hit a pair to give Huron a nine-point lead at 63-54 with a minute left.

Heinert hit a pair of free throws and Ellwein then hit one of two. After the Ellwein make, the Tigers did not transition back, and Cano got behind the Huron defense for a bucket to make it 64-58.

McNeil would hit three of four free throws and Peterson hit one of two to close the game with a 68-58 Huron victory.

Huron coach Tim Buddenhagen felt his team let the game remain too close, but he was proud of the way they closed it out.

“We missed too many layups in the third quarter and we got them in the bonus in the third,” Buddenhagen said. “At the end, when we needed to make plays, our guys made plays.”

The Tigers move to 15-6 behind 20 points and five rebounds from Chase. Ellwein had 13, all from the free throw line, as did Wenz. McNeil chipped in 10 points.

Sturgis finishes the year 9-12. Heinert was the lone Scooper in double figures, leading the team with 17 points and seven rebounds.

Huron will face Mitchell in the first round of the Class AA boys’ state tournament on Thursday, March 20, in Rapid City.

Buddenhagen’s voice was failing him as he reflected on reaching the tournament again.

“This is what you work for and why you get to the gym in the summer,” Buddenhagen raved. “Once you get (to the state tournament), it’s March Madness. Anything can happen!”

Sturgis 11 25 38 58
Huron 13 35 46 68

Sturgis (9-12): Teigen Wormstadt 3 2-2 8, Jaxon Cano 3 0-0 6, Hayden Rock 3 0-0 6, Ty Petrocco 3 1-1 7, Dalyn Dschaak 2 0-0 4, Ty Ferguson 1 0-0 2, Carter Williams 3 0-0 8, Ryan Heinert 3 10-15 17. Totals: 21 13-18 58.

Huron (15-6): Trace Wenz 6 0-0 13, Colton McNeil 2 6-8 10, Jonathan Peterson 1 1-2 4, Blake Ellwein 0 13-16 13, Anderson Porisch 3 2-6 8, Davis Chase 6 6-8 20. Totals: 18 28-40 68.

FG: S - 21/42 50%; H - 18/46 39%. 3-pt FG: S - 3/17 (Williams 2, Heinert); H - 4/16 (Chase 2, Wenz, Peterson). Rebounds: S 28 (Heinert 7), H 27 (Chase 5). Assists: S 8 (Rock 4), H 11 (Peterson 4). Steals: S 4 (Heinert 2), H 8 (Ellwein 3). Turnovers: S 20, H 11. Fouls: S 30 (Wormstadt, Petrocco out), H 19.