HURON — After a 57 year absence, the Wessington Springs Spartans are headed back to the Class “B” State basketball tournament, after a dominant 54-35 SoDak 16 win over the Waverly-South Shore Coyotes Tuesday night at Huron Arena.

The Spartans last went to the “B” in 1967, according to statistics compiled by the S.D. High School Activities Association. Springs went to the State “A” in the early days of the state’s three-class system.

They will carry a 22-1 record into next week’s tournament in Aberdeen. Waverly-South Shore ends its season with a record of 16-7.

The die was cast from the opening tip as the Spartans held the Coyotes scoreless for the first six minutes of the game, rushing to a quick 8-0 lead as four different players got Springs on the board. Ryder Michalek hit two free throws, then Colby Flowers, a 6-foot, 4-inch sophomore with springs for legs scored on one of three first half ‘put-backs’ off offensive rebounds. Blake Larson split the W-SS zone for a short jumper and Brock Krueger scored on yet another rebound basket.

On the defensive end, Wessington Springs hounded the Coyotes mercilessly, forcing difficult passes and shots, many of which they got a hand upon. W-SS got one first quarter offensive rebound, off a missed free throw by Sam Appelhof, which teammate Zach Ries put back in to cut the lead to 10-5 after one quarter of play.

The teams began to loft long range artillery in the second quarter, as Springs’ Parker Graff hit three three-point field goals in the period. The Spartans again held the Coyotes scoreless, for more than six minutes, and took a commanding 27-10 lead to the locker room at the half, as Graff knocked down his third long range missile with two seconds to play.

Needing a big push to cut into the lead, the Coyotes were outscored 8-1 over the opening moments of the second half, as the lead soared to 24 points and the Spartans were content to run the clock and be patient the final quarter as they punched their ticket to the state tournament.

Waverly-South Shore 5 10 23 35

WAVERLY-SOUTH SHORE (16-7): Cody Thompson 2 1-2 7; Sam Appelhof 4 2-3 11; Colton Kranz 2 4-5 8; Brady Eschen 0 1-2 1; Zach Ries 4 0-1 8. Totals: 12 8-13 35.

WESSINGTON SPRINGS (22-1): Blake Larson 1 0-0 2; Parker Graff 5 0-0 14; Brock Krueger 3 0-0 8; Colby Flowers 4 1-1 9; Ryder Michalek 6 6-6 19; Karter Mebius 1 0-0 2. Totals: 20 7-7 54.

FG: WSS - 12-49 25%; WS - 20-46 44%. 3-pt FG: WSS - 3-16 (Thompson 2, Appelhof); WS - 7-18 (Graff 4, Krueger 2, Michalek 1). Rebounds: WSS - 24 (Ries 7, Appelhof 6); WS - 33 (Michalek 10). TO: WSS - 17; WS - 11. Assists: WSS - 4 (Evan Ekern 2); WS - 13 (Flowers 5). Fouls: WSS - 8; WS - 14.