Girls win one, drop three at LNI

It was a rough weekend at the office for the Custer High School girls basketball team last weekend at the Lakota Nation Invitational. After starting the tournament off with a big win over Todd County the Wildcats lost three straight, including a 43-38 loss to McLaughlin last Saturday afternoon in the Ice Arena of the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center.
“Any time you come tout of a tournament one and three, it’s tough,” head coach Tayton Vincent said. “As a coach, I always say never lose two in a row. We lost the last three. But we can’t only look at the negative. We have to look at the positive. We were in the games and didn’t give up. We’ll continue to improve.”
The Wildcats struggled mightly with turnovers and missed shots early in the McLaughlin game, but fortunately for them the Mustangs weren’t exactly lighting up the scoreboard either. A Jordyn Uphoff three-pointer pulled Custer within a basket at 7-5 with under a minute left in the first quarter, and Custer finished the quarter behind 12-7.
It looked as if the Mustangs may rout the Wildcats at the outset of the second quarter, as they went up 10 points following a Raegin Yellow Earrings drive for two.
Uphoff, who scored 10 points in the game, kept the Wildcats in it by hitting another three-pointer, which brought the Wildcats out of their offensive funk and started an 11-1 Custer run that was capped by Jojo Larsen laying the ball in as time wound down in the first half and included another Uphoff three-pointer. The Wildcats went into the break down only two at 20-18.
“The girls did a good job when (Uphoff) went on that little run finding her,” Vincent said. “Those are things as a coach you love to see, knowing the girls are able to find a hot hand or to switch positions and be a screener. That unselfishness is what you want to see.”
The Wildcats took their first lead of the game at the 5:31 mark of the third quarter when Larsen stole the ball and laid it in for a 23-22 advantage, but the Mustangs took the lead back quickly and went into the fourth quarter with a 32-27 lead after a Lakeitha Weasel basket that was followed by a Mari Richards bucket inside.
Custer tried to battle back again in the fourth quarter, starting with a Kylee Ellerton three-pointer a second Ellerton corner three that cut the Mustang lead to 35-34 after the Mustangs’ Sandee Steele had hit a three of her own.
That was as close as Custer would get, however, as the Mustangs built the lead back up to six in the final couple of minutes of the game and Custer was forced to start fouling and committed a few crucial turnovers late in the game.
“Sometimes it’s wanting to find that outlet every single time, wanting to get it to your point guard,” Vincent said of the turnovers. “We want to push the pace on teams. At the same time, they all know they can bring the ball up the court. We talked about having the confidence to do that.”
Vincent also credited the Mustangs with hitting key shots every time Custer threatened to get over the hump.
“They hit some timely threes down the stretch. It helped them stay a couple of baskets ahead,” he said.
Larsen and Ellerton both scored 13 points in the game, while Maya Tennyson had nine rebounds. Larsen also had 14 deflections and eight steals in the game. Custer committed 33 turnovers in the game and shot 33 percent.
The previous day the Wildcats took on Omaha Nation, losing 46-41 in overtime.
The game was a back and forth affair late, and Omaha Nation took a lead on a pair of free throws late in the fourth quarter. Custer was not able to score on its next possession, but was able  to get a defensive stop on the Chiefs.
Vincent used a pair of timeouts to set up a play, and Ellerton got a good look from the corner. She missed the shot, but Jayda Bennett corralled the rebound and got fouled on the putback attempt, sending her to the free throw line with the ’Cats trailing by one. Bennett made the first free throw but missed the second, sending the game to overtime.
The Chiefs took the early lead in the overtime, but Ellerton tied the game with a three-pointer. The Chiefs regained the lead, but Bennett hit a three-pointer of her own to put Custer on top 41-39. Unfortunately for Custer that would be the team’s last points, as Omaha Nation scored seven unanswered to seal the game.
“We just didn’t quite get it done in regulation,” Vincent said. “The fouls came back to nip us in the butt. Give credit to them for knocking down their free throws down the stretch.”
Larsen was again the team’s leading scorer with 12 points, while Tennyson added 10. Keira Nelson pulled down nine rebounds.
Thursday of the tournament was likely the most frustrating game for the Wildcats, as they took a 39-36 lead into the fourth quarter before a collapse that saw Wall outscore them 21-1 in the final frame on the way to a 57-40 win.
For most of the game Custer was firing on all cylinders on defense, with Vincent saying the Eagles frequently had trouble even getting the ball past half court.
“It’s the best our press has looked in the last two years,” he said.
At the start of the fourth Custer got a pair of defensive stops but fumbled the ball into the hands of Wall players who used the broken plays to score and create momentum. It was all down hill from there for the Wildcats.
“We couldn’t put the ball in the hoop to start the fourth quarter,” Vincent said. Custer shot only 28 percent in the game.
Vincent also pointed out the Wildcats were dominated on the glass in the final quarter, getting outrebounded 20-7, including giving up 11 offensive rebounds. One of Custer’s taller players, Nelson, fouled out, tmaking things worse.
“We knew going into it rebounding would be one of the things we had to focus on,” Vincent said. “I felt Wall just wanted it more in the fourth quarter.”
Tennyson was the only player to reach double figures for the Wildcats, scoring 13 points.
Things couldn’t have started better in the tournament for the Wildcats, as they blasted Todd County 46-18 in Wednesday’s opening round.
The Wildcats pushed the pace and got tempo in their favor right away, racking up 23 steals and holding the Falcons to five points at halftime, including zero in the second quarter.
All 11 Wildcats who suited up for varsity got into the game, and eight scored.
“Everybody was sharing the ball. They were having fun,” Vincent said. “It was really nice to come out in a game we were expecting to win and just controlling it from the tip.”
Uphoff and Larsen led a balanced scoring attack with eight points each.
The Wildcats now have a week off before heading back into action Jan. 3 at Vincent’s alma mater, Sioux Valley. To say Vincent still has ties to the school would be the understatement of the year.
The Cossacks are coached by Jamie Granum, who was an assistant for the boys team when Vincent was an all-state player there. Granum also was his individual workout coach.
On top of that, his sister, Talya Vincent, is the Cossacks’ starting point guard. His cousin, Keyra Kruse is also on the team. The Cossacks also boast 5-11 guard Kailey Cradduck, who has already been offered a basketball scholarship from the University of South Dakota, despite only being a sophomore.
It’s safe to say Custer will know what the Cossacks will run, and vice versa.
“They push the pace and love to shoot the three-pointer. The three-point line is going to be huge in keeping them in check a little bit,” Vincent said.
His sister also played with some of the Wildcats during the summer. And yes, she is already doing some friendly smack talk to big brother.
“I shouldn’t have taught her how to shoot,” Vincent said with a laugh. “We are all excited to go play against her and her team.”
When the Custer boys play Sioux Valley, the Cossacks will be coached by Vincent’s father, Bill Vincent.
So who will he root for?
“You have to ask tough questions like that, huh?” Vincent said with a laugh. “I have a vested interest in the Custer group, and I’ve been able to coach some of the Sioux Valley guys growing up, too. I don’t know if I’ll be cheering one way or the other. I want it to be a good game, and I think it will be. I’ll be cheering for everyone. I’ll be the most neutral fan.”