Kernels' defense slows Governors

For the first time all season, Mitchell sent a different starting lineup to the floor.

Three-time all-state selection Kerri Young, who averages 17 points per game, was out with illness, forcing her to watch from the bench Tuesday evening.

Mitchell started slow but held Pierre to 11 second-half points in a 61-32 Eastern South Dakota Conference girls’ basketball victory at the Corn Palace.

“I thought it was different at first, but we really adapted,” Mitchell guard Torrie Michels said of Young’s absence.

The teams were knotted at 12 after the first quarter, but Mitchell outscored Pierre 18-9 in the second. Mitchell senior Kristin Sabers knocked down two of her three 3-pointers in the second, and she finished with 17 points and four rebounds. Mitchell’s Macy Miller had a game-high 19 points, five assists and six rebounds and Megan Farnham had 12 points and four rebounds.

Those three, Courtney Moore and Young are the regular starters, none having missed a start this season before Tuesday night. Berkley Rietveld got the start in place of Young, who is 32 points shy of tying the school’s career-scoring record of 1,565 points, held by Jeana (Hoffman) Krome.

It wasn’t until the second half that Mitchell finally looked comfortable without one of its senior leaders.

“Not having Kerri, it was different,” Mitchell coach Wes Morgan said. “We stuck together and didn’t try to do too much.”

With a 30-21 halftime advantage, the Kernels watched as Pierre closed the gap early in the third with two baskets in its first two possessions to pull within five. But the Kernels’ defense livened up and held the Governors to only seven points for the remainder of the game.

“They played a great second half,” said Pierre coach Lisa Bahe, whose team never attempted a free throw in the game, a statistic she was unsure if she’d ever seen before in her 17 years of coaching. “In the second half, they did a good job of running the floor. We lost our people and didn’t get back on defense.”

Mitchell outscored the Governors 31-11 in the second half and shot 48 percent from the field. It was the Kernels’ defense that stood out, though, holding Pierre to 24 percent from the field in the final 16 minutes.

The Kernels (10-2, 8-1 ESD) are on a five-game winning streak. They host Sturgis at 7:30 p.m. Friday in a nonconference game at the Corn Palace in their next action.

MITCHELL 61, PIERRE 32

MHS (10-2, 8-1 ESD)

Berkley Reitveld 1-2 0-0 2, Megan Farnham 5-10 1-3 12, Macy Miller 7-13 5-5 19, Courtney Moore 2-6 1-5 5, Kristin Sabers 6-11 2-2 17, Torrie Michels 1-4 0-3 2, Emma Schmidt 0-1 0-0 0, Katelyn Held 0-0 0-0 0, Taylor Volesky 1-4 0-0 2, Shelly Iburg 0-1 2-2 2, Ashley Larson 0-0 0-0 0. Totals: 23-52 11-20 61.

PHS (6-6, 4-4 ESD)

Kaitlyn Severyn 3-9 0-0 8, Taylor Hyde 0-3 0-0 0, Katie Berg 2-4 0-0 4, Sydney Palmer 6-11 0-0 12, Kristi Livermont 1-3 0-0 2, McKenna Halverson 0-2 0-0 0, Courtney Brandy 0-1 0-0 0, Stevi Classen 2-8 0-0 4, Miranda Panzer 1-2 0-0 2, Kelsey Schmidz 0-1 0-0 0, Mariah Fuchs 0-0 0-0 0, Rhiannon Sears 0-2 0-0 0. Totals: 15-46 0-0 32.

PHS 12 21 28 32

MHS 12 40 54 61

3-point goals: MHS 4-7 (Sabers 3, Farnham), PHS 2-12 (Severyn 2). Rebounds: MHS 36 (Miller 6), PHS 27 (Severyn 6). Assists: MHS 15 (Miller 5), PHS 4 (Livermont 2). Turnovers: MHS 16, PHS 16. Total fouls: MHS 10, PHS 17. Fouled out: None. Technical fouls: None.

JV: Pierre 56-50; Mitchell’s Shelly Iburg had 17 points and Katelyn Held had 10.

Sophomores: Mitchell 37-14; Mitchell’s Hallie Misiaszek had 14 points and Julie Knight had 10.

Freshmen: Pierre 20-17; Ali Goldammer had six points for the Kernels.

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