ABERDEEN -- In a grinding and physical contest, Lyman dropped a 53-45 contest against Viborg-Hurley at the State B boys basketball tournament at Wachs Arena on Thursday.
The Raiders, who were outsized against the taller Cougars, were out-rebounded by a 44-26 margin and the teams combined for 37 fouls.
“I was expecting it to be like fast paced,” Lyman junior Stockton McClanahan said. “I thought we were going to keep pushing the ball, but they did that, too. It worked both ways. … They are a lot bigger than us. We just had to man up some, I guess.”
Viborg-Hurley senior post Gradee Sherman recorded a double-double with 19 points and 17 rebounds, including 10 offensive boards. It was another sampling of a dominant season for the 6-foot-5 Augustana University football commit and Viborg-Hurley’s post presence.
“It’s pretty much what has carried us all year long,” Viborg-Hurley coach Galen Schoenefeld said. “Gradee has been there every game and double figures every game.”
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He also had a hand in holding Lyman’s Toby Estes in check. The 6-foot-6 junior center came in averaging 16 points, but finished with nine points and six rebounds.
“Anytime you can hold their leading scorer down and seven points under his average and less than double figures ... I would say we did a heck of a job,” Schoenefeld said.
Sam McClanahan finished with 11 points and Stockton McClanahan added 10 points. Viborg-Hurley’s Hayden Gilbert scored 14 points and helped stymie a late Lyman rally.
The Cougars led 35-29 entering the final quarter. They stretched the margin to nine (42-33) before Estes hit a 3-pointer to make it 42-36. After Gilbert scored the next six points for the Cougars, Tyson Floyd nailed a 3-pointer to cut the deficit to 50-45 with 37 ticks left. But the Cougars closed out the game at the free-throw line.
“I am proud of the guys for the way they found and battled,” Garnos said. “We knew coming in, this was going to be a physical game and Viborg/Hurley is big and athletic.”
Viborg-Hurley (18-5) plays De Smet at 5 p.m. Friday in the championship semifinals. Lyman (19-5) plays familiar foe Lower Brule at noon Friday in the consolation semifinals.
“I know most of them” Stockton McClanahan said. “Some of them went to our school and it’s a county battle right there.”
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