After defeating Mobridge-Pollock on Tuesday night, March 11, the Lennox High School boys’ basketball team is heading to the 2025 State A Tournament, which will be held in Sioux Falls from March 20-22. A complete recap of the SoDak win will be featured in next week’s Lennox Independent.
The Orioles’ road to State began on Thursday, March 6, with a dominant 66-28 victory over Canton in the first round of Region play.
“We had emphasized, as a group, leading up to this game that we needed to continue to play to the level that we are capable of regardless of who was in front of us and I thought the boys did exactly that,” said Oriole head coach Jacob Hinker. “We came out and were disciplined defensively and played offense how we wanted to play. It was a good game to play in for the first round of regions.”
Against Canton, four Orioles finished in double figures, with Tate Gerdes leading the way. He went six of eight from the field, finishing with 14 points, five rebounds, five assists, and three steals.
Aiden Hansen finished with 12 points in the game, along with two assists and two steals. Drake Mikkelsen and Teegan Musser both had ten points. Mikkelsen also had three rebounds and three assists, while Musser pulled down three rebounds and had one steal.
Cade Sherard provided five points for the Orioles against Canton. He also had three rebounds and three steals. Brennen Juffer had four points and four rebounds. Talen Eich finished with three points, while Boston Katzer, Cole Spieler, and Jevyn Lefers each provided two points. Katzer also had three rebounds and two assists. Jaxson Bittner grabbed two rebounds and had one steal. Chase Lundquist had one rebound and two assists.
In the second-round matchup against Vermillion on Saturday, March 9, the Orioles faced a much closer contest, edging out Vermillion for a 53-48 win. The game turned into a dramatic back-and-forth battle as Vermillion mounted a second-half comeback after Lennox led in the opening half.
“This was a game that a lot of people had circled on the schedule for a while and it didn’t disappoint. Big games in the postseason can create some nerves and can create some unique circumstances throughout the game,” said Hinker. “We started out the first half well and then Vermillion climbed back into it and created a back-and-forth battle. Every player that stepped on the floor was tough enough to make plays down the stretch in a great environment. It was such a fun experience for everyone involved to be a part of.”
Against Vermillion, Lennox’s Gerdes and Musser each finished with 15 points. Gerdes hit three three-pointers in the game and was perfect at the foul line, hitting all six attempts. He also grabbed seven rebounds, had one assist, and two steals. Musser grabbed seven rebounds, one assist, and one steal.
Katzer provided nine points, six rebounds, three assists, and one steal. Hansen scored seven points, had one rebound, two assists, and one steal. Layton Smith finished with five points, two rebounds, one assist, and one steal. Mikkelsen finished with two points, two rebounds, and three assists in the game.