In a highly anticipated Class B girls basketball matchup, the top-ranked Lyman Raiders emerged victorious against second-ranked Parkston Trojans with a score of 60-50 during the DWU Classic held at the Corn Palace on Friday night.
Lyman (17-1) established dominance early on, launching into a 23-point first quarter that set the tone for the game. By halftime, the Raiders had built a significant lead, outscoring the Trojans 32-16. “When you can pull out and get a 20-point lead early, it”s hopefully going to pay dividends at the end of the game,” stated Lyman head coach Cody Volmer. “But we don”t want to have two different halves like that against a team of Parkston”s caliber. Luckily, we got out of here with a victory.”
Despite the rough start, Parkston (15-2) showed resilience, mounting a comeback in the second half. The Trojans capitalized on several turnovers from Lyman, converting them into quick points in transition. After trailing by as many as 21 points early in the third quarter, Parkston narrowed the gap to seven points late in the game. However, they were unable to complete the comeback. “We fought really hard, and we didn”t give up,” said Parkston head coach Cole Knippling. “We got a lot of fourth-quarter stops, but you need about everything to go right when you dig that deep of a hole.”
A key figure for Lyman in sealing the victory was senior Mak Scott. With her sister, standout sophomore Jordyn Scott, fouled out, Mak stepped up significantly, contributing 15 points, 12 rebounds, five assists, four steals, and two blocks. “Mak is the calming factor for our team,” Volmer remarked. “She”s going to keep us grounded as far as ball control goes, and I felt like she did that when she needed to tonight.”
Jordyn Scott led the team in scoring with 18 points, while Kenzie Wagner added 12 points and six rebounds. Bree Smart and Brooke Montgomery contributed with eight and seven points, respectively. For Parkston, Berkley Ziebart was the standout performer, netting 19 points and grabbing five rebounds. Keeara Oakley also made notable contributions with seven points, nine rebounds, five assists, and two blocks.
Lyman, whose only loss this season was to the Bishop Heelan team from Sioux City, Iowa, is set to face another formidable Class B opponent, Bennett County, on February 17. Meanwhile, Parkston will host Philip on Saturday before returning to the Corn Palace on Monday for a rescheduled matchup against Ethan, who also secured a significant win on Friday.
