For the first time in 41-years, the Hamlin Chargers have won a boys state basketball tournament. They defeated top ranked Sioux Falls Christian 53-50 in overtime on Saturday night at the Summit Arena in Rapid City.
Hamlin came out rolling as they led 14-10 at the end of the first quarter, and then continued their sharp style in the second quarter to take a 27-15 lead into the break. Things changed quickly in the second half, however, as Sioux Falls Christian began to find their stride.
“You’ve got to give them credit. At halftime, I told you they were going to make a run, we knew they’d make a run,” said Hamlin head coach Todd Neuendorf. “They took the lead, much similar to the way Groton did [Thursday]. Our guy’s battled back, we were down five, we got some key defensive stops and then came back and got ourselves back in it.”
“At halftime, we knew they were going to come out and make a run. I told the guy’s, we’ve got to battle, we’ve got to do our best to stem their run, make sure we don’t let them compound big plays on top of each other,” said Hamlin senior guard Tyson Stevenson. “We knew we had to limit it and get back into our groove of things.”
Sioux Falls Christian outscored Hamlin 32-20 in the second half, led by some big plays from Griffen Goodbary and Bran Wassenaar, who combined for 32-points in the contest. At the end of regulation it was tied 47-47.
In overtime, Hamlin found a way to get ahead late, leading by three, but Sioux Falls Christian would have one final shot. The half court heave fell off the mark, and the celebration began for Hamlin.
The half court heave doesn’t fall, and Hamlin has won its first state boys basketball title since 1983. #SDHoops24 pic.twitter.com/TYVA4MC2ap
— SDPB Sports (@SDPBSports) March 17, 2024
“1983 was the last time we won one. It just tells you how old I am, I was eleven,” said coach Neuendorf. “What a great following from our community, they were really happy. Big win for Hamlin and Hamlin County.”
Tyson Stevenson led the way for Hamlin with 16-points in the game. As the lone starting senior on this year’s squad, he’s viewed as a leader by his teammates.
“I see myself as a leader on the team, but it’s not giving the coach any advice,” Stevenson stated. “We suggest sometimes on the floor, because we’re playing and can feel it a little more, but [Coach Neuendorf] right here, best coach in the state.”
Sioux Falls Christian entered Saturday's championship game undefeated. They beat Hamlin twice during the regular season.
This is the third state boys basketball championship for the Hamlin Chargers boys basketball team. They won the title against Armour in ’83 and also beat Parker for the title nine-years before that in ’74.
