Harrisburg South Dakota — Western Christian traveled to Harrisburg South Dakota Friday night for a non conference double header. Harrisburg took both ends winning the girls game 65-54 and the boys game that followed 66-55.
In the girls game Western took a 16-9 first quarter lead only to see Harrisburg move in front 27-24 at half time. Western regained the lead at the end of the third quarter as Makenna Kooima sparked the offense with 8 of her game high 18 points. The Tigers Jeniah Ugofsky hit 11 of her 15 points in the fourth quarter as Harrisburg battled back and eventually won it 64-54.
Kooima was joined in double figures by Olivia Granstra and Ally Postma who each hit for 11 points in the ballgame. Ugofsky was joined in double figures by Brecli Honner with 12 points. Kiki Berndt and Abby Phipps contributed 10 points each for Harrisburg.
It was the season opener for the Tigers. Western is now 0-3 on the season. The Wolfpack will take a 0-1 record into Tuesday’s conference game against Spencer at the Western Gym.
In the boys game that followed Western opened up a 17-12 first quarter lead only to see Harrisburg move in front at halftime as Cale Murphy closed the half with a pair of free throws to put the Tigers up 28-26. It would be his only points of the night. The complexion of the game changed dramatically when the Wolfpack lost Jacob Vis due to injury just before the half. Vis left the game with 11 first half points and the Wolfpack had trouble regaining their rhythm in the second half.
Harrisburg pushed the lead to 52-38 at the end of the third quarter led by Isaac Brower who scored 9 of his 16 points in the quarter. The Wolfpack made a run in the fourth trimming the lead to four points midway through as Clay VanTol knocked down a pair of threes to get the Wolfpack back in it. Just as quickly Harrisburg countered with back to back possession threes from Brower and Nick Hoyt and the lead was back to 10. The Tigers hit 8-of-11 free throw in the fourth quarter to seal the win.
Hoyt led all scorers with 20 points. Brower was next with 16. They were joined by Blair Slaughter with 15 and Brayden Phipps with 10 point effort. Western had three players in double figures with 11 points each as Vis was joined by Clay VanTol and Carter Broek.
With the win Western is now even at 1-1 on the season. The Wolfpack will take a 1-0 conference mark into their Tuesday night home game against Spencer.
