Tuesday night marked the 130th all-time meeting in boys basketball between Mobridge-Pollock and Cheyenne-Eagle Butte. The Tigers have controlled the rivalry, which includes now eight straight wins against the Braves after their most recent 59-47 triumph in Eagle Butte. The Braves entered the night with the best record in their shared region with Mobridge-Pollock, had won six straight games, and were a perfect 5-0 at home. A persistent and complete performance for the Tigers carried the day to upset that in front of likely the most hostile crowd they will face all season.
Early on, the game was physical and low-scoring. Shane Henderson picked up two early fouls working against a fellow 6’6″ senior big Easton Lawrence. By the end of the first, the Tigers controlled a small 15-12 lead. Mobridge-Pollock pushed that out to double-digits in the second quarter, but Cheyenne-Eagle Butte rallied to actually outscore them in the period and go into halftime down just 31-30. The second half is really where the Tigers have shined during this four-game win streak, and their performance in the final 16 minutes Tuesday helped make the rivalry win a lopsided one.
Their defense pulled together to allow just 17 points in the second half, while the offense scratched across 28 in that span. Sophomore Shooter Frederick continues to be a revelation for the Tigers, as his performance against Cheyenne-Eagle Butte was his third 20-point performance in the last four games. Fellow sophomore Kale Knudson was our player of the game, he scored 13 points and made other key plays for the Tigers on both ends of the floor. Henderson worked around three first-half fouls, which included a technical foul, to play nearly the entire second half and protect the rim.
With the victory, Mobridge-Pollock is now 9-3, placing them very close to the top of the 6A standings. They go back on the road Thursday for a west river trek to Belle Fourche, who is 3-9. Our coverage of the doubleheader begins at 5:30 p.m. central on Star 99.
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