The concept of “so close, but so far away” has certainly applied to the Yankton boys basketball team this season. The 1-10 Bucks began the week having lost six games by single-digit margins, including their last three by a total of just nine points. But Tuesday night the trend was reversed as Yankton upended Pierre in a 51-43 road win. The Bucks defense led to offensive struggles for the Governors, who trailed 24-14 at halftime. Pierre gained momentum in the second half, though, and cut the deficit down to one early in the fourth quarter at 31-30. But Jackson Kudera hit a pair of 3-point shots to spur a 9-0 rally that quickly built the lead back to ten, 41-31, and the Bucks never looked back. Kudera scored ten of his game-high 16 points in the final stanza to seal the win. Owen Eidsness added 13 and Beck Ryken ten as Yankton ended a 7-game skid. Corde Austin paced Pierre with 15 while Cooper Terwilliger scored 14 and added 13 rebounds, but the Govs fell to 4-10 with the loss. Pierre travels to Huron next Tuesday for their next battle.
The Governor Girls would find the same fate against the Gazelles as they would fall on the road 54-33. The Gazelles would jump out to an early lead thanks to a couple made threes by Jordyn Kudera, but a scrappy Govs girls team would settle in on both offense and defense and pull the deficit back within a few possessions. However, Kudera’s big first half was not over as she knocked down a corner three to send the Gazelles into the half back up by more than a dozen. The Yankton defense had followed the game plan of the last few Govs opponents which was to lock up Emery Larson and force scoring from other areas. Molly Olson stepped up and had one of her best games of the year knocking down a few second-half threes and finishing the game with 20 points. The Gazelles offense was too potent however and the Governors would drop to 3-9 on the year.
The Governor girls will face off with Tea Area on Saturday afternoon at home on River 92.7 with coverage beginning at 2:30 PM CT.
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