Improving boys drop Rangers, blast Bison

Like any coach, Custer High School boys basketball head coach Larry Luitjens wants to see his team continue to improve as the season progresses. So far so good.

The team played two of its best games of the young season last weekend, defeating Hill City on the road before returning home to rout Hot Springs Friday night at the armory.

“We’re playing better, and continue to get better,” Luitjens said.â��“The kids always work hard, but they’re starting to work smarter. That gives us a leg up on where we were.”

The game was never in doubt Friday night against Hot Springs, as the young and undermanned Bison were never in the game, with Custer winning 77-30. The ’Cats jumped all over the Bison from the outset, scoring the first seven points in the game and leading at the end of the first quarter 27-2.

“I was pleased the kids came out and ready to play, even though we are much more talented than Hot Springs,” Luitjens said. “That doesn’t always happen. Sometimes you have a tendency to coast a little bit and not work as hard.

Custer kept the pedal to the gas in the second quarter, with Luke Roddy burying a three-pointer to put Custer up 32-2. By the time TJ�Stover hit a fall away jumper at the 2:37 mark Custer had a 42-9 lead, and a Trevor Schyrvers three-pointer at the buzzer sent the Wildcats into the half with a 51-15 lead. From there, Custer emptied its bench and played mostly reserves in the second half.

“Those are difficult games. I didn’t think it would ever get over,”â��Luitjens said. “They are one of the two teams we’ll play this year that is younger and more inexperienced than we are.”

Roddy led the team in scoring in the game with 13 points, while Bryant scored 10.

Roddy scored 17 points and Bryant and Bradon Miller both added 14 as the Wildcats cruised by the Hill City Rangers for the second time this season last Thursday night in Hill City, 69-49.

“Iâ��thought we played much better this time when we played them than at Lakota Nation,” Luitjens said.â��“We took care of the basketball really well, and Iâ��thought we attacked well.”

Custer led by only two after the first period, but 10 second quarter points by Roddy helped the ’Cats push that cushion to eight at the half, and the lead only continued to grow at that point.

The Wildcats only committed six turnovers in the game. Luitjens said the team missed some easy shots in the first half, but bounced back and made the shots in the second half. The team also did a good job defensively on Hill City’s two best players, Derek Skillingstad and Justin Klein.

“They are two really good basketball players,”â��he said.â��“They could play basketball for anybody.”

The boys play a pair of home games this weekend, beginning Friday night at the armory when they host St. Thomas More, ranked No. 2 in the state in Class A. The game begins at 7:30 p.m.

The Cavaliers have lost only once this season, to top ranked Sioux Falls Christian. Luitjens said it will take a complete effort from the team if it wants to pull off the upset.

“They’re strong and have seven or eight kids that are interchangeable, and each bring something else to the game,”â��he said.â��“I have been saying the same thing for five years—we have to take care of the basketball when we play Tommy More. Does that mean it’s going to happen? No. But, we are playing well, and I think we can give them a game.”

Saturday the team will play host to Pine Ridge, with a 6:30 p.m. tip. Luitjens said the Thorpes aren’t quite the caliber of Red Cloud or Pine Ridge, but are a good basketball team the Wildcats must be ready for.

“We will have to strap it up and be ready to play,”â��he said.â��“If we do, we’ll be fine. If we don’t, we’ll have another St. Francis game.”

Custer 27 24 13 14 —77

HS 2 13 6 9 —30

Custer—TJâ��Stover 3 1-4 8, Chady Bryant 4 2-2 10, Tyler Young 1 0-0 2, Jordan Konkol 2 3-4 7, Brandon Smith 3 1-1 7, Luke Roddy 4 3-3 13, Tyler Schultz 2 0-0 4, Trevor Schryvers 1 1-2 4, Brandon Miller 3 3-5 9, Robert St. Pierre 3 3-4 9, Jake Thomsen 2 0-0 4. Totals: 28 18-25 77.

Hot Springs—Chad Janis 1 3-3 6, Chris Housley 6 1-4 13, Jaron Smith 1 1-4 4, Shane Hanson 0 1-3 1, Austin Benford 1 1-2 4, Isaac Friesen 1 0-0 2. Totals: 10 7-16 30.

Three-point goals: Custer 3 (Roddy 2, Stover), HS 3 (Benford, Smith, Janis). Rebounds:�Custer 40, HS�28. Turnovers:�Custer 13, HS�17. Total fouls:�Custer 13, HS 18. Fouled out: none.

Custer 15 17 15 22 —69

HC 13 13 10 13 —49

Custer—Luke Roddy 6 1-2 17, Chad Bryant 5 1-2 14, Brandon Smith 1 0-0 2, TJâ��Stover 2 2-2 7, Brandon Miller 5 4-5 14, Tyler Schultz 2 1-2 5, Robert St. Pierre 1 0-0 2, Tyler Young 1 0-0 3, Greg Witt 0 2-2 2, Jake Thomsen 1 0-0 2. Totals:â��15 11-15 69.

Hill City—Justin Klein 6 1-2 15, Nickâ��Mercy 1 0-0 2, Cody Skiles 2 0-1 5, Derek Skillingstad 7 2-2 17, Ryan Gimbel 4 0-0 8. Totals: 16 3-5 49.

Three-point goals: Custer 9 (Roddy 4, Bryant 3, Stover, Young), HC�4 (Klein 2, Skiles, Skillingstad). Total fouls:�Custer 10, HC�13. Fouled out: Gimbel.