Dreams of state tournament invitations will either come true or be shattered this week in South Dakota high school girls' basketball. By the end of the week, the eight teams heading to the State B tourney in Huron, the State A in Spearfish, and the State AA in Brookings will be determined. The state tournaments are scheduled for March 8-10. The Class AA teams will conduct district and regional tournaments this week, while Class A and B will hold regional tournaments. Snowy weather last week delayed a few district tournaments.
There are no secrets in this district of four Eastern South Dakota Conference teams. They are all longtime rivals and have already played each other twice this season. Mitchell has held the top spot in the district from the beginning of the season and finished as the number one team in the State AA poll. The Kernels are currently on a 14-game winning streak and lost only once this season. Aberdeen Central, which climbed as high as number two in the poll, lost four of its last six games in February.
The winning teams will advance to the district championship game on Thursday, and the two losing teams will face off in an elimination game also on Thursday.
Tonight's Games:
- Huron (2-18) vs. Mitchell (19-1) at Corn Palace, 5:45 p.m.
- Pierre (4-16) vs. Aberdeen Central (13-6) at Golden Eagles Arena, 7 p.m.
Thursday's Games:
- Championship game at the higher seed
- Third-place game at the higher seed.