Titans end season with loss to SFC in SoDak 16

Trailing by two at the half, the Tea Area High School boys’ basketball team found themselves fighting uphill in the second half of the SoDak 16 match-up against Sioux Falls Christian on Tuesday, March 8.

The Titans and Chargers faced off at the Pentagon and went toe to toe in the first half but a 12-2 run by the Chargers in the third created a deficit too great for the Titans to overcome as shots didn’t fall and they suffered the 63-47 loss.

“We had a tremendous season. Nobody in Class A beat more top teams than we did and nearly every game we played was against a top team. The season obviously didn’t finish with the way we wanted to, but it rarely does for anyone,” said Titan head coach Drew Weber. “Our match-up vs. SFC should have been a state semi-final instead of a SoDak 16 game, but sometimes the breaks don’t go your way. I am very proud of our players and what they gave to our program day-in and day-out. They are a wonderful group with very bright futures. I will always cherish this season and this group of kids. Our community should be very proud.”

For the Titans Sam Almas led the team in scoring with 13 points in the game. He also had three rebounds, one assist and one steal. Lundin finished the night with 12 points, four rebounds, one assist and two steals. Kirschenman had nine points, seven rebounds and Jeff Worth finished with six points, one rebound. Klayton Sattler had four points, two rebounds and Alex Pies had two points, one rebound, and one assist. Jonah Kocer had one point, three rebounds, two assists and one steal.

With the win, Sioux Falls Christian advances to the 2022 State A Tournament which will be held in Rapid City on March 17-19 at the Summit Arena at the Monument.

Prior to their loss to Sioux Falls Christian on Tuesday night, the Titans hosted Lennox on Friday, March 4 in Region 4A playoff action. The two teams went basket for basket throughout the bulk of the game. In the fourth quarter, the Titans capitalized on some bad passes by Lennox and hit key free throws down the stretch to secure the 66-54 victory, advancing to the SoDak 16.

“This was such a perfect game from an atmosphere and quality of play standpoint. The crowd was tremendous and our boys were able to rise to a level that was very impressive,” said Weber. “Every guy stepped up for us and came through when we needed them, which is what it takes to win in March.”

The Titans were tied with Lennox at 34 all at the half but outscored Lennox, 14-12 in the third and 18-8 in the fourth to get the win.

Leading Tea Area was Lundin who had a double-double on the night, finishing with 28 points and 12 rebounds. He also led the team in assists with five and in steals with five as well. Kocer had a strong night from beyond the arc, hitting three three-pointers in the game. He finished with 16 points, one rebound, three assists and one steal. Kirschenman went four of six from the field to finish with eight points. He also had six rebounds and one assist. Worth added seven points, five rebounds, one assist and two steals. Almas finished with three points, three rebounds and one steal. Sattler had two points, five rebounds and one steal. Pies had two points, four rebounds, three assists and one steal.