Photo: SDPB | Tina Harp
RAPID CITY, S.D — Clark/Willow Lake overcame a slow start to advance to the championship semifinals of the 2026 Boys Class A State Tournament with a 66-36 win over Stanley County.
Stanley County led 14-9 after the first quarter, but the Cyclones used stingy defense in the second to hold the Buffaloes to just four points, taking a 25-17 lead into halftime. Clark/Willow Lake, which shot 53% in the contest, never looked back, holding Stanley County to just 19 points in the second half.
The Cyclones’ “Big Four” led the scoring column, paced by Chris Bevers with 24 points and four assists. Emmerson Larson added 18 points, Sully Felberg tallied a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds, and Bo Begeman chipped in 10.
That balanced attack has been the key for Clark/Willow Lake all season. “We’re not dependent on one or two guys. It really makes us a mismatch for other people,” Clark/Willow Lake coach Jerome Nesheim told SDPB Sports following the game.
Paxton Deal led Stanley County with 15 points and six rebounds. Eddie Duffy and Trevor Cadwell each had six points.
The win sets up a rematch with West Central in Friday’s semifinals. Clark/Willow Lake fell to the Trojans 55-52 on Jan. 24 at the Hanson Classic.
“We’re going to enjoy this win tonight and work on West Central tomorrow,” Nesheim said. “They’re a great team; they’re playing really well. We’ve got to figure out how to slow them down.”
Tipoff is slated for 7:45 p.m. SDPB will provide coverage on SDPB-TV3, online at SDPB.org/Basketball, and on YouTube. Radio coverage is available on Power 106.3.
Other quarterfinal games from the A:
Sioux Falls Christian 82, St. Thomas More 59
Hamlin 65, Groton Area 61
West Central 75, Cheyenne-Eagle Butte 41
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