Photo: SDPB | Josh Jurgens
RAPID CITY, S.D. — The Watertown Arrows emerged from a physical, seesaw battle with Brandon Valley to claim a 64-60 victory and fifth place at the 2026 Class AA State Boys Basketball Tournament.
Watertown held a slim 34-32 lead at the half, but the Lynx responded by holding the Arrows to just six points in the third quarter to take a 43-40 lead into the final frame. The contest came down to crucial free throws by Carter Buisker and Jack Mack in the closing seconds to give the Arrows a four-point cushion. A technical foul by Lynx guard Ayuel Deng eventually sealed the victory for Watertown.
“I thought we made some plays, and I think at state tournaments, that’s what you have to do down the stretch,” Watertown coach Pat McClemans told SDPB Sports. “You just have to make plays and I thought our kids throughout the course of the game made some great plays.”
Four Arrows scored in double figures, led by Mack’s 18 points—11 of which came from the charity stripe. Buisker added 16 points, six rebounds, and three assists, while Kaden Decker finished with 13 points. Jackson McClemans rounded out the scoring with 12 points. As a team, Watertown was 23-for-28 from the free-throw line.
Deng led all scorers with 28 points and seven rebounds for Brandon Valley. Lincoln McInerney added 14 points in the loss.
Watertown finishes the season with an 18-6 record and graduates seniors Buisker, Decker, Ashton Rabine, and McClemans.
The consolation championship also served as a milestone for Watertown head coach Pat McClemans, who hinted that the victory marked the conclusion of his 30-plus-year coaching career. While the Watertown Athletic Department has yet to release an official announcement regarding his departure, McClemans took time after the game with SDPB Sports to reflect on his journey.
“When I started coaching 30-plus years ago I was at Pierre, I was the girls’ coach,” McClemans said. “At that time Derek Robey was the girls’ coach in Aberdeen and Tim Buddenhagen was the girls’ coach in Huron. And so to see the three of us still doing this is pretty special.”
McClemans emphasized that the relationships built on the sidelines outweighed the results on the scoreboard.
“I’ve had some great friends and coaches around the state that you get to interact with, and I think that’s important,” McClemans said. “I mean as much as we all want to win, you’re trying to teach some lessons and make friendships along the way, and I’ve been blessed with that throughout my career.”
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