Regular season basketball came to a close for many teams throughout the area. On the boys side, Okoboji traveled to Sibley-Ocheyedan for a final Siouxland Conference test, which was won by the Generals, 80-43. S-O will head to the postseason with an 8-12 record on the year and 7-11 in conference. They have won seven of their last ten and will open Class 1A District play with a home game against Spalding Catholic on Monday. The Pioneers wrap up the season amidst a ten-game losing streak and with records of 1-20 overall and 1-17 in the league. Okoboji will travel to West Lyon on Monday to open the first round of the Class 2A Districts, and KUOO will have the coverage.
In the Lakes Conference, LeMars was hoping to end the night and the season unblemished in league play, however, the red-hot Emmetsburg E-Hawks had other plans. Emmetsburg won a back-and-forth struggle by a 57-56 final, with Ryan Kliegl providing the final key play with a blocked shot of a potential game-winner for the Bulldogs at the buzzer. Michael Wolf led the offensive charge with 20 points, Kliegl had 16 points, and Jake Jackson notched 15 points. Austin Homan led LeMars with 19 points as the conference champions go 13-1 in the league and 16-4 overall. Emmetsburg improves to 13-8 this winter and an even 7-7 in the Lakes. The E-Hawks travel to Sioux Central Monday for a Class 2A contest on Y100.
Already done with the conference season, Spencer hosted OA-BCIG in boys hoops and the Tigers would win by six, 59-53. The Tigers improve to 9-11 this year and have one game remaining before the playoffs.
Elsewhere, Sioux Central concluded their season on Thursday with a 57-44 defeat of Pocahontas Area/Pomeroy-Palmer. Western Christian knocked off Sioux Falls Christian, 71-56. Up in Minnesota, Worthington routed Luverne, 91-55, and Round Lake-Brewster fell to Red Rock Central, 69-56.
In girls basketball, a low-scoring Lakes Conference matchup went to overtime before LeMars pulled out a 37-30 road win over Emmetsburg. The E-Hawks, who tied the game up in the final 30-seconds of regulation, went scoreless in the extra session. Paige Naig dropped in a team-high 14 points for Emmetsburg, giving the senior exactly 1,000 points for her career. Molly Renken had eleven points for the Bulldogs as their season ends at 6-8 in conference and 9-12 overall. The E-Hawks also went 9-12, but finished 4-10 in the Lakes and ride a five-game skid into the postseason. They will host North Sentral Kossuth/Armstrong-Ringsted on Saturday night for a Class 2A Regional game on Y100.
Also, Storm Lake fell to Sioux City West, 74-35. North of the border, Martin County West lost in the Valley Conference Tournament to St. Clair by a 72-65 final in overtime, while Worthington snuck past Luverne, 58-56.
