The Sioux Central boys basketball team improved to 3-0 with their 91-58 victory over Alta Aurelia on Tuesday in Sioux Rapids.
Both team’s shot well early, as each hit five threes in the 1st quarter. Alta Aurelia led by as many as six points, and were up by five in the final seconds of the quarter. Carter Boettcher hit a three, and then stole an inbounds pass just inside the halfcourt line and buried another three to put Sioux Central ahead 23-22. The long triple at the buzzer put Boettcher over 1,000 points for his career, becoming the 5th Sioux Central player to reach that mark.
Carson Reinert hit a three to start the 2nd quarter scoring to give the Warriors the lead back, but it was short lived. Sioux Central scored the next seven points, and ended up with a 29-9 advantage in the 2nd quarter, capped by an Ethan Mills three as time was running down to make it 52-31 at halftime. Jake Hargens opened the 2nd half scoring with a dunk, and the Rebels got the 35 point continuous clock in effect with 2:53 left.
Boettcher had 33, Hargens 24, and Mills finished with 23. Braden Sonksen had 27 for the Warriors, and Reinert had 12. Alta Aurelia drops to 2-1.
The Sioux Central girls won 49-40 in a game that featured 12 lead changes and ten ties.
There was no more than a four point difference until early in the 4th quarter. There were nine lead changes in the 1st half alone, as Alta Aurelia took a 24-22 lead into the locker room. The score was tied for the last time at 36-36 when Morgan Christian scored a basket in the final seconds of the 3rd quarter to put Sioux Central ahead to stay, and ignited a 12-0 Rebels run.
Bradi Krager had 14 for Sioux Central off the bench, and Christian had 11. Ella Nielsen led the Warriors with 13, and Brielle Engelmann and Nora Peterson each had ten.
Alta Aurelia first loss puts them at 3-1, and Sioux Central goes to 2-2.
The Alta Aurelia girls and boys host Woodbury Central on Thursday, then go to Pocahontas Area on Friday.
The Sioux Central teams are at Manson Northwest Webster on Friday.
