VOLGA The Sioux Valley girls basketball team took care of business on Tuesday night in their first game of the postseason as the Cossacks dismantled Deuel 71-32 in the quarterfinals of the Region 2A Playoffs.
Despite the final score, Sioux Valley head coach Jamie Granum wasnt pleased with how his team played until the second half.
The final score was about the same as our first matchup. I just didnt think we played that well. Our first half, we were sloppy, we were slow. We didnt start the game well and Deuel came ready to play. Its kind of what you get in the postseason. You have a common opponent that youve played before and they know what were going to do and we know what theyre going to do, and I thought they outplayed us some. I thought they outplayed us in the first half, which I know is a weird thing to say up 16 going into halftime Granum said.
No. 2 seeded Sioux Valley used a late run in the first quarter to lead 25-11 heading into the second. The No. 7 seeded Cardinals would cut the lead to single digits in the second quarter but the Cossacks ended the quarter strong and led 39-23 heading into halftime.
The Cossacks used some of that momentum to have a strong third. Sioux Valley outscored Deuel 20-4 in the third to put the game away and Granum said he was pleased with his teams response out of halftime.
I think it was a matter of time before we got going offensively, just with ball movement. Our locker room at halftime wasnt taking anything for granted. We felt coming into this game that [Deuel] had so many points in their offense and we felt good with where we were at halftime and what they average. They shot the ball really well in the first half and sometimes youre going to have to weather those storms, Granum said.
The Cossacks held a 12-5 advantage in the fourth quarter that was played on running time.
Sioux Valley shot 38.2% from the field and was 11-of-25 from three. The Cossacks had four starters score in double figures and the fifth was close.
Kailey Cradduck had 18 points, nine rebounds and four assists to lead Sioux Valley. Keyra Kruse had a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Talya Vincent had 13 points and Amari Ward had 10 points. Liberty Trygstad had eight points and six rebounds.
Granum said his offense is dangerous because you dont know which girl is going to score on any given night.
Im confident in our group. We can score from all five spots and we kind of had that theme going [on Tuesday night], Granum said.
The Cossacks held the Cardinals to 32.4% shooting from the field and Deuel was 4-of-12 from beyond the arc. Camdyn Peterreins had 13 points to lead Deuel.
Sioux Valley outrebounded Deuel 41-31. The Cossacks had six turnovers and the Cardinals had 20. Sioux Valley was 8-of-13 at the free throw line and Deuel was 4-of-11.
Up next, the Cossacks will take on No. 3 seeded Great Plains Lutheran on Thursday in Volga with a trip to the SoDak 16 on the line. Sioux Valley and GPL did not face each other in the regular season, but Granum knows what his team will be up against on Thursday night.
[Great Plains Lutheran] is athletic, big and theyre used to winning. Theyre a 14-win team. They have a couple of nice shooters and a really nice point guard that handles the ball really well. Then they have two post players that will be a handful for us, Granum said.
It will be the first time in awhile that the Cossacks will have the game to go to the SoDak 16 at home. Granum said having home court advantage is important and hes looking forward to the atmosphere on Thursday night.
For the last four or five years weve had to face a one or two-seed on the road. Tonight, with how the region went, were in that position. Its one of the better teams that weve had in my time here, so Im excited to see how far we can go, Granum said.
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