SIOUX FALLS, SD (MITCHELLNOW) The Mitchell Kernels boys’ basketball team is once again standing alone at the top as Class AA champions. With the game on the line and on the second to last play of the game, big play Marcus Talley did what he does best: attack the lane, draw the defense in, and the hand off the ball to the open player, and Gavin Hinker did the rest and scored what ended up being the game winning layup. The Brandon Valley Lynx had one last chance to win the game with 1.2 seconds left, but Josh Olthoff’s fall away three-pointer would come up short and the Mitchell Kernels won the game 46-45.
From the very start of their off-season program, they have been focused and, on a mission, to not only get back to the Class AA State Championship game to win it outright.
The Mitchell Kernels Boys’ Varsity Basketball team was focused, quiet, and prepared from the moment they hit the court for pregame warmups. They wanted to grab an early lead from the start in the Class AA Championship game like they did against the Sioux Falls Jefferson Cavilers and the Sioux Falls Washington Warriors boys’ basketball teams in their first two games of the Class AA State Tournament games when they led at the halves of both games 33 to 23 and 37 to 27 respectively. The Kernel boys leaned on their key starters in the first half, like they have all season long, as Marcus Talley had 5 points, Colton Smith had 2 points and Gavin Soukup finished with 11 points in the first half.
The Kernel boys held a slight rebounding advantage in the first half 15 to 14 and shot 41% from the field. Mitchell would end up leading the first half with a 23 to 18 halftime lead in a close first half. The Kernels finished the third quarter with a 35 to 34 lead headed into the fourth quarter. The Brandon Valley Lynx made a late charge in the fourth quarter but came up short in a low scoring fourth quarter with both teams scoring 11 points.
The big three came through in the end again for Mitchell as Marcus Talley finished with 9 points, Colton Smith had 7 points and Gavin Soukup finished with 16 points. The Kernels out rebounded the Lynx 24 to 23 for the game and finished shooting 46% from field and going 3-6 from the free throw line. It is Mitchell’s first championship since 2005.
