Tuesday January 16, 2024
Lower Brule High School Gymnasium
Starting for Cheyenne-Eagle Butte (6-2)
Soph #1 Damien Clown
Soph #3 Levi Elk Nation
Soph #11 Nehemiah Veaux
Soph #25 Dayson Kennedy
Jr. #40 Easton Lawrence
Lower Brule Sioux (3-5)
The 6-2 Braves would get the tip, but Lower Brule Senior #5 Quentin McBride Jr. would force a turnover and find #34 Brent Hood for the first bucket of the game. McBride Jr. is an enrolled member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe and grandson of Laura Sungila Luta. Shout out to proud Unci Laura. McBride earned KIPI Radio “Player of the Game” last season scoring 43pts in a Crow Creek win at Cheyenne-Eagle Butte. McBride would score the first of his 4 1st quarter points right after a Braves’ bucket from #3 Levi Elk Nation. Coach LaRoche would go with his 1-3-1 zone defense. Lower Brule Jr. Lane Grey would split for the and 1 which got the Sioux going in the first quarter, but Braves PG Levi Elk Nation would break the Sioux half-court trap and sink two buckets in the paint. #11 Nehemiah Veaux used the old press breaker for an easy lay-up off a nice hail-Mary pass from Levi Elk Nation. Grey would lead all scorers at the end of the first quarter with 5 pts and the Sioux up 23 to 11.
McBride would force a couple turnovers to start the second quarter and would pick up a tough and 1 call to set the pace for the Lower Brule Sioux. Grey would hit a deep three in transition to put the Sioux up 28-11 with 5 minutes left in the second. Easton Lawrence would get the Braves first 2 buckets to put the deficit at 13 points. Payton Palmier would get into foul trouble early with 4 fouls early 2nd quarter, but Middletent would capitalize and pick up 2 buckets in his absence. The Braves would go on a small run, but Quentin McBride Jr. would sink a 30-foot jump at the buzzer to end the 2nd quarter with the Sioux leading by fourteen 35-21.
Lane Grey would trade baskets with Dayson Kennedy to start the 2nd-half. Nehemiah Veaux would add 2 pts. After two made free-throws from Quentin McBride Jr. Sr. Payton Palmier would pick up his 5th foul and would end the game with 2 pts. Damien Clown would hit a corner 3 to get the lead down to 10. Elk Nation would attack the zone and find Nehemiah Veaux off of a fast cut to the basket and Veaux would get his 6th pt of the game. Right after McBride Jr. would get a bucket after splitting the Braves double team, and the lead would be back to 10. The Sioux would show their great ball movement swinging the ball thru every player. Lane Grey would go on a 5 pt run hitting a 3, getting a steal and scoring a fast break lay-up putting the Sioux up 48 to 33 with 3 mins left in 3rd. Both teams would trade 3s from Hood, to Kennedy, followed by Flute and Clown, and then another from Nehemiah Veaux and Lane Grey putting the score at 59-46. Sioux up at the beginning of the 4th quarter.
Dayson Kennedy would have a big start to the 4rth finding Braxton Kennedy for a bucket. Right after getting a put back and driving coast-to-coast for a bucket. The Sioux’s lead would be cut down to eleven 2 minutes into the 4rth quarter. The Braves running in their signature flex offense getting the ball into the hands of each player and capitalizing off of the flex cut.
Down the stretch Lane Grey and Quentin McBride Jr. would keep the lead in double digits, but that did not stop the effort of the Braves as they gave maximum effort until the buzzer went off, Final Score 73-61, Lower Brule improves to 4-5 and Cheyenne-Eagle Butte would pick-up their 3rd loss of the season at 6-3. Lane Grey would have a game-high 21 pts for the Sioux and Elk Nation and Lawrence would each add 12 pts. A big game from Nehemiah Veaux with 11 pts 3 stl 4ast and 5 reb. Nehemiah has an all-around game, and he can play both ends of the court. The Sophomore can fill the stat sheet and is a big part of the Braves success this season. We also want to congratulate Braves Senior #50 Braxton Kennedy on his selection to the 2024 Lakota All-Star Games, March 30 at the Summit Arena in Rapid City, SD
KIPI Sports will be LIVE from the Dupree High School Gym this Friday January 19 as the Dupree Tigers host the McLaughlin Mustangs in a battle between the top two Region 6-A teams. Tip-off set for 5 pm MT on KIPI 93.5 FM-HD and stay tuned for coverage of the Girls Little Moreau Conference Tournament beginning Thursday Jan. 18-Sat. Jan. 20th.
