Basketball fans who enjoy high-scoring games were treated to an exciting matchup on Saturday as the Alliance St. Agnes boys’ team defeated the Hill City Rangers 64-44 in Rapid City. The Crusaders went 1-1 on the day at the festival hosted by Community Christian, bouncing back from an earlier loss to the hosts with a dominant victory over Hill City. With the win, St. Agnes improved to 11-4 on the season. The Crusaders set the tone early, scoring 23 points in the first quarter and leading the game from start to finish. Four players finished in double figures, led by Cisco Cody with 18 points. Tripp Johnson added 13, while Grayson Dibrito and Joe Collins contributed 11 and 10 points, respectively.
The first quarter was a three-point shooting showcase, with both teams combining for eight triples—five by St. Agnes and three by Hill City. The Crusaders opened the game with back-to-back baskets by Cody and Collins, taking a 4-0 lead. Hill City responded with a three-pointer, but St. Agnes answered with another basket from Cody and a three-pointer by Danny Jelinek to go up 9-3. The Rangers then caught fire, hitting back-to-back threes to tie the game at 9. Johnson’s three-pointer gave the Crusaders a 12-9 lead, and after a Hill City basket, Johnson struck again from beyond the arc to make it 15-11. Dibrito joined the action with a three-pointer, extending the lead to 18-11. The quarter closed with a pair of free throws by Hill City and a basket by Tatum Devlin, giving St. Agnes a 23-15 lead after one period.
Hill City fought back in the second quarter, outscoring the Crusaders 16-9 to make it a close game. Dibrito opened the period with a basket, but the Rangers responded with a three-pointer and a two-pointer to cut the deficit to five. Cody and Collins kept the Crusaders ahead with key baskets, and Braden Myers added a three-pointer to maintain the lead. However, Hill City closed the half with five straight points, narrowing the gap to 32-31 at halftime.
The third quarter was a turning point for St. Agnes, as they outscored Hill City 20-5 to take control of the game. Cody led the charge with eight points in the period, while the Crusaders’ defense stifled the Rangers’ offense. Dibrito opened the quarter with a basket, but a Hill City three-pointer tied the game at 34. From there, St. Agnes went on an 8-0 run, with contributions from Collins, Luke Jelinek, and Cody, to take a 42-34 lead. After a Hill City basket, the Crusaders went on another 8-0 run, fueled by Cody, Collins, and Johnson, to extend their lead to 52-36 heading into the final quarter.
The Crusaders sealed the victory in the fourth quarter, opening with an 8-0 run to push their lead to 60-36. Johnson, Collins, and Cody all contributed to the spurt. Hill City managed a three-pointer and a free throw, but St. Agnes closed the game with baskets by Luke Jelinek and Dibrito to secure the 64-44 win.
Scoring Summary:
HC: 15 | 16 | 5 | 8 — 44
ALL: 23 | 9 | 20 | 12 — 64
Crusaders Scoring:
Cisco Cody: 18 points
Tripp Johnson: 13 points
Grayson Dibrito: 11 points
Joe Collins: 10 points
Luke Jelinek: 4 points
Braden Myers: 3 points
Danny Jelinek: 3 points
Tatum Devlin: 2 points
Alliance faced Gering on Monday in their next matchup.