Basketball Game Preview: Groton Tigers vs. Dakota Valley Panthers

A feisty cat fight is on tap when the Groton Tigers face off against the Dakota Valley Panthers at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday... Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.

On Thursday, Groton took their contest with ease, bagging a 50-21 victory over Tiospa Zina. Given the Tigers' advantage in MaxPreps' South Dakota basketball rankings (they are ranked 29th, while the Wambdi are ranked 107th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Meanwhile, Dakota Valley put another one in the bag on Tuesday to keep their perfect season alive. They blew past West Central 68-44. The game was all but wrapped up at the end of the third, by which point the Panthers had established a 21 point advantage.

Groton better keep an eye on Cameryn Sommervold. She was instrumental in Dakota Valley's win, dropping a double-double on 16 points and 13 rebounds. That's the most boards Sommervold has posted since back in January of 2024. Another player making a difference was Katie Betsworth, who posted 12 points.

Dakota Valley smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 11 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive rebounds in eight consecutive matchups.

Dakota Valley's win was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 9-0. As for Groton, their victory bumped their record up to 8-3.

Groton came up short against Dakota Valley in their previous meeting back in February of 2024, falling 49-36. Can Groton avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.