Basketball Game Preview: Dakota Valley Panthers vs. Groton Tigers

A feisty cat fight is on tap when the Dakota Valley Panthers take on the Groton Tigers at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday... One thing working in Dakota Valley's favor is that they have posted at least 55 points every time they've taken the court this season.

Dakota Valley will bounce into Saturday's matchup after beating West Central, who they had gone 2-7 against in their nine prior meetings. Dakota Valley blew past West Central 68-44 on Tuesday. Given the Panthers' advantage in MaxPreps' South Dakota basketball rankings (they are ranked second, while the Trojans are ranked 66th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Cameryn Sommervold continued her habit of posting crazy stat lines, dropping a double-double on 16 points and 13 rebounds. That's the most boards she has posted since back in January of 2024. Katie Betsworth was another key player, putting up 12 points.

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

Meanwhile, Groton humbled Tiospa Zina with a 50-21 victory. The Tigers have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won four games by 28 points or more this season.

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.

Dakota Valley was able to grind out a solid win over Groton in their previous matchup back in February of 2024, winning 49-36. Will Dakota Valley repeat their success, or does Groton have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.