Lady Warriors take Class B title by storm

Thomiah Poor Bear displays the 2025 Class B championship plaque, after the Bennett County Lady Warriors defeated Sanborn Central/Woonsocket, 71-61 for the state B title. (Photo courtesy SDPB)

HURON—Last year the Bennett County Lady Warriors finished 9-9 in Class A. The year before that they were 6-18. This year declining enrollment dropped Bennett County to Class B. Head Coach Shawna Evans and Assistant Coach Duke Waln knew they had a giant killer of a team, and to win the state title they would have to beat defending champion Centerville, who had won 36 games in a row. A gutsy team effort turned back 20-0 Centerville, 44-41. That put Bennett County in the final against 17-3 Sanborn Central/Woonsocket, and the clutch shooting of 5-10 senior Thomiah Poor Bear, and the sheer athleticism of sisters Reagan and Peyson O’Neill, a 5-9 Ninth Grader and a 5-10 Eighth Grader respectively, were too much for the Blackhawks to handle. Bennett County defeated Sanborn Central/Woonsocket, 71-61.

Even long time fans of South Dakota high school basketball will have a difficult time finding two underclassmen with the strength, speed, and skill of the O’Neill sisters. If they told you they were seniors, you would believe them. Reagan can jump three feet off the floor and that gave all the teams Bennett County faced at state, fits. Peyson is little different than her sister, and in addition to being able to leap, she times it beautifully, intercepting even point blank passes. The opponent’s passing game breaks down with the O’Neill sisters on the floor.

O’Neill is a name with a deep athletic history in Bennett County. All O’Neill’s share these signature athletic characteristics, they are focused, determined, and can only play one style of basketball—hustling. This makes them greater than the sum of their parts, and the sum of their parts is already exceptional. For the next three years Bennett County is going to have a core strength to build on second to none in Class B basketball.

Shawna Evans has exceeded her value as a player for Bennett County, and she was a very solid player, by unexpectedly defeating an undefeated defending state champion, and then capturing the state title over Sanborn Central/Woonsocket.

The strength of her team this year was the chemistry between the gritty, savvy veteran play of Poor Bear, and athleticism from the O’Neill sisters so formidable they probably would make the Bennett County Boys roster. You don’t need a big post player when you have two girls who can leap high, and are physically as strong as girls who are forty pounds heavier and four inches taller than they are.

Seeded fifth, Bennett County had their toughest game in the opening round against fourth seeded Parkston, winning 51-49. The Trojans were 22-4 and were seeded one above Bennett County because of strength of schedule. Bennett County had three players scoring double figures, Peyson O’Neill 14, Reagan O’Neill 13, and Madi Waln 10. Peyson also had 13 rebounds and Reagan 11. They outrebounded Parkston 41-27, which is probably the chief reason Bennett County took eight more shots and shot 45% to Parkston’s 26%. Bennett County led 51-44, with 18 seconds left, but let Parkston score five points to eat up the clock.

In the semis the opponent was undefeated defending state champ, Centerville. Peyson led all scorers with 17, and 10 rebounds, while Reagan had 10 points and 12 rebounds. Poor Bear only had 5 points, but they were critical down the stretch scores. Bennett County took four more shots and outshot Centerville 36% to 26%. Izzie Eide hit a three-pointer with six seconds left to pull Centerville within a bucket, 43-41. But Peyson sank two free throws, and Eide missed a desperation three right at the buzzer.

It was Reagan’s turn to shine in the final against Sanborn Central/Woonsocket (SC/W). In a dominant performance she had 25 points and 14 rebounds. Peyson had 18, and Poor Bear 15. Bennett County outshot SC/W 50% to 35% and made seven more shots.

The Lady Warriors opened the regular season with wins over Philip and Little Wound, before facing Laura Big Crow’s Lakota Tech Lady Tatanka. It was nip and tuck, but Bennett County won, 53-51. After a 66-18 thrashing of Gordon-Rushville, the Lady Warriors suffered their first defeat on the road against Lyman, 51-49. They then reeled off five wins in a row before falling to Class A Dakota Velley, 68-44. They would not lose another game, ending the season with 15 straight wins and a state championship.

“We haven’t reached our potential yet,” Coach Evans said after the championship game. “I can promise you that.”

Poor Bear will be graduating, but she played a vital role in winning this season.

Evans said: “She’s really special to us. She’s the calm to our wild. My girls are crazy and she brings us all down to earth.”

The crazy Evans was talking about is explained by Poor Bear: “There’s no way of stopping these O’Neill girls. They are crazy.”

Regan O’Neill said: “I think our team is a big role model to the little girls in our community and I think it’s going to make us all strive to keep pushing ourselves and to get there again.”

The official all-tournament selections will be made by the South Dakota High School Activities Association in the upcoming days and Reagan and Peyson O’Neill are certain to be first team.

(James Giago Davies is an enrolled member of OST. Contact him at skindiesel@msn.com)

The post Lady Warriors take Class B title by storm first appeared on Native Sun News Today.

Visit Original Source