The Spearfish Spartans (7–1) suffered their first loss of the season Tuesday night, falling 61–38 to Black Hills Conference rival St. Thomas More (9–3). The Cavaliers outscored Spearfish in every quarter and held the Spartans without a double‑digit scorer for the first time this year.
St. Thomas More opened the game with strong offensive execution, taking a 16–8 lead after the first quarter and extending it to 37–19 at halftime. Ashton Paulsen powered the Cavaliers early with 16 first‑half points and finished with a game‑high 29.
Spearfish generated opportunities throughout the night but struggled to convert shots needed to stay within reach. Kade Vavruska and Bennett Kortan led the Spartans with nine points each.
The Cavaliers widened the gap in the second half, leading by as many as 24. Senior Wyatt Gylten added 12 points for STM, contributing to a balanced offensive effort.
Rebounding proved decisive. St. Thomas More controlled the glass, especially on the offensive end, creating multiple second‑chance scoring opportunities. Spearfish, meanwhile, was unable to match that production, limiting its ability to recover from a cold shooting night.
The win marks STM’s second victory over a Class AA opponent this season. The Cavaliers will travel to Gillette to face Campbell County (Wyo.) on Feb. 2.
Spearfish will look to bounce back Thursday when it hosts Rapid City Central (2–7). The game will air on KDSJ 980 AM, 103.5 FM, kdsj980.com, and the KDSJ Sports Mobile App, with video coverage on KDSJ‑TV on YouTube and KDSJ Facebook Live.
Rewatch HERE: https://www.youtube.com/live/lkthBr2-Ftc?si=byOvri9qAK9iSKOg
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