On Saturday afternoon, the Mobridge-Pollock boys basketball team went down to the Corn Palace in Mitchell looking to make a statement. They received an invite to the 43rd annual Hanson Classic, and were pitted against a Sioux Valley program that finished 23-3 each of the last two seasons. With the lights a little brighter than the average regular season tilt, the Tigers brought their best to the Corn Palace, and defeated the Cossacks 55-41. Sioux Valley jumped out to a quick lead, before Mobridge-Pollock recovered and took a 17-12 advantage after one quarter. Sophomore Easton Eisemann made two three-point shots during that sequence to get the offense jump-started. The Tigers defense was ferocious in the second quarter, stifling the Cossacks to just eight points with blocked shots and stolen passes. At the half, Mobridge-Pollock was on top 31-20. Coming out of the locker room, the two teams could not have been further apart. The Tigers 21-9 margin in the third quarter was the widest of the contest. Ahead by 23 going into the final period, Mobridge-Pollock focused more on running clock, as they scored three total points in the fourth to close out the victory. While the Tigers posted one of their most impressive defensive efforts to date, possibly the star of the show were some new looks on offense. Running like a well-oiled machine, Mobridge-Pollock threw the ball around like a hot potato, getting all five players to touch the basketball on many possessions. The strategy put the Sioux Valley defense on their heels, which created a wealth of open shots and driving lanes. Sophomore Shooter Frederick was our player of the game, he led the team in scoring with 16 points. His first 12 were all on three-points makes early. The win over Sioux Valley brings the season to the midpoint for the Tigers, now sitting at 7-3. They take the court next on Friday, when they host Chamberlain.