A look back at some of the sports happenings during the week of Feb. 28-March 6:

Last year on March 3, 2020: Things were looking bright for the Northern State Wolves men’s basketball team. They had just claimed their third straight conference tournament championship with an 80-59 win over Mankato behind a combined 67 points from Parker Fox, Mason Stark and Gabe King. The 26-6 Wolves seemed to be hitting their stride, with nine straight wins and were about to play in their third straight Division II national tournament. However, NCAA officials cancelled its tournaments due to spiking Covid-19 numbers.

10 years ago on March 6, 2011: Over the span of the last eight years, Onida native Katelynn Lamb has played in four consecutive State B Girls’ Basketball Tournaments with Sully Buttes High School and will compete in her fourth straight NAIA II Women’s Basketball Tournament this coming week. Lamb is a senior All-American at Black Hills State who earned 17 varsity letters in high school.

20 years ago on March 1, 2001: Red Cloud, down by nine points with 1:44 left to play, defeated Pine Ridge 73-71 for the District 14A boys’ basketball championship in Rapid City. Red Cloud guard Dominique Saucedo made a three-pointer with five seconds left to tie the score at 71, and then Red Cloud forced a turnover. Cody Red Wing found Saucedo under the basket, who beat the buzzer with his successful shot. Red Cloud coach Bill Pourier said his team used its “fur coat” full-court defense to cause five turnovers and outscore Pine Ridge 14-3 in the final couple of minutes.

Meanwhile on March 5, 2001, the Groton Tigers of coach Greg Kjellsen used defense and balance to win the Region 1A basketball title and advance to the State A Tournament in Rapid City. Groton defeated Sisseton 60-46 in Aberdeen behind Jeremy Weber (16 points, eight assists), Adam Feser (15 points and seven rebounds) and 12 points each from Nick Strom and T.J. Johnson.

30 years ago on Feb. 28, 1991: Former Sisseton teacher and coach Bob Judson resigned as head boys’ basketball coach at Pierre. Judson was head coach for the Governors for 11 seasons and guided the team to 140 wins and six state tournaments. His 1982 Pierre team won the state title as did his 1973 Huron boys’ team. 

40 years ago on March 4, 1981: The Sunset Tennis Club in St. Louis has a major South Dakota flair with its top professionals being from Sioux Falls (Craig Sandvig) and Aberdeen (Doug Smith). 

50 years ago on Feb. 28, 1971: Recent successful seasons by the Northern State men’s basketball team have landed the Wolves a prestigious invitation. Northern will participate in the annual December 1972 North Central Conference Holiday Tournament at the Sioux Falls Arena. The opening was created when South Dakota State was invited to play in the 1972 Basketball Hall of Fame Tournament in Springfield, Mass., on the same weekend.

Spoiler alert, Northern finished fourth in that eight-team December 1972 NCC Holiday Tournament with Bill Christensen making the all-tourney team. Chuck Iverson led the University of South Dakota to its second title in a row being named tourney MVP with 64 points and 70 rebounds in three games, breaking the tourney record of 46 rebounds.

Iverson had games of 26, 24 and 20 rebounds in the tourney. His 24 rebounds came in the Coyotes 113-112 double overtime, semifinal win over North Dakota State. Doug Moody made two free throws with three seconds left in the second overtime to give the Coyotes its win.

Northern opened that 1972 tourney by defeating Northern Iowa 74-67 to give coach Bob Wachs his 299^th career win. In the semifinals, North Dakota defeated Northern 65-64 in overtime. Northern led 50-33 with 13 minutes left in regulation. The game ended with Northern’s Rick Kiesow banking in a 60-footer at the buzzer in overtime. North Dakota State defeated Northern 79-66 for third place.