CLEAR LAKE – The Aberdeen Roncalli boys’ basketball program encountered an older, bigger and more experienced Deuel Cardinals squad to open the 2021-22 season Friday night in Clear Lake. The host Cardinals pulled away late for a 70-45 victory over the Cavaliers.

“(Deuel) has been playing together as a team for two or three years now, and they’ve got some guys that are in their third year starting,” said first-year Roncalli coach Dan Gallagher. “We had three guys that made their first start tonight.”

Despite that experience differential, the Cavaliers kept within range early, trailing by just three possessions at the end of the first quarter. But the Deuel depth was too much to overcome as the game wore on.

The Cardinals put four players in double digits led by Gavin Benck’s 19 points and Cooper Schiernbeck’s 16.

Roncalli countered with a game-best 23-point effort from Keegan Stewart, who was held in check only in the third quarter. Stewart hit four of Roncalli’s six 3-pointers and was 7-of-10 from the free throw line.

“(Stewart) shot the ball really well,” Gallagher said. “He got some offense going for us.”

Zee Mounga finished with seven points and Maddox May had six for the Cavaliers.

Gallagher also pointed out his team’s ability to limit its foul trouble, an improvement from last season.

“We were being smart with that,” Gallagher said. “But there’s a lot of things we can work on.”

Roncalli returns home Tuesday to host Mobridge-Pollock in the second half of a girls/boys doubleheader. Tip-off is set for 8 p.m. at the Roncalli Gym.

ABERDEEN RONCALLI: Maddox Miller 2 0-0 4, Zee Mounga 2 2-2 7, Caden Shelton 0 1-2 1, Keegan Stewart 6 7-10 23, Maddox May 1 4-6 6, Aiden Fisher 1 1-2 4. Totals 11 15-21 45.

DEUEL: Cooper Schiernbeck 7 0-0 16, Trey Maaland 5 0-0 10, Naethan Lovre 5 1-2 13, Gavin Benck 9 0-0 19, Zane Bingham 3 1-2 7, Braydon Simon 0 1-2 1, Owen Quail 1 0-0 2, Rickey Berndt 1 0-0 2. Totals 31 3-6 70.

Aberdeen Roncalli 11 28 34 45

Deuel 20 36 53 70

3-point FG: Roncalli 6 (Mounga, Stewart 4, Fisher); Deuel 5 (Schiernbeck 2, Lovre 2, Benck). Fouls: Roncalli 14, Deuel 17. Fouled out: Bingham.