WATERTOWN – Fourth-seeded Sioux Valley held off a persistent No. 13 Groton squad for a 73-56 win in a Class A SoDak 16 boys’ basketball contest at the Watertown Arena Tuesday night.

The Cossacks took a 7-0 lead to begin the game, but had to fight off Groton at nearly every turn until late in the contest. The Tigers rallied to forge a 20-20 tie in the second quarter, but another 7-0 run from Sioux Valley put the Cossacks back in front.

Leading 43-35 at the break, Sioux Valley again built a big lead in the third only to see Groton cut it to an eight-point game at 51-43 after a pair of Cole Simon free throws with 1:05 to play in the third quarter.

Sioux Valley, however, scored the final four points of the stanza, then pulled away in the fourth for the 17-point final margin.

Simon ended with 18 points to lead the way for Groton. Jacob Zak finished with 15, and Lane Tietz added a dozen. Zak also finished with four rebounds, four steals and an assist.

Sioux Valley was led by Oliver Vincent and Alec Squires with 21 points apiece. Hudsyn Ruesink had 19 points for the Cossacks, who will head to Sioux Falls for the State A tournament, March 16-18. Sioux Valley has finished runner-up the past two seasons.

GROTON (16-6): Jacob Zak 6 0-0 15, Lane Tietz 3 4-6 12, Cole Simon6 3-4 18, Tate Larson 1 0-0 2, Teylor Diegel 0 1-2 1, Ryder Johnson 3 0-1 8. Totals 19 8-13 56.

SIOUX VALLEY (21-2): Marcus Nelson 1 0-0 3, Oliver Vincent 8 3-4 21, Hudsyn Ruesink 7 4-4 19, Alec Squires 9 3-3 21, Boden Schiller 2 0-0 4, Maxwel Engebretson 2 0-0 5. Totals 29 10-11 73.

Groton 20 35 43 56

Sioux Valley 22 43 55 73

3-pt field goals – Zak 3, Tietz 2, Simon 3, Johnson 2; Nelson, Vincent 2, Ruesink, Engebretson. Total fouls – Groton 11; Sioux Valley 13. Rebounds – Groton 19 (Zak 4, Simon 4). Turnovers – Groton 8. Assists – Groton 14 (Tietz 3, Simon 3, Larson 3, Johnson 3). Steals – Groton 9 (Zak 4).