SIOUX FALLS – Playing without its leading scorer Aberdeen Central was unable to muster up enough offense against one of the top-rated teams in the state Tuesday night.

Fifth-rated O’Gorman won its sixth straight game downing the Golden Eagles 61-41 in non-conference boys’ basketball.

Central, which was missing leading scorer Brendan Phillips out with an illness, hung around, but was never able to overcome a first-quarter deficit.

“I thought our kids played hard,” said Central coach Brent Norberg. “We defended pretty well and kept coming after them.”

After scoring the first five points to start the game, the Golden Eagles went cold and failed to score in the final five and half minutes of the period and trailed 14-5 by quarter’s end.

The Knights played with the lead the remainder of the game and opened a 20-point advantage heading into the fourth quarter.

However, Central held OG to just two points in the first five minutes of the final period and eventually sliced the deficit to 52-39 when Colby Dauwen scored with 3:03 remaining. The Golden Eagles had a solid look at a 3-pointer which could have cut the margin even further, but that did not go in and OG pushed the lead back to 20 points.

“I’m really proud of the fight these kids showed tonight with yet another game shorthanded,” Norberg said. “We will go back to work (Wednesday) and keep trying to improve.

Josh Lent led three players in double-figure scoring for the Knights with 18 points.

Dauwen topped the Golden Eagles with 15 points and also hauled down seven rebounds.

Central, 2-7 on the season, hosts second-rated Brandon Valley on Saturday afternoon at Golden Eagles Arena.

ABERDEEN CENTRAL (2-7): Micheal Dutenhoffer 2 0-0 5, Luke Swanson 2 0-0 5, Colby Dauwen 4 6-9 15, Jacob Weishaar 1 0-0 2, Jack Bertsch 2 0-1 4, Turner Bergan 0 1-2 1, Christian Palmer 3 0-0 7, Bryson Burgard 1 0-0 2. Totals 15-46 7-12 41.

O’GORMAN (8-2): Nyun Dut 5 0-0 12, Caleb Terveen 4 1-2 11, Austin Terveen 1 3-3 5, Mason Clark 1 0-0 2, Jackson Bjorkman 1 0-2 2, Kamden Cisse 2 0-0 4, Josh Lent 8 2-2 18, Jaxon Weeldreyr 1 0-0 2, Taten Mauney 2 0-0 5. Totals 25-51 6-12 61.

Aberdeen Central 5 21 30 41

O’Gorman 14 32 50 61

3-point field goals – Dutenhoffer, Swanson, Dauwen, Palmer; Dut 2, C. Terveen 2, Mauney. Total fouls – Aberdeen Central 10; O’Gorman 15. Rebounds – Aberdeen Central 23 (Weishaar 8, Dauwen 7); O’Gorman 27 (Dut 7). Turnovers – Aberdeen Central 16; O’Gorman 13. Steals – Aberdeen Central 8 (Burgard 2); O’Gorman 12 (Dut 4).