It was one fitting final performance for the dynamic duo from Dell Rapids St. Mary.

Led by their scoring aces, the Cardinals defeated Wessington Springs 71-54 for third place at the Class B State Boys’ Basketball Tournament at Wachs Arena Saturday night.

“We kind of had a mindset that we wanted to end the season on a good note, sending the seniors out on a win,” said Cardinals head coach Colby Fitzgerald. “Just have some fun and that’s what we did tonight.”

The senior duo of Trevon Beckman and Maverick LeBrun had plenty of fun, combining for 40 points. Beckman finished with a game-high 21, and LeBrun was right behind with 19.

“It’s just a joy, man. I’ve never been prouder and happier to play with a guy. Night in and night out, Maverick brings it. He pushes me to be better, I push him to be better,” said Beckman. “We can see each other on the court. The chemistry’s great, we always know what the other is doing, and it’s just been a joy to play with him.”

Beckman and LeBrun posed a difficult task for opposing defenses because of a solid post presence in LeBrun and a threat on the perimeter in Beckman.

“LeBrun and Beckman both had it going and when they both get it going, it’s tough because you can’t really help inside, you gotta defend outside,” said Spartans coach Joey Mitchell. “You help outside, he beats you inside. It’s back and forth, you know, a two-headed monster.”

What compounded the issue for the Spartans was early foul trouble. Ryder Michalek picked up three fouls, which forced other players to step up.

“We kind of lost our motor, our confidence out there honestly. He brings a lot of mental toughness to the team,” said Mitchell. “With Ryder going out, I had to tell Karter (Mebius), you got to be a little over aggressive now, I need you to be a little over aggressive. When he caught onto that, he started doing some nice things.”

Mebius responded to the challenge, scoring 11 of his 14 points in the second half.

“We didn’t get the win which always sucks, but going out at least on 14 points gave me something to go out on, so that’s a plus,” said Mebius. “It’s a role that I knew I could do just based off of everything we work on in practice.”

While Mebius is not a vocal leader, his impact is loud on the court.

“Karter’s very quiet, even when he’s playing out here. He’s pretty quiet. He can go score nonchalantly almost. Very athletic, quiet play,” Mitchell said. “He goes dicing through there using body control, splitting guys, good footwork and then he goes and finishes nice plays. So again, I liked what he got done out there.”

On the other side of the court, DRAM was able to use its ability to score from all over the floor. In addition to the performances of Beckman and LeBrun, Trimmier Hanson added 16 points and Jake Kopsas contributed 12.

“Trimmier Hanson stepped it up and got some big buckets, Maverick played great, so just really good team effort. I’m just proud of the guys,” said Beckman. “It’s a tough guard for a lot of teams, just ‘cause it’s kind of a pick-your-poison thing. You face guard, Trimmier gets downhill. You don’t face guard, and I get some room. It’s just a lot of guys that can get buckets.”

Wessington Springs finished with a 22-4 record and a return trip to the state tournament, despite a year willed with a variety of injuries.

“We can’t hang our hats on two games because of what we faced all year this year,” Mitchell said. “It showed you what these kids were made up of.”

While disappointed in the setback, Mebius enjoyed his years of playing for the Spartans.

“It sucks that it’s over, but I would say it’s been a fun last four years,” said Mebius. “It’s a lot of fun playing here. We played here last year too, but making it back was even more special than the first time.”

The Cardinals capped their season with a 24-2 mark and got to play all three of their games in the evening in front of the largest crowds.

“The night session at the Class B’s is the best night session in the state,” Fitzgerald said. “Put that down.”

DELL RAPIDS ST. MARY (24-2): Trimmier Hanson 7 1-1 16, Trevon Beckman 9 2-3 21, Jake Kopsas 4 4-7 12, Maverick LeBrun 6 6-8 19, Kate Lutt 0 2-2 2, Jaxon Baumberger 0 1-2 1. Totals 26 16-23 71

WESSINGTON SPRINGS (22-4): Karter Mebius 6 1-2 14, Wesley Molnar 1 0-0 2, Sam Poncelow 1 0-0 2, Colby Flowers 7 1-5 15, Ryder Michalek 3 1-4 8, Luke Larson 1 0-0 2, Haiden Boschee 1 0-0 3, Gavin Brandenburg 1 0-0 3. Totals 23 3-11 54

Dell Rapids St. Mary 20 38 56 71

Wessington Springs 13 24 37 54

3-point field goals – Hanson, Beckman, LeBrun; Mebius, Michalek, Boschee. Total fouls – Dell Rapids St. Mary 13; Wessington Springs 20. Rebounds – Dell Rapids St. Mary 25 (LeBrun 11); Wessington Springs 32 (Flowers 7). Turnovers – Dell Rapids St. Mary 15; Wessington Springs 14. Assists – Dell Rapids St. Mary 10 (Hanson 4); Wessington Springs 10 (Molnar 3, Larson 3); Steals – Dell Rapids St. Mary 6 (Hanson 2, Beckman 2); Wessington Springs 8 (Molnar 2). Blocked shots – Dell Rapids St. Mary (LeBrun 4).