MADISON – Aberdeen Roncalli held the upper hand on the top-ranked squad in the state for a good portion of the first half, but was unable to sustain its grip, falling to Sioux Falls Christian 64-41 Saturday evening as part of the girls’ basketball NEC/Dak XII Clash.

Roncalli poured in 20 points in the first quarter, but scored just 21 points the rest of the way

“First half I thought we played really well,” said Roncalli coach Derek Larson. “Came out and shot the ball well, didn’t give up a ton of offensive boards. Second half was kind of the exact opposite.”

Larson said his squad wasn’t able to put together as many offensive opportunities, owing in part to a handful of costly turnovers.

Meanwhile, SFC was able to obtain high-percentage shots on its half of the court.

“It seemed like the majority of their scoring in the second half was all inside the paint,” Larson said, “whether it was second-chance points or us giving up dribble-drives.”

The Chargers balanced their full-court attack with a strong inside presence, Larson noted.

“It was a good contest,” he said. “I’m glad we got to play them. They’re the number one team in the state for a reason. … They play a lot of kids and they’re all super athletic. When they have 6-2 in the post compared to our 5-9, 5-6 guarding them, it’s tough. But I thought our kids battled, especially in the first half.”

Christian outscored the Cavaliers 16-2 in the final period, getting points from eight different players.

Roncalli, 11-4 on the season, was led by Ava Hanson and Claire Crawford with 12 points apiece. Gabby Thomas added six points off the bench for the Cavaliers.

Sioux Falls Christian, which improved to 15-1, got a dozen points from Ruth Dvoracek, followed by a balanced supporting cast that saw six others with six or more points apiece.

While the road leads back to the Roncalli Gym, it doesn’t get much easier for the Cavaliers, who will host fourth-rated Hamlin at home on Tuesday.

“They’re a good basketball team,” Larson said of Roncalli’s upcoming opponent. “They’re not real deep, but the five starters are all very solid. … Addy Neuendorf is one of the best guards in the state. We’ll have to be prepared for them.”

ABERDEEN RONCALLI (11-4): McKenna O’Keefe 0 1-2 1, Maddie Huber 2 0-2 5, Claire Crawford 4 2-2 12, Rylee Voeller 1 0-0 3, Ava Hanson 4 2-2 12, Gabby Thomas 3 0-0 6, Karsyn Davis 1 0-0 2. Totals 15 5-8 41.

SIOUX FALLS CHRISTIAN (15-1): Aubrie VanBeek 3 1-2 7, Katie Vander Leest 2 2-4 6, Emory Lems 3 2-2 8, Avery Reitz 1 0-0 3, Sydney Schaap 3 2-3 8, Nealie Stanford 1 0-0 2, Maya Nelson 3 0-0 9, Mya VanDonge 1 0-0 2, Ruth Dvoracek 6 0-0 12, Lezlei Stetzer 2 3-4 7. Totals 25 10-15 64.

Aberdeen Roncalli 20 27 39 41

Sioux Falls Christian 15 28 48 64

3-point field goals – Huber, Crawford 2, Voeller, Hanson 2); Nelson 3, Reitz). Fouled out – Huber. Total fouls – Aberdeen Roncalli 18; Sioux Falls Christian 11.