Chiefs hold off Hill City challenge

By Jake Nordbye, Journal correspondent | Thursday, December 18, 2008

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Editor’s Note: Complete results from the first day of the Lakota Nation Invitational were not available due to computer problems at the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center.

RAPID CITY — Omaha Nation’s Delmar Parker knocked down 10 3-pointers and scored 34 points, helping the Nebraska team edge Hill City, 67-60, in the first round of the Lakota Nation Invitational on Wednesday night at the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center.

“The difference tonight was Delmar Parker,” said Hill City head coach Blake Gardner. “He made some incredible shots out there tonight. When you play that kind of player you have to adjust and play well on the offensive end and we didn’t play well offensively tonight.”

Omaha Nation started the game slowly as did Parker, shooting just 25 percent from the floor as a team in the first half, and Parker made just one of his first seven shots. Meanwhile, Hill City started the game on a 9-2 run, and led 20-11 with just two minutes left in the first half by getting some hardnosed points in the paint from Nash Koel and Clint Lewis.

Lewis finished with a team-high 18 points for the Rangers and Koel chipped in 12 points.

But Parker heated up late in the first, scoring eight of Omaha’s next 10 points, as they went on a 10-0 run to close out the half deadlocked at 22-22.

“Turnovers hurt us late in the half, and that allowed them to go on the run,” said Gardner. “We had a goal to stay under a certain amount of turnovers, and that obviously didn’t happen tonight.”

In the second half, Parker picked up where he left off, hitting three straight from behind the arc to give Omaha Nation a 33-28 lead.

But Hill City’s point guard Andy Coy kept the Rangers in the game by rattling off eight straight points by penetrating Omaha Nation’s zone defense. Coy finished the night with 15 points.

The Rangers took their final lead of the game, 45-44, with just over seven minutes remaining on a runner by Coy.

Parker took control from there, hitting four more 3-pointers, capped by his seventh of the half from NBA-range, leading Omaha Nation to a 13-3 run, putting the game out of reach at 57-47 with under three minutes remaining.

“I just came out and played my game,” said Parker, who finished 10-for-20 from 3-point range. “We played as a team tonight and they found me outside and I got some great open looks.”

Omaha Nation advances to play White River at 8:30 p.m. tonight at the Civic Center main arena.

Hill City drops into the consolation bracket and will meet Crazy Horse at 2:30 p.m. today.