On April 24th, the Barnett Arena at the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center in Rapid City will host the Lakota All-Star girls and boys basketball games. This event brings some of the best native high school seniors from the area to one venue for one day of basketball. This is technically the third year of the Lakota All-Star Games, but last year was cancelled due to the pandemic.
“I really believe that in our Lakota culture we have a lot of great athletes, and we don’t get a chance to see each other that much during the regular season in a normal year,” said Dale Pine Jr, Lakota All-Star game organizer and founder. “This is an opportunity to bring people together from different places, people get to see their relatives, and people get to see kids play, who they may not get to see during the year.”
The 2020-21 high school basketball season was challenging for many schools and programs throughout South Dakota. While some native schools may have saw a full or somewhat condensed schedule, others decided to opt out. On top of it, the Lakota Nation Invitational, which would have celebrated its 44th year this past December, was also canceled.
“Without an event like the LNI this past season, having an event like this will give an opportunity for these seniors to play at the Civic Center one last time,” Pine explained. “Having this is something people have been waiting for an it will hold them over until the LNI next December.”
Some of the games at next year’s LNI event will take place on the court in Rapid City newest event center – Summit Arena at The Monument. It's scheduled to open this coming fall.
The Lakota All-Star basketball extravaganza at the end of this month will consist of two games, a girls and a boys. Twenty-two athletes were selected on the girls side, while twenty-six were selected to make up the boys division. Athlete's in both the boys and girls class were then split in half to make up two teams for each.
Girls Rosters
Team Anpo
Talaiah Bear Killer – Bennett County
Jaden Ferris – Wyoming Indian, WY
Lacey Few Tails – Pine Ridge
Maria Gallardo – Tiospa Zina
Galeigh Little – Lower Brule
Francesca Ross – Mandaree, ND
Quentina Standing Solder – Crazy Horse
Inila Ware – Lander Valley, WY
Dorianna White – Wymoing Indian, WY
Cheyenne Whiting – Little Wound
Caelyn Valandra-Prue – White River
Team Wicahpi
Raven Barse – Corsica-Stickney
Maddie Cleveland – Winnebago, NE
Chernessa Cournoyer – Marty Indian
Jolynn Fighting Bear – Wyoming Indian, WY
Mahpiya Irving – Royal Valley, KS
Wakiyan Wi Irving – Royal Valley, KS
Zoe Long Soldier – Bennett County
Amia Roach-Valandra – White River
Deja Roberts – Crazy Horse
Madison Wells – Lower Brule
Kenya Merrival – Rapid City Stevens
Boys Rosters
Team Hehaka
Elijah Andrews – Wellington, FL
Peja Cook – Lander, WY
Alex Cournoyer – Wagner
Jordan Eberlein – Rapid City Stevens
Cinch Hebb – Dupree
Dillan Hereford – Lander, WY
Josef Long Soldier – Lakota Tech
Cyrus Makes Him first – Flandreau Indian
James Richards – Big Horn, WY
Ashaun Roach-Valandra – Dell Rapids St. Mary
Julian Swallow – Rapid City Central
Micah Swallow – Rapid City Central
Bennett Yellow Bird – Sioux Falls Roosevelt
Team Tatanka
Jarron Big Horn – Red Cloud
Cadell Brunsch – Hay Springs, NE
Chuckie Cottier – Lakota Tech
Israel Defender – Marty Indian
Jakob Dobney – Vermillion
Kenyon Easter – White River
Spence Moran – Dupree
Colbe Scott – White River
Derek Sounding Sides – Ft. Washakie, WY
Devon Spotted War Bonnet – St. Francis/Todd County
Tahj Two Bulls – Sioux Falls Washington
Jesse White – White Shield, ND
Alex Zephier – Dakota Valley
“It’s definitely hard to [pick players]. You want to give an opportunity to as many people as possible and you want as many communities/schools to be a part of it, but at some point you just have to have to say “here’s the cutoff” for it,” said Pine.
During halftime of the girls game, there will be a brief ceremony to honor the 1983 Pine Ridge girls basketball squad and Devona Lone Wolf, who went on to have a basketball career in college for the University of South Dakota. The event will also honor the 1995 Red Cloud boys basketball team at halftime of the boys all-star game, and there are plans to hold a special presentation before the boys game in honor of Beau DuBray.
For game time listings, ticket pricing, and additional information, click here. There is also a mention that reads ‘Masks will be required.’