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DICKINSON — The 54th Annual Roughrider Tournament at Bowman County High School kicks off next week. There have been a lot of memorable moments throughout the lengthy history of the tournament.
The Richardton Rebels, as they were called back then, defeated the South Heart Eagles, 58-51, in a thrilling title game in the 1979 tournament at Scott Gymnasium.
It was a back-and-forth contest, and one where the Rebels had to come back from after a slow start in the first quarter. South Heart led 21-15 in the first quarter but the Rebels remained in striking distance thanks to Terry Baer’s eight points in the first frame. Baer was a key figure in Richardton’s win, leading the team with 23 points.
The Eagles struggled to hit shots in the second quarter and eventually they started to succumb to Richardton’s press. The Rebels led 28-26 heading into the half after going on an 8-0 scoring run. South Heart trailed by six at the end of the third quarter and was slowly starting to find a rhythm.
South Heart head coach Jerry Perdaems said that mistakes can’t be made against a veteran ballcub like the Rebels. But the team had momentum heading into the fourth and it was able to narrow the margin. Del Kubas and Greg Metz led the Eagles’ fourth quarter surge, combining for 14 points to bring them within striking distance.
But it was too little too late and Richardton kept its undefeated record alive.
Jacob Cheris covers a variety of high school and college sports. A graduate of Penn State University’s class of 2023, with a degree in broadcast journalism, he covered Penn State Men’s Hockey for three years. Jacob also covers Big Ten Hockey for College Hockey News.