• Video: Highlights from the South Sioux City-Ralston game:



• Photo Showcase: Friday's semifinals

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LINCOLN — Despite Ralston's status as the defending Class B champion, it was South Sioux City that maintained its composure at the critical time in Friday's boys state tournament semifinal.

As a result, the Cardinals will get an opportunity to play for their first state title Saturday at the Devaney Center. And the Rams must be content to play in a consolation game in hopes of ending the season on a positive note.

Sophomore guard Mike Gesell scored a game-high 22 points to lead top-ranked South Sioux to a 65-55 win over third-ranked Ralston. The 18-5 Cardinals, making their ninth trip to state and first since 2001, will play for the championship Saturday at 1:30 p.m.

Gesell, who already has Division I offers from Nebraska and Creighton, scored 10 points in the first half and 12 in the second. That included seven points in the critical fourth quarter, when the Cardinals' double-digit lead had been whittled to two.

“I thought Gesell controlled the whole tempo of the game,'' Rams coach Bill Heard said. “We just couldn't get him rattled.''

Ralston led just once at 2-0 when Eric Tucker scored on a putback. But South Sioux scored the next 11 points, putting the Rams in an early hole.

“For whatever reason, we were real tentative most of the day,'' Heard said. “We just had trouble getting anything going.''

The Cardinals stetched their lead to 11 in the second quarter on a Gesell 3-pointer and to 12 in the third quarter on a pair of Alex Groth free throws. But the Rams' drowsy offense, which managed 15 first-half points, finally started to kick in.

After trailing 31-19, Ralston outscored the Cardinals 15-5 to close within 36-34. But that's when South Sioux junior guard Trey Closter sank perhaps the biggest shot of the game — a 3-pointer from the corner to stem the Rams' momentum.

“That was a huge shot for us,'' South Sioux coach Terry Comstock said. “It came at a great time.''

That 3-pointer with five minutes left and a dunk shortly after by 6-foot-11 junior center Jose Bonilla seemed to instill a big dose of confidence into the Cardinals. They put the game away at the foul line, scoring 13 of their final 15 points on free throws during a 31-point fourth quarter.

“I thought our guys played really well down the stretch,'' Comstock said. “They could have folded a couple of different times, but we got some stops and then hit some big shots.''

Sophomore guard Austin Groth chipped in 17 points and Gesell had eight rebounds.

Colorado State recruit Dwight Smith led the Rams with 20 points — 16 in the second half — and a game-high 15 rebounds. Tony Grant added 17 for Ralston, but it wasn't enough to derail the Cardinals' first trip to the state final.

Ralston (18-9)..............................8 7 14 26 -- 55
S. Sioux City (18-5).........................11 14 9 31 -- 65
• R: Grant Kay 8, Karon Crawford 6, Tony Grant 17, Eric Tucker 4, Dwight Smith 20.
• SSC: Trey Closter 12, Mike Gesell 22, Alex Groth 8, Austin Groth 17, Jose Bonilla 6.

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