The Region 2B boys' high school basketball action got under way on Monday, including a lower-bracket play-in game and in that lower bracket, Ipswich hosted Eureka/ Bowdle as the number-seven seed vs. ten. And the hosts captured a 70-28 win to advance to face Potter County in Gettysburg in a lower-bracket semifinal on Tuesday. Number-three Leola/Frederick was to host sixth-seeded Faulkton Area in the remaining lower-bracket semifinal. Those winners will also meet at the home of the higher seed for a Region 2B championship on Friday, March 1 and a bid to the SoDak 16.

There was also an upper-bracket play-in game on Monday and that winner, Sunshine Bible Academy over Edmunds Central in Roscoe was scheduled to advance to play top-seeded Sully Buttes in Onida on Tuesday evening. Highmore-Harrold was to host Herreid/Selby Area in that other 2B upper bracket as the number-four seed vs. five. Those two winners will also square off at the homecourt of the higher seed on March 1 for a bracket championship and a berth in the SoDak 16 that's seeded statewide after all the regional results are in.

All tourney games begin at 7 p.m., as did the one in Ipswich on Monday. In that one, Ipswich overcame an early 8-0 deficit and got on the scoreboard with a Carson Simes trey. The game was all even, 10-10, after a quarter and the Tigers rolled out to a 29-12 halftime lead, helped by a pair of late back-to-back steal conversions by Will Kadlec and he started the third quarter with two more steal baskets. He further scored from underneath and Ben Kulesa added a free throw before the visitors could respond. So the Tigers led 54-20 with a quarter to play and coasted to their win.

Max Geditz came off the bench to score 19 points, including four treys and Will Kadlec also reached the double-figure scoring plateau with 13 points, including a trey, as well as seven of his team's 23 assists. Next was Matt Miller with two late treys for his six points and Jacob Nierman tallied six points, as well. Ty Kadlec and Reece Moehlenbrink each scored five points and each included a trey. Kulesa finished with four points and Simes that trey for his three points. Jaden Onken also chipped in with three points. Josh McQuarie added two points, as did Daniel Braun and Matt Hettich.

The visitors received nine points from Bryce Beitelspacher and Alec Maier was next with six points, while four other players scored.

Ipswich shot 26-61 from the floor including those 10 treys and was 8-13 at the free throw line. The Patriots responded with 12-37 two-point floor-shooting and a 4-6 effort at the line.

Ipswich doubled its visitors 40-20 in rebounding, with a balanced effort, led by Will Kadlec with five rebounds. The Tigers committed 16 turnovers; E-B, 28. The Ipswich defenders came away with 19 steals, led by the Kadlec brothers with five each.