Feb 28, 2011 FLASH bryan@prepcasts.com
WOW-What a great week of district basketball! Let's run around the STATE and bring you up to speed on the many nail-biters, surprises, and oh, yea...the top dogs who are still barking.
Class 5 Boys
PUSHED TO THE LIMIT...
The #1 ranked team in Missouri got pushed and pushed hard on Saturday. The Chaminade Red Devilsoutlasted a fired up Webster Groves (24-5)team 80-76. Per his usual...Bradley Beal dropped in 40 but it was the 2nd half 3-s of Sr. Tevin Evans that made the difference. Evans scored 14 of his 17 and four 3-balls in the 2nd half as Chaminade had to deal with the swarming, ball-hawking, pressure defense of Jay Blossom's Statesmen. Rayshawn Simmons had a career day of 33 points for WG. Chaminade will face Marquette next.
Listen to this thriller-Chaminade vs Webster Groves
ONLY 58 TOTAL POINTS BUT IT WAS EXCITING !
The Marquette Mustangs tumbled the #1 seed, Parkway South 30-28.
In a game where each team has real good size underneath, they each prefer the half court games, tight defense, one didn't expect a high scoring affair. The game stayed true to most observers predictions as each team struggled to string together points. The Patriots led 28-24, had the ball with 1:30 remaining in the ballgame. Marquette fouls and is kept alive when both free throws are missed by South. The Mustangs feed 6-9 Ryan Rosburg who scores 2 FT after being fouled. When Jordan Singer stole the ball, went in for the tying bucket, you could feel the mometum change. South called a couple timeouts to set up things offensively. When they missed the shot with 23 ticks left, Marquette coach Shane Matzen did NOT call time and let his players do it. Per his best thoughts, Rosburg took a pass on the blocks, powered it in with 8 seconds and South could only get off a long range shot at the buzzer! The place went crazy ! Listen to replay- Marquette vs Parkway South - enjoy the thrils over again.
These Pirates sailed away with all the hardware!
The Branson Pirates(20-9) had quite a week! They upset the #4 ranked, Nixa Eagles in the semifinals. Next up were the red-hot Kickapoo Chiefs(24-4). Kickapoo was up 49-46 with 2:58 to play but Branson was able to grab some offensive rebounds and tie it up to send it to overtime. Quickly the Pirates rattled off 14-5 run in the OT then managed to hold off a late rally to win 73-68. Branson was led by Avery Dingman who was phenomial with 38 points. Branson started the year at 4-6 but the development of guards Sam Pugh and Dingman have turned these Pirates into happy sailors!
My crystal ball still has some juice!
Per our prediction here last week, the McCluer North Stars (25-4) avenged a loss of a few weeks ago and toppled the Hazelwood Central Hawks(26-2) 60-44. The 1-2 punch of BJ Yound and Jordan Granger scored 21-20 points respectively as they kept the Hawks off balance throughout the game. Want the replay? Haz Cen vs McCluer North
Another OVERTIME..make it 2 OT....
In a 2 OT game, the Ruskin Eagles upended Rockhurst 63-61. In this game where each team wanted its own pace (Ruskin-fast, Hawklets-not so fast), it came down to stall ball. At the end of regulation, Ruskin held the ball at mid-court tempting Rockhurst to come out and guard them. The Hawklets would NOT! The Eagles missed the game winning attempt. In the first OT, the tables were turned. Rockhurst had the lead and they employed the spread game. This time Ruskin came out and forced a turnover which led to the 2nd OT. Ruskin held on this time and walked off the winner.
CLASS 5 GIRLS HAD PLENTY OF STORIES TOO !
A long dry spell dooms the Bruins...
Two weeks ago, Rock Bridge Bruins (ranked #6 in STATE) blasted Jefferson City 67-40. The District Championship looked like another blow-out. The Bruins(21-6) jumped out to 10-0 and 17-3 first half leads. Some may have actually been thinking in terms of a turbo clock. The Jays (17-9) kept chipping away. Using free throws as their weapon, the Jays made 11 of 12 in the first half to trail only 21-15. It was still a 6 point difference after 3 quarters 29-23. With 4:48 left, it was 33-28 after a Rock Bridge basket. IT WAS BE THE LAST POINTS OF THE NIGHT for the Bruins! Shelby Mustain sliced it to a 1 point difference with 1:48 left. Monique Townson (Frosh) was fouled with 50 seconds. She hit them both to give the Jays the lead. Rock Bridge was unable to get a shot off in the final 50 seconds of the game sending the Jays to STATE.
Could you believe it happened again ?
Last year, Colb Howser was fouled very late in the District game as her Ozark team trailed by 3 points to Glendale. Her first foul shot missed and it was over. Can you believe, this year with 4.2 seconds, Howser is fouled again by Glendale(21-5). This time its the Championship game and the game is tied. She misses the first one (how small did that rim look after the miss?) but made the game winner for Ozark(22-5) won 35-34. With the game tiedat 13 seconds, Coach Yancy Little had Jackie Wacha penetrate to the basket and dish off if open. The ball ended up in Howser's hands and the rest is (so they say) history!
Imagine this happening....
It started on Thursday night at St. Marys, Imagine College Prep(11-12) startled most fans by pushing aside Career Miller Academy(20-8) 56-53. The Phonix had a 7 point lead early in the 4th, Taj Arrazaag canned a 3-ball which was followed by a steal and bucket by Martavian Payne. This short sequence seemed to half the Phonenix and provide the Bears of Imagine College Prep with some confidence. Finally, the Bears took the lead in the last 15 seconds which was followed by a Payne steal and bucket to give us the final score. replay-Imagine vs Miller Career
Maybe biggest rally of the night....
Hillsboro (18-10) came out flat against Festus (13-12)in the title game. The Hawks trailed by 16 points after the first quarter and still were looking at an eleven point deficit at half. Trailing by fifteen midway in the 3rd, Hillsboro went on an 11-0 binge to make it a game. It stayed tight...real tight for the rest of the game. Drew Hern hit the second of two FT shots at the 0.7 mark to make Hillsboro a 56-55 winner. Cody Russell led the scoring attack and the comeback as he dropped in 18 points including four 3-balls. The debate continues about should a foul be called at the 0.7 mark. I've always felt that by NOT making the call, the official is changing the rules to favor the defensive team. We're anxious to cover Hillsboro in sectional.
You want another 2-OT game...you've got it...
In a game with 13 lead changes, the ebb and flow of the momentum keeps swinging back and forth and has the crowd rocking. That was the case as Mexico (25-1) went double OT to edge Hannibal (14-11) 42-41. Jay Jones had knocked down a 3 to send it into OT for the Pirates at 34-34. The first OT ended in controversy. Tied at 39 with 5 seconds left, Mexico requested a time out. The scoreboard showed none. After a lengthy discussion, it was ruled that the Bulldogs did have a time out. REgan Mudd's 3 pointer in the final OT proved to be the difference as it sends the Bulldogs onward.
Don't judge a game by its final score...
Sure, it looked like Clayton breezed to its 80-70 win over U City. Hold on there..the Lions were ahead by 10 after the 1st quarter and still held a 1 point lead entering the 4th quarter. A hectic, break-neck speed 4th quarter ensued--43 total points resulted. It was tied at 68 with 2:20 remaining. From that point, the Greyhounds drilled in 8 of 11 from the line to gradually pull away from the fiesty Lions.
GIRLS CLASS 4...
You can't win with youth (that's what they think)...
Dexter (18-9) starts 3 Freshman and 2 sophomores and they did see thier lead get whittled down but... these girls hung on to a 56-52 win over the always tough Notre Dame (Cape) team. Allyson Bradshaw led all scorers with 31 points for ND but Dexter had opened a wide, early lead. The Bearcats went up 14-4 after 1 quarter and were up 28-17 at half. When Bradshaw heated up, things tightened up but Dexter held on and takes their roster that includes 7 freshman onto STATE
Who's won FOUR straight district crowns ?..
Notre Dame (St Louis) continues their string of 4 district titles with a 47-42 win over Pacific(15-10). Competing against many Class 5 teams, ND doesn't bring in the most glittering record..in fact, maybe the weakest at 11-15. Using a hawking press, leadership of 3 seniors and a couple huge plays by Sr. Michelle Auer the Rebels move into STATE. Last week, Prepcasts covered ND as they dropped a game to Urusuline Acad on Senior night. It was clear from our discussions that district was the sole focus of this squad that quietly, yet continually, keeps its string in tact.
Freshman leading the way ?
The MICDS Rams(22-1) faced the Westminster who had handed them their only defeat of the year. The game was tight throughout -- never more than a 6 point cushion for MICDS who held the lead through most, if not all, the first half. With 2 minutes left, Sadie Stipanovich broke a tie when she scored on a spinning move in the paint and completed the traditional 3-point play. From this moment, two Freshmen took over for their respective teams. Emily Kyman(MICDS) scored 5 points in the last 1:45 and Kayla Armstrong matched her with 6 points, including 4 clutch FT, during that same time span.
