Farmington crowds lane to defeat Arcadia Valley
IRONTON – McKenna Moore is prominently filling an inherited void for the Farmington girls basketball team after four of its top five scorers from last season graduated.
The senior forward moved into the starting lineup on Monday night, and notched her second straight double-double with 16 points and 13 rebounds in timely fashion.
Farmington senior Macey Pauls (23) releases a jump shot between Arcadia Valley defenders Jaesa Brockes (21) and Katie Whited (35) during second quarter action on Monday night.
The Knights congested the post with strong defense, and generated a multitude of offensive rebounds while topping Arcadia Valley 49-43 in an early regional showdown.
Macey Pauls added nine points while missing a substantial stretch of the third quarter because of foul trouble, and Baylee Gilliam grabbed nine rebounds for Farmington (3-2).
Arcadia Valley (2-2) played more than 11 minutes before committing its first turnover, but could not capitalize on enough opportunities while mired in a lingering slump.
Arcadia Valley sophomore Gracee Smith (10) shoots a floater from the edge of the lane during first quarter action against Farmington on Monday night.
Sophomore guard Gracee Smith recorded 11 of her game-high 18 points during the fourth quarter to help the Lady Tigers trim a 14-point deficit to four before falling short.
Farmington created second shots along the boards, and asserted control with a 14-0 run that spanned six minutes and encompassed the halftime break.
Moore netted a go-ahead putback, then beat the buzzer with a jumper for a 23-20 advantage. She used a quick catch and turn inside to make it 31-20 after Virginia Lugo hit a transition layup.
Jaesa Brockes totaled 11 points and 11 rebounds for Arcadia Valley after notching double-double efforts last week against both Naylor and Central at the Fredericktown Tournament.
She scored on an interior bounce pass from Katie Whited, then drilled a stellar 16-footer from a reduced angle near the left baseline on the next possession.
Farmington senior guard Sophia White (15) dribbles into the frontcourt as Arcadia Valley junior Katie Whited reacts during second quarter action on Monday night.
Kaylee Wooldridge claimed eight rebounds for the Knights, and drew the primary defensive assignment against Brockes, who was limited to three made field goals.
Farmington received a boost from its bench. Abby Cassimatis scored three baskets in short order before the third quarter ended to restore a 38-25 cushion.
Smith finished a driving layup through contact, and hauled in a long assist from Josie Landrum while making a backdoor cut for AV early in the fourth.
Pauls picked up her fourth personal foul moments later, but fellow senior Sophia White entered the action and drained her second 3-pointer of the night.
Whited made a midcourt steal and layup with 2:49 remaining after teammate Kirsten Day banked in a shot from the low block, and the Lady Tigers were drawing near at 42-38.
Moore answered with another clutch putback, however, and Pauls added two free throws in the final minute to solidify the win.
Arcadia Valley senior Josie Landrum (4) controls a defensive rebound during third quarter action against Farmington on Monday night.
Farmington overcame 14 turnovers compared to eight by Arcadia Valley. The Knights were assessed their first foul of the game with 4:28 left in the second quarter.
The Lady Tigers turned transition offense into a favorable start. Landrum opened the game by chasing down a long rebound and going the distance for a layup.
Smith dribbled end to end for two more field goals ahead of the pack, and Landrum matched a pull-up jumper by Pauls for an 8-2 edge.
Two straight baskets from Moore gave Farmington an 11-10 lead as the first quarter ended. Arcadia Valley enjoyed its final advantage at 20-17 when Brockes converted a 3-point play.
Better defense and rebounding helped the Knights regroup from a ragged performance against North County in the Fountain City Classic championship game on Saturday.
Arcadia Valley is seeking a seventh consecutive MAAA Small-School title this season, and has already faced three of six Large-School division opponents through four total games.
Sikeston 65, Ste. Genevieve 60
STE. GENEVIEVE – Taydrianna Barnett netted 20 of her 28 points during the first quarter, and Sikeston protected an early advantage to outlast Ste. Genevieve 65-60 on Monday night.
Zaria Blissett finished with 15 points, and Sydney Stark knocked down three 3-poiners for the Bulldogs, who grabbed a 21-11 lead and maintained a 35-26 edge at halftime.
Ste. Genevieve (4-1) made 16-of-27 free throws and partially narrowed the gap with a 22-18 scoring edge in the fourth quarter before suffering its first loss.
Sydney Bumgardaner connected three times from long range, and paced the Dragons with 17 points.
Also reaching double figures were Jennifer Humbolt with 12 and Maci Reynolds with 10. Marysa Flieg had eight points and Ella Reed tossed in seven.
De Soto 50, Potosi 48
DE SOTO, Mo. – Potosi nearly erased the entirety of a 14-point deficit in the fourth quarter, but De Soto held on for a 50-48 home victory.
Senior forward Kendall Boyer scored game-high 17 points for the Dragons (3-1), which increased a 34-29 lead by opening the final period with a surge.
Freshman Madeline Bradley netted 11 of her 13 points within the last eight minutes, and Olivia Coleman paced Potosi (1-3) with 15 points exclusively before halftime.
Kaitlyn McGinnitey added 12 points, and De Soto carried a 23-18 advantage at the break.
Kingston 62, Bismarck 27
BISMARCK – Senior guard MaKenzey Boyer scored 15 points, and Kingston steadily separated from host Bismarck for a 62-27 triumph.
The Lady Cougars compiled leads of 20-10 through one quarter and 38-17 at halftime. They surrendered only two points to Bismarck in the fourth.
Brooklynn Fitzwater paced the Lady Indians with 12. Chloey Hardy chipped in eight points, and Kylie Hubbs had seven more.
