Friday Roundup: Healthy Tigers surge into Christmas quarters
PARK HILLS – The Arcadia Valley boys basketball team dropped four straight games without having all-conference guard Carter Brogan available due to an injured knee.
The junior standout returned to action on Friday night, and the Tigers suddenly became much tougher than their No. 11 seed at the Central Christmas Tournament might have suggested.
Brogan scored a game-high 27 points, going 9-of-10 from the line, and Arcadia Valley emerged from a two-week hiatus caused by weather postponements to knock off Ste. Genevieve 63-54.
Daniel Horn was an interior force throughout the second half to post 14 points and 14 rebounds overall, while Logan Pannebecker provided 10 points and three steals.
Arcadia Valley (2-4) joined No. 13 Festus as double-digit seeds to reach the quarterfinal round, and will encounter Hillsboro on Saturday night.
Logan Trollinger tallied 17 points with three steals, and made 6-of-6 attempts for Ste. Genevieve (3-4), which suffered several blown layups while ending a collective 13-of-24 from the stripe.
The sixth-seeded Dragons grabbed a fleeting lead at 36-35 on consecutive baskets from close range by Rudy Flieg and Ricky Hunter, the second of which resulted from a steal.
AV countered with a pivotal 13-0 surge that ultimately made the difference, and delivered an improved defensive effort against to disrupt dribble penetration in the fourth quarter.
Brogan ended the third by rolling in a difficult baseline fade at the buzzer, and later hit an off-balance shot in traffic once the Dragons threatened their own rally.
Pannebecker sank a big 3-pointer after Horn battled to keep a possession alive, and the lead ballooned to 50-37 after Horn cashed a rebound into two free throws with about five minutes to play.
Ste. Genevieve drew slightly closer on triples from Aiden Boyer and Trollinger, but had an empty trip to the line and missed a clear look from the doorstep with a chance to get within two possessions.
Horn punctuated the outcome with a putback, and Tigers overcame 20 turnovers to win for the first time since opening night of their Thanksgiving tourney.
Christian Boyer scored 13 points and Hunter had 11 for the Dragons, who erased a 16-9 deficit through one quarter after yielding a 3-point play to Andrew Tedford on a fake.
Trollinger began the second period with a 3-pointer, and dished to Flieg for a field goal before Christian Boyer powered through contact for a 22-20 edge – Ste. Genevieve’s first of the night.
Brogan answered with a tying pull-up jumper, and also connected from long range as Arcadia Valley used an 8-0 spurt to lead 28-22 at the break.
Central 63, Potosi 36
PARK HILLS – Potosi left Breven McMullen open numerous times to its own peril, and second-seeded Central rolled during its Christmas Tournament opener on Friday.
McMullen knocked down three straight 3-pointers to open the game, and tallied 26 points as the Rebels triumphed 63-36 while committing only six turnovers.
Fellow senior Brent Wagner dropped in 15 points, and Central (5-2) advanced to face Steelville in the quarterfinal round on Saturday.
Freshman guard Mason Williams sank a 3-pointer and baseline jumper during a 17-0 outburst that spanned the last five minutes of the first quarter.
Potosi (1-7) struggled to generate offense due to turnovers, and misfired on early contested shots while sliding into a daunting 23-5 deficit.
Wagner set up McMullen for another triple after Williams secured a steal. McMullen struck again before the intermission to create a 39-15 spread, and was 6-of-9 overall from beyond the arc.
Williams totaled six assists with four steals, and sixth man Tyce Laubinger added eight points from the post to bolster Central.
The margin reached 57-21 with 2:12 left in the third quarter after McMullen and Wagner hit cutting layups. Laubinger added a scoring flip at the rim for the Rebels’ largest lead at 63-26.
The Trojans capped the contest with a 10-0 run against the opposing reserves, getting a team-high 10 points from Kaleb Coffman and nine more from fellow forward Bryce Reed.
Potosi will play De Soto in the consolation bracket on Saturday.
Farmington 91, Herculaneum 57
PARK HILLS – Farmington bounced back from a surprising first-round stumble by raining down a barrage from the perimeter on Friday afternoon.
Bracey Blanton and Brant Gray each buried seven 3-pointers, and the Knights connected 16 times from long range overall in a 91-57 blowout of Herculaneum.
Farmington (3-4) moved on to face Fredericktown on Monday at the Central Christmas Tournament after surging to a 45-26 halftime advantage.
Blanton scored a career-high 29 points, and Gray finished with 21. They each contributed twice to a string of four straight triples in the first quarter.
Post player Isaiah Robinson picked up three personal fouls in the first four minutes with the game tied 8-8, but the Knights mounted a 14-0 run in his absence.
Gray drained another open look, and Blanton made an immediate midcourt steal and layup to build a 35-19 lead after Robinson was assessed his fourth foul.
Jacob Jarvis matched Robinson with 10 points apiece, giving Farmington four players in double digits. They extended the gap to 72-43 entering the final period.
Herculaneum (3-6) was likewise no slouch from the outside, notching 10 threes as a squad. Jordan Duncan accounted for seven deep daggers while compiling 31 points in defeat.
Josh Moreland added 13 points for the Blackcats.
Fredericktown 53, Crystal City 42
PARK HILLS – Andrew Starkey drained five 3-pointers, and Fredericktown dodged a potential consolation upset on Friday at the Central Christmas Tournament.
The freshman guard finished with a game-high 16 points, and the Blackcats sank 11-of-15 free throws as a club to eliminate Crystal City 53-42.
Fredericktown (6-3) increased a 37-35 lead by outscoring the Hornets 16-7 in the fourth quarter, and will battle Farmington next on Monday.
Seth Laut supplied 14 points, and Grant Shankle added 13 as three Blackcats reached double figures.
Crystal City (3-6) opened the third quarter on a 7-0 run to jump in front 26-23 before Starkey answered with two big shots from the perimeter.
Nate Denby and Drew Richardson each tallied eight points, and Carson Short had seven for the Hornets.
Kingston 75, West County 55
STE. GENEVIEVE – An explosive third quarter left no doubt that the Kingston boys basketball program would shatter nearly a quarter-century of head-to-head futility against West County.
Sophomore Matt Nelson compiled 25 points along with 10 rebounds as the Cougars prevailed 75-55 at the Warrior Winter Classic and defeated the Bulldogs for the first time ever.
A disjointed first half saw both teams reach the double bonus, but Kingston (5-3) seized control with a 23-8 scoring margin in the third quarter to extend their 38-31 halftime lead.
Troy Gildehaus totaled 15 points plus seven rebounds, while Kyle Vandergriff and Terry Mitchelle added 10 points. Nine players scored for the Cougars with four achieving double figures.
West County (1-7) had opportunities to narrow the gap from the line, but went just 20-of-41 overall while Kingston knocked down 14-of-20 free throws.
Cody Moore paced the Bulldogs with 23 points, and Cameron Stevens finished with 13.
Kingston will face Valle Catholic for third place on Saturday. The Warriors (5-2) fell to Fox 56-46 in the semifinals of an unusual six-team bracket format.
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Potosi 49, Fredericktown 30
PARK HILLS – Senior forward Olivia Coleman netted a career-high 29 points as the Potosi girls defeated Fredericktown for the second time this season on Friday.
The Lady Trojans surrendered single digits during three of four quarters, and prevailed 49-30 in the consolation bracket of the Central Christmas Tournament.
Coleman sank a pair of 3-pointers in the third quarter as a 23-13 halftime lead increased to 40-25. Kiersten Blair added five points to the win.
Potosi (5-3) went 12-of-25 from the line, and will face Arcadia Valley for fifth place on Tuesday.
Kyndal Dodd scored a team-high 12 points while Mallory Mathes and Linley Rehkop chipped in seven apiece for Fredericktown (3-6).
Arcadia Valley 65, Festus 47
PARK HILLS – Gracee Smith equaled her career high set one day earlier, and Arcadia Valley prolonged its stay in the girls bracket of the Central Christmas Tournament.
The junior standout scored 13 of her 32 points in the second quarter for the Lady Tigers, who outlasted Festus 65-47 in a consolation game on Friday morning.
Jaidyn Phelps matched Smith by making 5-of-6 free throws, and tallied 11 points while Hannah Helvey provided eight in the victory.
Arcadia Valley (3-4) finished 16-of-22 from the line collectively, and will face Potosi for fifth place on Tuesday. Katie Whited had six assists plus three steals, and Kirsten Day claimed nine rebounds.
Abby Rickermann netted 22 points in defeat, including 11 over the opening seven minutes as Festus (1-5) carried a 17-15 lead into the second quarter.
Smith, who eclipsed 30 points for the third time this season, sparked AV in response to a 36-28 halftime edge before posting a 21-6 scoring margin in the third quarter. She was 12-of-18 from the field.
Taylor Thompson had eight points, and Lily Knickman supplied seven more for Festus.
Rockwood Summit 58, Farmington 39
FENTON, Mo. – Jasmine Manuel netted a game-high 21 points, and tournament host Rockwood Summit blitzed Farmington over the final eight minutes for a 58-39 semifinal victory on Friday evening.
Raina Bryant contributed 18 points for the Falcons (8-1), who outscored the Knights 19-2 in the fourth quarter and advanced to face Liberty for the title on Friday.
Farmington (5-3) offered a stern challenge to stay within 39-37 as the third period concluded, and took a brief 12-9 lead following the first.
Freshman forward Jade Roth scored 12 points by halftime, and finished with 20 to pace the Knights, who will play Lindbergh for third place.
Abby Cassimatis chipped in five points, and had the lone Farmington basket of the fourth quarter.
West County 59, Hillsboro 22
LEADWOOD – Junior forward Dori McRaven scored the first 14 points for West County, and finished with 20 in the first round of the First State Community Bank Christmas Tournament on Friday.
The Lady Bulldogs routed Hillsboro 59-22 in the quarterfinal contest, and advanced to face Jefferson in the semifinal round at noon Saturday.
Freshman Alivia Simily added 12 points for West County (5-2), which carried a 19-2 lead through the first quarter, and bumped the halftime separation to 36-8.
Claire LaBruyere knocked down three 3-pointers to tally nine overall, and Madelyn Whitter pitched in seven points toward the win.
Valle Catholic (2-3) was unable to hold a seven-point edge in the fourth quarter, but topped De Soto 45-40 in overtime to likewise earn a semifinal berth against Perryville.
Kingston 64, Crystal City 63
CADET – Kingston trailed by 17 points at one juncture in the third quarter, but rallied back to overtake Crystal City 64-63 on Friday in the FCSB Christmas Tournament consolation round.
Sophomore Madison Nelson set the pace with 32 points for the Lady Cougars (5-4), who overcame a 47-35 deficit entering the fourth quarter.
Ashley Johnston provided 14 points and 15 rebounds in the victory. Kingston will face Valley for ninth place on Saturday.
Arcadia Valley junior Carter Brogan (21) sinks a short floating jumper over Ste. Genevieve defenders Rudy Flieg (23) and Landon Rose (5) during the second quarter of a Central Christmas Tournament boys first-round game on Friday night.
Central freshman guard Mason Williams breaks away from multiple Potosi players after securing a steal during the second quarter of a Central Christmas Tournament boys first-round game on Friday.
Potosi senior Olivia Coleman shoots a 3-pointer during a Central Christmas Tournament girls first-round game against Ste. Genevieve on Thursday. Coleman scored a career-high 29 in a consolation win over Fredericktown on Friday.
