Farmington girls settle for second after shaky opening

Farmington guard Madison Klinkhardt (15) drives against Francis Howell guard Mikayla Gavlick (10) during the third quarter of the Rockwood Summit Tournament championship game on Tuesday in Fenton, Mo. (Matt King, Daily Journal)

Farmington forward Madison Clay (20) scores on an entry pass against Francis Howell during the fourth quarter of the Rockwood Summit Tournament championship game on Tuesday in Fenton, Mo. (Matt King, Daily Journal)

Farmington guard Lucy Herzog looks for an open teammate during the first quarter of the Rockwood Summit Tournament championship game against Francis Howell on Tuesday in Fenton, Mo. (Matt King, Daily Journal)

Farmington guard Ella Scott holds possession during the third quarter of the Rockwood Summit Tournament championship game against Francis Howell on Tuesday in Fenton, Mo. (Matt King, Daily Journal)

By MATT KING
mking@dailyjournalonline.com
FENTON, Mo. – Francis Howell prevented the Farmington girls basketball team from digging out of another frustrating start on Tuesday evening.
With the experience of four seniors in their starting lineup, the Vikings netted their seventh consecutive win to capture the Rockwood Summit Tournament title.
Sophomore guard Veronica Simmons generated 18 points and three assists, and tournament MVP Riese Grier posted a double-double to highlight a 51-37 victory.
Francis Howell (7-1) surged ahead 10-0 over the first 2:15 of the game, and its defense challenged nearly every attempt by the Knights to drive inside.
Farmington (9-2) improved from a third-place result at last year’s event, but was forced to chase after committing five turnovers within its first six possessions.
Sophomore forward Madison Clay salvaged a solid double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds for the Knights, and joined junior guard Trinidy Brawley as all-tournament selections.
Amya Porchia knocked down two 3-pointers during the initial run, and the Vikings consistently found their range when developing open mid-range looks.
Clay broke the Farmington drought on a putback past the midway mark of the first quarter, and Luci Herzog hit a corner 3-pointer before another turnover cost the Knights.
Excellent ball movement produced a triple for Simmons before the buzzer to restore a 17-6 margin. It was her third made jumper overall.
Kate Jenkerson and Brawley tried to spark Farmington with back-to-back threes to begin the second quarter, and Lila Roth muscled in a shot through contact at 21-14.
Simmons delivered a baseline bounce pass to Grier in response, and Rose Maccorin drained two more perimeter strikes as Francis Howell carried a 31-18 lead into halftime.
Grier compiled 12 points with 12 rebounds, and followed a 16-footer by Simmons with a tough catch and finish in traffic to maintain comfortable separation.
Madison Klinkhardt buried a contested runner for the Knights from the left side, but Simmons offset that scoring play with two transition layups for a 42-27 spread entering the fourth.
Clay powered in three field goals down the stretch, and cashed in a smooth feed from Klinkhardt after Mikayla Gavlick had achieved the Vikings’ largest lead at 46-28 on a fast break.
Jenkerson chipped in seven points, and lone senior Ella Scott collected three steals for Farmington, which erased a 12-point deficit to edge Webster Groves by one in the semifinal round.
Maccorin and Porchia provided eight points each for Francis Howell. Malia Garbarini contributed three steals and eight rebounds.

Farmington forward Lila Roth (45) jumps to a stop on a drive against Francis Howell guard Veronica Simmons (12) and forward Riese Grier during the first quarter of the Rockwood Summit Tournament championship game on Tuesday in Fenton, Mo. (Matt King, Daily Journal)

Farmington guard Trinidy Brawley (2) shoots a 3-pointer at Francis Howell guard Amya Porchia (1) defends during the second quarter of the Rockwood Summit Tournament championship game on Tuesday in Fenton, Mo. (Matt King, Daily Journal)