Basketball programs from the St. Louis metro area brought home three state championships from both Missouri and Illinois last weekend.
The boys’ and girls’ teams from Principia swept both Class 3 state championships at last weekend’s Final Four at the University of Missouri-Columbia. On the Illinois side, the East St. Louis Flyers won the IHSA Class 3A state championship in Champaign. It was the second state title for the Flyers, who also won in 2019.
Principia’s boys stormed to a repeat state championship with a 98-34 victory over Miller Career Academy in an All-St. Louis final. Senior guard Quentin Coleman concluded a stellar high school career by scoring 50 points in the championship game. The 6’4″ Coleman also had nine rebounds and seven assists while making five 3-pointers.
The Principia girls’ team joined its boys in the winner’s circle by winning the program’s first state championship. The Panthers defeated St. Vincent for the state title last Thursday night. Sophomore guard Loganne Love led the Panthers with 19 points in the state championship game. All-state junior forward Dasia Scott scored 25 points the Panthers’ victory over Skyline in the semifinals.
East St. Louis finished a stellar season by winning the state championship with a 52-46 victory over Deerfield. Senior forward Jamison White led the Flyers with 19 points, 17 rebounds, four assists, two steals and three blocks. Senior guard Alex Johnson scored 18 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in the Flyers’ 59-40 victory over Chicago Leo in the semifinals. The Flyers finished the season with a 33-4 record.
Large Schools Take Center Stage in Columbia
The St. Louis area will be well represented at this week’s Missouri Large School state championships at the Class 4,5 and 6 levels.
The Vashon Wolverines lead the field at the Class 4 Final Four. The Wolverines are seeking their sixth consecutive state championship. Also joining Vashon from the area is Clayton, who is making its first Final Four appearance since 1975. Vashon will face Logan-Rogersville in a big showdown in the semifinals on Friday at noon. Clayton will take on St. Joe Benton on Friday at 10 a.m. The winners will meet for the state championship on Saturday at 4 p.m.
The Class 6 boys Final Four will feature local teams Cardinal Ritter and DeSmet. Cardinal Ritter will face Blue Springs South in the semifinals on Friday at 2 p.m., followed by DeSmet vs. Rockhurst at 4 p.m. The winners will meet for the state championship on Saturday at 6 p.m. Cardinal Ritter has won four state championships in the past six years.
In Class 5, MICDS is making its first Final Four appearance since 2002, when it won the Class 3A state championship. The Rams will face Hillcrest in the semifinals on Friday at 8 p.m. Sikeston will face Raytown South in the other semifinal game at 6 p.m. The winners will meet for the state championship on Saturday at 8 p.m.
The girls Final Four features national power Incarnate Word Academy, who is seeking is sixth consecutive Class 6 state championship. The winner of Wednesday’s semifinal game between IWA vs. Lee’s Summit West and Jackson vs. Staley will play for the state championship on Thursday at 6 p.m.
In Class 5, Lift for Life returns to the Final Four, seeking a third consecutive state championship. The Hawks have endured season-ending injuries to standout guards Amaya and Cara Manuel to make another trip to Columbia. MICDS is also back in the Final Four after finishing in fourth place in Class 4 last season. The winners of the Lift for Life-Grandview and MICDS-Marshfield semifinal games will play for the state championship on Thursday at 8 p.m.
In Class 4, Cardinal Ritter is one of the teams to watch. The winner of the Ritter-Strafford semifinal game on Wednesday will play either Doniphan and Benton for the state championship on Saturday at 4 p.m.
SLU and Mizzou earn NCAA Tournament berths
Saint Louis University and Missouri will participate in the NCAA Tournament, which begins this week. Both teams earned at-large berths to the tournament. Saint Louis is the No. 8 seed in the East regional. The Billikens will face No. 9 seed Georgia in the first round on Thursday night at 8:45 p.m. (CT). The game will be televised on KMOV-TV.
Mizzou received a No. 10 seed to the tournament. The Tigers will face No. 7 seed Miami on Friday in St. Louis at the Enterprise Center. Tip off is at 9:10 p.m. The game will be televised on Tru-TV.