Springfield, MO – The Webster Groves Statesmen made a return to the MSHSAA Show-Me Showdown after a three-year absence and they made it count in a big way.
The Statesmen (24-8) were dominant in defeating Jefferson City Helias 72-53 to win the Class 5 state championship on Saturday evening at the JQH Arena on the Campus of Missouri State University in Springfield. The state title was the third in six years for Webster Groves, who won back to back championships in 2017 and 2018 behind the dynamic duo of Courtney Ramey and Carte’are Gordon.
After defeating two-time defending state champion Cardinal Ritter 58-55 on Friday, the Statesmen took away any suspense in Saturday’s final as they scored the first eight points of the game and raced to a 34-11 halftime lead.
Sophomore forward Iziah Purvey led a balanced Webster Groves attack with 19 points. The 6’4″ forward also had eight rebounds and three assists. Iziah’s brother Jalen, a 6’1″ junior, added 12 points off the bench on five of six shooting from the field. Senior guard Matt Enright scored 11 points while junior guard Calvin Lang had a double-double with 10 points, 10 rebounds, along with three steals. Senior guard Ethan Chartrand added nine points and six rebounds.
In the Class 5 third-place game, Cardinal Ritter defeated Spingfield Catholic 53-51 in dramatic fashion. Sophomore guard scored on a rebound follow as time expired to give the Lions the thrilling victory.
Senior forward Robert Lewis led the Lions with 21 points and 10 rebounds. Seniors Braxton Stacker and Kristian Davis scored 12 and 10 points, respectively.
