Springfield, MO – Cardinal Ritter College Prep became a 10-time state champion in boys’ basketball this weekend in Southwest Missouri.
The Lions defeated Ladue 65-54 in an all St. Louis Class 5 state championship game at the Great Southern Bank Arena on the campus of Missouri State University.
After rallying from an 11-point deficit to defeat Pembroke Hill in the semifinals, the Lions came out firing on all cylinders in the final.
It was the third state championship in four consecutive trips to the Final Four for Cardinal Ritter, who finished with a 27-4 record.
The motivation for this year’s championship run was the one state tournament loss in that four year period. That came in last year’s state semifinals when Webster Groves upended Ritter en route to winning the state title.
“We were thinking about that game all year,” said junior guard Derrick Rivers, who scored 17 points in the final. “As soon as we lost that game last year, we were right back in the gym.”
After rallying from an 11-point deficit to defeat Pembroke Hill in the semifinals, the Lions came out firing on all cylinders in the final. They shot a torrid 67 percent from the field and 46 percent from 3-point range. Meanwhile, their defense limited Ladue to 38 percent shooting from the field.
In addition to Rivers’ 17 points, junior forward Nashawn Davis had 16 points while junior guard Clayton Jackson had 10 points and seven assists.
Ladue was led by senior guard Jack Steinbach, who scored 16 points and handed out six assists. The Rams finished with a 26-5 record.
