This weekend’s Missouri Class 2 and 3 state basketball championships in Columbia will provide some very compelling story lines involving teams from St. Louis.
The most intriguing story is that of the Wellston boys, who are trying to make one final run for a state championship in the final year of the school’s existence.
Then, you have the story of the Cardinal Ritter College Prep girls team, which made a surprise run to the Class 3 state championship a year ago. The Lions are back in the Final Four this weekend seeking another state championship.
Finally, there is a major-league showdown in the boys Class 3 semifinals between area small-school powers Cardinal Ritter and Whitfield.
It will all go down this weekend at the University of Missouri at both of its basketball venues, the new Mizzou Arena and the old Hearnes Center.
Wellston (18-10) will face Bernie (27-4) in the Class 2 state semifinals this afternoon at the Hearnes Center. Tip-off is at noon. The winner will face either Clever or Sturgeon for the state title on Saturday evening at 5 p.m. at the Mizzou Arena. The third place game will be on Friday at 5 p.m.
The Trojans are seeking their fourth state championship in the school’s history. It is a bittersweet weekend for Wellston as the school district will be closing at the end of the school year, meaning that this will be the last Wellston basketball team to take the floor.
The Trojans are hoping to close their magnificent basketball history in grand style with a state title. Wellston is led by magnificent 6’5” junior forward Ben McLemore, who is a do-it-all performer. McLemore is averaging 28.3 points, 12.8 rebounds, 2.7steals, 6.3 assists and 2.3 blocks per game. He gets support from sophomore Eldight White, who averages 13.1 points and junior Tim Bright, who averages 11.9 points a game. Wellston is coached by former All-State guard Jeffrey McCaw, who led the Trojans to the Class 2A state championship in 1988.
Repeat for Ritter?
Cardinal Ritter’s girls crashed the Class 3 Final Four party last season by winning a state title and knocking off the state’s No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the process. This season, the Lions are coming in through the front door as the defending state champions looking for a repeat performance.
Ritter (25-4) will face Macon (26-4) in the state semifinals today at noon at the Mizzou Arena. The winner will face either Mt. Vernon or Maryville for the state title on Saturday at noon at the Mizzou Arena. The third-place game will be played on Friday at noon. Senior forward Hazaria Washington averages 13 points and 5.7 rebounds a game with 44 blocked shots and 115 steals. Senior Tiara Baker averages 10.5 points with a team-high 89 assists while senior Breana McCullough averages 9.1 points and a team-high six rebounds a game.
The Lions’ formula for success for the past two years has been a stout defense and a balanced offense. Coach Darren Wade’s teams are annually among the best defensive teams in the state and this year is no exception. They have held all of their postseason opponents to less than 40 points.
In the boys Class 3 tournament, area powers Cardinal Ritter and Whitfield have been on a collision course for a semifinals showdown ever since the championship bracket was revealed. The two teams will meet this afternoon at 3:20 p.m. at the Mizzou Arena for a berth in Saturday’s state-championship game against the Hogan Prep-Mt. Vernon winner.
Neither school is a stranger to the state-championships in Columbia. Cardinal Ritter has won five state titles in 1990, 1995, 1996, 2003 and 2005. Meanwhile, Whitfield won a state title in 2000 and finished second in the Class 3 state tournament in 2009. The two teams met earlier this year with Whitfield taking a 77-65 victory in the Whitfield Tournament on Nov. 30.
It has the potential to be a high-scoring game as both teams have plenty of offensive firepower.
Ritter (25-4) is led by the tandem of 6’3” senior Eric Clark and 6’5” sophomore Cameron Biedschied. Both players are averaging 19 points and seven rebounds a game to lead the team in scoring. Senior guard Mylin Jordan averages 16.4 points a game. Senior guard Evan Jones is averaging nearly nine points a game since joining the team late in the season, while senior guard Wendell Crowder averages seven points and five rebounds a game.
Hall of Fame head coach Marvin Neals is looking for his fourth state championship as a high school coach. He led Soldan to a state title in 1981 and Ritter to state titles in 2003 and 2005.
Whitfield comes into the game at 21-10, which is misleading because they played a rugged schedule without key players who were out with injuries for part of the season. The Warriors are all healthy now and playing at a high level once again.
Sophomore guard Zach Ellis leads a balanced scoring attack at 16.6 points a game. Senior forward Julian Johnson is averaging 15.6 points a game. The 6’3” 220-pound Johnson is the school’s all-time leading scorer. Senior 3-point shooters Alex Rudd (6’6”) and Mike Gallagher (5’11”) average 11.2 and 10.5 points, respectively while senior 6’3” slasher Maurice Burns averages eight points a game. Sophomore guard Darrion Harris comes off the bench to average 6.4 points while providing defensive intensity.
