The St. Louis area will be well-represented as the small schools take center stage at this weekend’s Missouri State High School Activities Association Class 1-3 State Basketball Championships in Columbia.
The girls’ teams at Metro, Hancock, Lutheran of St. Charles and the Lutheran North boys will all try to bring home championship hardware from the state tournament, which begins today at the Mizzou Arena.
Metro will be making its second-consecutive appearance in the Final Four under coach Gary Glasscock. The Panthers have moved down to Class 2 this season after finishing second in the Class 3 state tournament in 2004. Metro (27-3) will face Crest Ridge (26-2) in one semifinal game on Friday at 7:40 p.m. The winner will meet either Clopton or Gaineville for the state title on Saturday at 6:05 p.m.
The Panthers have been crushing the competition during the postseason. Their average margin of victory in the past three games has been 38 points. Their full-court pressure defense has created many turnovers and easy scoring opportunities. Metro defeated South Pemiscot 75-36 in the state quarterfinals.
Senior forward Deidra Dace leads a balanced scoring attack with 12 points and seven rebounds a game. A three year-starter, Dace is joined on the front line by 6’0″ senior Dana Loveless, who is averaging 8.4 points, 6.2 rebounds and two blocks a game. She is headed to the Air Force Academy. Guards Lauren Witherspoon, Rhyan Robinson, Brittany Dodson and LaChelle Livingston and Dekeisha Mathis all average between four and nine points a game. Dodson and Witherspoon are the top 3-point shooters while Livingston leads the team in steals. They keep the tempo at a fast pace with their quickness and ball-hawking defense.
A possible Metro-Clopton showdown in the championship game on Saturday night looms on the horizon. Clopton (30-0), the No. 1 team in the state, is in the Final Four for the third consecutive year. The Hawks feature 6’2″ center Brandi Tipton, who is headed to the University of Mississippi along with a veteran supporting cast.
Hancock and Lutheran are back in the Final Four for the second time. Hancock finished fourth in 2004 while Lutheran finished third in 2003. Both teams have tough assignments in the semifinals on Friday. Hancock (26-2) will face Pembroke Hill (25-3) tonight at 7:40 p.m. That will be followed by the Lutheran (27-3) and Springfield Catholic (18=13) at 9:15 p.m. The winners will play for the state title on Saturday at 4:30 p.m.
The Hancock-Pembroke Hill game features a battle between two of the top players in the state in Hancock’s Sonya Daugherty and Pembroke Hill’s Ernisha Bailey. Daugherty is one of the top scorers in St. Louis girls’ basketball history while the Bailey is a prime-time performer who has already committed to Texas.
After finishing fourth last season, Hancock coach Mitch Fusco upgraded the schedule and the Tigers came away with victories of Cor Jesu and consecutive wins over Duchesne, St. Joseph’s and Jefferson City to win the Ameritime Classic at Maryville. Daugherty, who averages 24 points a game, is getting plenty of help from her teammates this season. Sophomore center Tammy Thomas has given the Tigers an inside presence while seniors Silvia Ochoa, Ashley Smothers and Brandi Reese have been with Daugherty on the varsity for four years. Sophomore LaQuisha Lewis has provided Hancock with more quickness in the backcourt.
Lutheran (St. Charles) will be looking for its first appearance in the state championship game after finishing third in 2003. The Cougars lost a tough overtime game to Stockton in the 2003 state semifinals. Several players who played on that team are still around. The leader is 6’0″ senior Kalli Fox, who averages 10.7 points and 7.7 rebounds.
Lutheran North is making its first appearance in the Final Four since 2002, when they won the Class 3 state championship. The Crusaders (20-10) will face Versailles (23-5) tonight at 6:05 p.m. The winner will face either Charleston of Lincoln Prep for the state title on Saturday at 12:10 p.m.
The Crusaders are small, but they rely on their quickness and pressure defense. Leading the way is 6’4″ sophomore Rolandis Woodland, who leads the team in scoring and rebounding. Guards Jeff Leslie, LaRico Martin and Mike Woods help fuel the pressure defense while 6’2″ junior Kyle Borders and 6’3″ senior Matt Thurman help Woodland inside. Lutheran North won the ABC League title as well as the usually-loaded Class 3, District 5 title. It also marks the 20-year anniversary of the 1985 Lutheran North team that advanced to the Class 3A state championship game.
