It was a very productive weekend for high school basketball teams from the St. Louis area at last weekend’s state championships in Columbia.
There were eight teams from the area at the state tournament and four of them brought home state championships. The girls from Lift for Life and Incarnate Word Academy continued their dynasties by winning state titles, while the boys from DeSmet and MICDS also came through to win championships.
The Lift for Life girls battled through all kinds of adversity through the season to win their third consecutive state title. The Hawks defeated MICDS to win the Class 5 state championship. They overcame season-ending injuries to All-State guards Amaya and Cara Manuel, as well as an injury to standout guard Zha Harris, who joined the team in late January.
Senior guard Diamond Polk was a constant throughout the championship season with her talent and leadership. The 5’8″ Polk scored 16 points in the semifinals against Grandview and 13 points in the championship game against MICDS. Harris scored 15 points in the semifinals and followed up with 16 points in the state finals. Forwards Kahmyla Bell and Rian Lenox both recorded double-doubles in the championship game. Bell had 11 points and 13 rebounds while Lenox had 13 points and 11 rebounds.
Incarnate Word withstood a big challenge from Staley to post a 50-46 victory in the Class 6 state championship game. It was the eighth consecutive state title for the Red Knights. Senior guard Peyton Olufson, a Saint Louis University recruit, had 17 points in the semifinals against Lee’s Summit West and 15 points in the championship game against Staley.
On the boys’ side, DeSmet defeated Blue Springs South 78-62 to win the Class 6 state championship last Saturday. It was the Spartans’ second state title in the past three years and seventh overall for one of the most storied programs in the St. Louis area. Senior forward Jordan Boyd scored 26 points and grabbed nine rebounds, leading the Spartans in the championship game. The 6’4″ Boyd is headed to Northern Iowa, who recently won the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament championship in St. Louis. Senior guard Ian Thomas scored 21 points in his final high school game at DeSmet.
MICDS won the Class 5 state championship with two impressive victories over Hillcrest and Sikeston. The Rams defeated Hillcrest 62-35 in the semifinals and Sikeston 55-38 in the championship game. Junior forward Tyler Ray had a tremendous weekend for the Rams, averaging 22 points and six rebounds in the two Final Four games. Senior guard Brandon Clemens scored 15 points in the championship game against Sikeston. It was the Rams’ second state championship in their history.
Clayton boys finish as state runners-up
Clayton High made its first appearance in the state tournament’s Final Four since 1975. The Greyhounds finished as the runner-up after losing to a powerful Logan-Rogersville team in the Class 4 state championship game. Clayton advanced to the state finals with a thrilling 54-52 victory over St. Joe Benton on a last-second layup from guard Matthew Hurst.
The Greyounds were led by talented 6’3″ junior guard Sebastian Bolden, who was one of the top scorers in the St. Louis metro area. Bolden scored a team-high 21 points in the victory over Benton, including the assist to Hurst on the game-winning play. Junior guard Damarion Verges also had a big game in the semifinals with 21 points, four rebounds and four assists.
Vashon boys finish fourth in Class 4
The Vashon Wolverines took home a fourth-place trophy from the Class 4 state tournament. The fourth-place finish broke the Wolverines’ streak of six consecutive state championships. Junior guard Jimmy McKinney III had a big weekend for Vashon. The 6’2″ junior guard scored 27 points in the semifinals against Logan-Rogersville and 35 points against Benton in the third-place game.
Cardinal Ritter boys and girls bring home state trophies
Both the boys and girls from Cardinal Ritter College Prep were in Columbia over the weekend. The girls finished in third place while the boys took home the fourth-place trophy. After a narrow loss to eventual state champion Strafford in the semifinals, the Lions’ girls defeated Benton in the third-place game. Sophomore guard scored 21 points in the third-place game while junior guard Nylah Scales added 18 points. The Ritter boys finished in fourth place after a close loss to Blue Springs South in the semifinals and to Rockhurst in the championship game.
Quentin Coleman named Gatorade Player of the Year in Missouri
Standout guard Quentin Coleman of Principia was named the Gatorade Player of the Year in the state of Missouri. The 6’4″ Coleman led the Panthers to the Class 3 state championship for the second consecutive season. As a senior, Coleman averaged 23.1 points per game, leading the Panthers to a 29-2 record and a national Top 5 ranking. He finished his stellar career by scoring a career-high 50 points in the Panthers’ victory over Miller Career Academy in the Class 3 state championship game.