The McCluer North boys and Incarnate Word Academy girls are back in familiar territory in the month of March.
That would be at the Mizzou Arena in Columbia, which is the site of this weekend’s Missouri Class 5 State Basketball Championships. McCluer North is looking to defend its state championship while Incarnate Word is seeking its third consecutive state championship.
McCluer North (26-1) will take on Lee’s Summit West (26-3) in the state semifinals on Thursday night at 8:30 p.m. The winner of that game will take on either Rockwood Marquette (20-10) or No. 1-ranked Nixa (29-1) for the state championship on Saturday at 4:50 p.m. The third-place game will be played on Friday at 1:40 p.m.
Incarnate Word (25-6) will take on a powerful Columbia Rock Bridge team (24-3) in the girls semifinals at 3:30 p.m. The winner will face either Fort Zumwalt West (26-5) or Blue Springs (26-4) for the state title on Saturday at 3 p.m. The third-place game will be held on Friday at noon.
McCluer North will be taking its fourth trip to the Final Four in the past six years under head coach Randy Reed. The Stars have won two state championships and advanced to three state-championship games since 2007.
After the graduation of All-American guard B.J. Young, the Stars have returned to Columbia with a veteran team with nine seniors. The leaders are 6’8” forward Jordon Granger and 6’3” guard Galen Young. Granger is averaging 14.7 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.0 blocks per game. Young is averaging 11.2 points a game. He was the Suburban North Conference Player of the Year. Seniors Byron Ray, Tremayne Garrett and sophomore Dorian Holland round out the starting lineup.
Making its first ever trip to the Final Four is Marquette, which is riding an 11-game winning streak. The Mustangs were a No. 5 seed in its district, but they have been on a roll during the past two weeks. Senior center Ryan Rosburg leads the way, averaging 20 points and 10.8 rebounds a game. The 6’9” 250-pound Rosburg is headed to the University of Missouri.
Marquette will face Nixa, the state’s top-ranked team in the semifinals. Nixa is led by do-it-all 6’5” junior forward Jalen Norman and 6’2” junior sharpshooter Austin Ruder.
Incarnate Word advanced to the Final Four with a 49-42 victory over rival St. Joseph’s Academy in the state quarterfinals. The Red Knights are led by Player-of-the-Year candidate Taylor Manuel. The 6’4” senior is averaging 15.3 points, 9.5 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 2.9 blocks and 2.2 steals.
Manuel receives plenty of support from senior guards Cierra Young (10.4 points), Lateesha Deloach (5.5 points) and sophomore Nakiah Bell (8.6 points). Sophomore Gwen Adams provides inside presence with 6.4 points a game.
Fort Zumwalt West is making its second trip to the Final Four in the school’s history. It is also the swan song for head coach Monica Tritz, who has already announced that she is stepping down at the end of the season. Senior forward Marina Laramie has come up big for the Jaguars this season, averaging 15.9 points and 8.2 rebounds. Seniors Kelsey Kimbrough and Paige Westbrooks have also turned in excellent seasons.
Blue Springs is making its third consecutive Final Four appearance. The Wildcats have finished second in the state tournament the past two years, losing to Incarnate Word in the state title game.
