St. Louis, fresh off celebrating 314 Day, is sending several outstanding teams to the Missouri state basketball tournaments in Columbia.
Three schools are returning to Mizzou Arena to defend state titles, including the Vashon Wolverines who are seeking a fifth consecutive Class 4 state championship.
The Incarnate Word Academy girls’ dynasty stands at six straight titles, and the team is favored to secure its seventh consecutive state championship.
The Lift for Life girls are going for their second state championship and third in five years.
Vashon will face Potosi in the state semifinals on Friday at 2 p.m. The winner of that game will play either Logan-Rogersville or Benton for the state championship on Saturday at 6 p.m.
Incarnate Word Academy is joined at the Class 6 Final Four by Cor Jesu, Staley and Springfield Kickapoo. The winners of Wednesday’s semifinals will meet for the state championship tonight at 6 p.m.
Lift for Life has moved up to Class 5 after winning the Class 4 state championship last season. The Hawks will face Fort Zumwalt North in the state semifinals on Friday at 10 a.m. The winner will face either Helias or St. Teresa’s Academy for the state championship on Saturday at 4 p.m.
Also making the trip to Columbia will be Chaminade, who finished second in the Class 6 state tournament last year. They will face Lafayette in the state semifinals. In Class 5 boys, Webster Groves and Westminster are still vying for a state title.
In Class 4 girls, MICDS is making its first Final Four appearance since 2016, where they finished as state runners-up.
Principia boys are state’s best
The Principia boys made history last week by winning the Class 3 state championship at the Mizzou Arena in Columbia. The Panthers defeated KIPP KC Legacy 76-56 to win its first state title. Standout junior guard Quentin Coleman led the Panthers with 30 points and nine rebounds in the state final. Sophomore forward Sekou Cisse added 17 points and nine rebounds while 6’7” junior Ron Henry Jr. grabbed a team-high 12 rebounds.
The Principia girls were also in Columbia as well and they finished second in the Class 3 tournament. The Panthers were defeated by Fair Grove 39-33 in the state championship game. It was the third consecutive state title for the Eagles. Principia has now put together back-to-back runner-up finishes in the state tournament, with many talented underclassmen on the squad.
Earl’s World
Coach Dennis Gates and his Missouri Tigers earned a No. 6 seed in the NCAA Tournament, and will face No. 11 seed Drake, the champions of the Missouri Valley Conference on Thursday at 7:35 p.m. in Wichita, Kansas. Several pundits have this game listed under “possible upsets,” following the Bulldog’s impressive run to a third-consecutive Arch Madness title…The SIU-E Cougars will make their first appearance in the NCAA Tournament after winning the Ohio Valley Conference tournament title. In a battle of Cougars, SIU-E will face No. 1 seed Houston and Big 12 Coach of the Year Kelvin Sampson on Thursday at 2 p.m. in Wichita…How the North Carolina Tarheels got a bid in the NCAA Tournament is beyond me. However, it might cool the hot seat that coach Hubert Davis has been sitting on during a lackluster season…Belleville Althoff finished as runners-up in the IHSA Class AA boys state basketball tournament last weekend. Althoff was defeated by Chicago Dyett 52-41 in the state championship game. The Crusaders finished the season with a 32-6 record. They were led by 5’10” senior guard Bryden Gryzmala, who averaged 18 points a game, and football standout Dierre Hill, Jr., who averaged 14.9 points.