Semoball

Puxico faces Cubs in Stoddard County final

Bell City's Nick Niemczyk (3) comes up with a steal against Bloomfield's Jacob Conner (32) during semifinal action at the SCAA tournament in Bloomfield Thursday. Bell City defeated Bloomfield 81-71 to advance to the championship game against Puxico, a 65-52 winner over Bernie. (Jerry Jerrell/Dexter Daily Statesman)

By DAR STAFF

Puxico will get another shot at the state-ranked Bell City Cubs.

The Indians will face Bell City in the championship game of the Stoddard County tournament at 8:30 p.m. tonight. The Cubs won the last meeting between the two teams, a 69-62 overtime game at Puxico.

"They are going to be hungry to knock us off but I think our kids are going to be up to the challenge," Puxico coach Josh Dowdy said.

Bell City 81, Bloomfield 71

The Wildcats couldn't overcome Bell City's 31 points in the third quarter Thursday night.

Bloomfield's Kyle Williamson opened the second half with a 3-pointer to put the Wildcats ahead 38-34 but the Wildcats scored just 10 points the rest of the frame.

"The big thing was just the physical play in the third quarter and we didn't respond to it," Bloomfield coach Dustin Hicks said.

Bloomfield outscored the Cubs 23-16 in the final frame but it wasn't enough.

"It seemed like every time we made a big basket, they would answer," Hicks said. "I felt like the team played hard in the fourth quarter and didn't give up."

Puxico 65, Bernie 52

The Indians avenged a tough road loss to Bernie with a win over the Mules in the semifinals Thursday night.

"Obviously, we were disappointed after that loss and came out hungry," Dowdy said. "I couldn't be more proud of these guys."

David Crain was the high scorer for the Indians with 20 points. Matt Allison added 14 points while John Smith and Kerry McClure each finished with 12.

After starting the game with a 17-8 advantage, the Indians (11-7) outscored the Mules 16-6 in the third quarter to set the tone for the second half.

Naylor 70, Delta-Deering 37

Matt Woolard came off the bench to lead the Eagles, scoring 11 of his 16 points in the third period.

Travis Thomas and Caleb Johnson joined Woolard in double figures with 14 and 13 points, respectively, for Naylor, while Cody Hanner added 11.

The Eagles scored 10 second-chance points in the first quarter to stake a 17-9 lead. Johnson and Thomas powered Naylor in the second quarter before a pair of Josh Cullison's 3-pointer put the Eagles up 32-20 at halftime.

GIRLS

Dexter 81, Charleston 32

The Lady Bearcats outscored Charleston 21-8 in the first quarter as it coasted to the road win Thursday night.

"Our girls came out with a lot of intensity and scored a lot in the first half," Dexter coach Chad Allen said.

Dexter's Katelyn Heil was the high scorer in the game with 20 points. Sammy Waldner added 16 points and Ashley Taylor netted 13.

The Lady Bearcats were solid on the defensive end as well holding Charleston to 10 or less points in every quarter.

"In a way, I felt like we didn't close out well on them because they hit four 3-pointers but we did a good job in our 1-2-2 defense," Allen said.

Neelyville 58, East Carter 25

The Lady Tigers used balanced scoring and hard work on the boards to defeat the Lady Redbirds on Thursday. Brittany McElhaney led Neelyville with 14 points while Lindsay Emerson pulled down 15 rebounds to go along with her eight points.

"They were blocking out," Neelyville coach Becky Hale said. "We've been working on rebounds."

The Lady Tigers put eight players in the scorebook, which Hale said is a sign of the team's character.

"It shows how unselfish these girls are," she said. "They'd rather pass than shoot."

Greenville 54, Clearwater 34

Sara Woodgeard scored 13 of Greenville's 18 points in the third quarter to help the Lady Bears move past host Clearwater Thursday night.

"We just started hitting shots," Greenville coach Diane Meyer said of the third quarter spurt. "We were taking better shots and working the offense a little bit more. We pushed the ball up the floor and got a few layups."

Woodgeard finished the game with 18 points to lead all scorers. Tara Porter added 17 and Kaylin Becker chipped in with 11.

Naylor 74, Oran 40

Hailee Deckard's triple-double of 31 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists led the Lady Eagles.

Moriah Goodrum added 13 points for Naylor (15-2), which led 17-8 after one quarter.

"I felt like the girls came out ready to play," Naylor coach Stephana Deckard said. "I felt like it was a total team effort."

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