GAME 18: Bell City builds early lead, holds off Oran

By RACHEL CRADER ~ Special to Semoball.com

Bell City coach Brian Brandtner was naturally pleased to watch his team drain five 3-pointer early in its consolation bracket semifinal against Oran Monday at the Southeast Missourian Christmas Tournament.

Despite leading 17-4, he was also a little concerned.

"If you just start relying on 3-pointers, sooner or later you're going to start missing and team's are going to be able to get back in the game," Brandtner said.

The Cubs did allow the Eagles to get back in the game, though they held on in the end and won 56-48.

It turns out Brandtner may have been given his team some bad advice.

"I talked maybe too much at halftime about getting the ball inside, and it looked like we were a little too hesitant to shoot in the second half," he said. "That may have got us a little bit out of rhythm, but I thought overall our defensive intensity was decent enough tonight."

Ronnie Gross, who hit three 3-pointers, said the team simply cooled off.

"We just wasn't making the shots we started off making," he said. "They just stopped falling, so we had to find a different way to score."

Gross scored a game-high 26 points in the game. Seven-foot junior Skylor Blackler, who benefitted from the Cubs working the ball inside, also finished in double-digits with 10 points.

The Eagles, who trailed by nine points at halftime, went on an 11-4 run to begin the second half. At one point they cut the lead to a single point, but never led in the game.

Preston Scherer and Jon Morrow led Oran with 11 points each while Gabe Kielhofner added eight.

Bell City will face Scott City on Tuesday for the consolation championship at 3 p.m. at the Show-Me Center.

"We're here tomorrow, so after losing that first game, we're in the best situation we can be in," Brandtner said. "You never want to lose that first day, but it's not what happens to you it's how you respond to it, and I think we responded fairly well."

ORAN (48) -- Kurt Rendleman 3, Preston Scherer 11, Jake Carter 6, Gabe Kielhofner 8, Dilon Glastetter 3, Nathan Michelsen 4, Zac Chasteen 2, Jon Morrow 11. FG 19, FT 5-8, F 15. (3-pointers: Scherer 3, Carter 1, Glastetter 1. Fouled out: none.)

BELL CITY (56) -- Melvin Johnson 6, Jeff Long 10, Ronnie Gross 26, Skylor Blackler 10, John Arnold 4. FG 20, FT 9-17, F 11. (3-pointers: Johnson 2, Long 2, Gross 3. Fouled out: none.)