South Pemiscot boys’ deep run ends in crushing semifinal loss at state

South Pemiscot's Robert Farmer (right) and Damarius Mayberry (left) walk off the floor following a March 6, 2024 MSHSAA Class 1 semifinal matchup between the Hartville Eagles and the South Pemiscot Bulldogs at Mizzou Arena in Columbia, Mo. Hartville defeated South Pemiscot, 44-27.

Cole Lee ~ clee@semoball.com

Tasked against one of the top Class 2 boys teams in the state, South Pemiscot’s semifinal came to a disheartening end on Wednesday afternoon as Hartville took the reins early on and took a big 44-27 victory.

Making an appearance in the final four for the first time in school history and taking the floor at Mizzou Arena in Columbia, Missouri, the Bulldogs got under the bright lights but fizzled out after a strong start.

Regardless of the result, however, it’s still been a season for the books as the kids from Pemiscot County made an impression at the state tournament.

“It's been an awesome ride to get here,” Bulldogs coach Jordan McGowan began.

“We had to do some big things to get here. To come up here and play Hartville, who's been ranked No. 1 pretty much all season in the class, this was not a bad loss.”

The youth of South Pemiscot wasn’t enough to push it to the win, getting crushed on the interior and being quite conservative on the perimeter after a hot start from the 3-point line.

Hitting two triples in the first quarter, the Bulldogs sagged off of the triple. Hartville’s coach claimed it was the game plan to let them shoot, but they didn’t until their 0-for-6 fourth quarter.

Since they didn’t, they hinged heavily on scoring around the bucket, and that wasn’t yielding any points as Hartville outclassed South Pemiscot severely in length.

The Eagles had nine players taller than the 6-foot mark as opposed to just one for the Bulldogs.

That statistic played a big part in explaining a 5-of-17 shooting margin for South Pemiscot inside, as the Eagles crushed a smaller opponent defensively and held South Pemiscot to just 17 points after the first quarter.

“They outsized us by probably six inches at every position,” McGowan said. “They beat us in rebounding, which got us.”

The rebounding game, at the end of the night, finished with Hartville winning 34-15 with almost as many offensive rebounds as South Pemiscot had rebounds – an 10:15 ratio.

Putting an end to South Pemiscot’s chances of taking home a gold medal, McGowan made lone senior Jimmie Morton the center of discussion in the postgame presser.

A regular starter for the Bulldogs, Morton saw the upbringing of the program as it battled through the postseason and rose to prominence.

He became a focal point in leadership on South Pemiscot’s run to state, and he reflected on his time with the team ahead of his last game in a third-place matchup on Thursday.

“I've kind of grown up with them my whole life,” Morton said. “Seeing them turn into the players they are now, it's been crazy.

“I'm very proud of them. We wouldn't be here today without everyone.”

The Bulldogs next face off against either Salisbury or Weaubleau in a Class 2 third-place game, taking place at 12 p.m. on Thursday at Mizzou Arena.

Regardless of the heartbreak of Wednesday, South Pemiscot will give its best efforts on Thursday looking to take home the bronze medal.

“Hopefully, we’ll come right back and be ready for tomorrow,” McGowan said.

South Pemiscot jumped out to a quick lead, led in part by five first-quarter points from Robert Farmer that included a game-opening triple.

Taking a 10-5 lead late in the first, the Bulldogs got a little too comfortable and let up a big run to the Eagles late.

This saw Hartville take an 11-10 lead at the end of the first quarter, putting a swift end to a strong start from South Pemiscot and stealing up the early momentum.

It felt as if Hartville dominated the full second quarter, catching the Bulldogs by surprise over and over in the transition game.

It felt as if the Eagles ran play-action every time they got the ball, and the Bulldogs brought the safeties down every single time.

Transition buckets gave heed to a big lead at halftime for Hartville, running that early lead up to 24-16 entering the interval in an energy-packed semifinal slugfest.

Both sides had a more balanced game to the third quarter, with coach Brett Reed’s Eagles taking a conservative approach to ensure their lead stayed firm.

South Pemiscot had waves in the third, including a 3-pointer from Ty Campbell that he kissed off the glass and in.

But it wasn’t enough to get closer to the comeback, slipping even deeper into a 34-24 hole going into the fourth after a buzzer-beating layup from Hartville.

Needing a spark to make a big comeback in the fourth, South Pemiscot couldn’t find it as the edge grew sharper and sharper for the Eagles with both teams’ chances at gold on the line.

Offensive boards and unconverted interior looks got the best of South Pemiscot on Wednesday afternoon, and it showed immensely as the Eagles racked up second-and-third-chance opportunities on numerous possessions.

Grant Culver, a 6-foot-5 Eagle listed as a guard, reeled in a ridiculous 12 rebounds in the contest as Hartville’s boardmen got busy and kept the offense from stalling when South Pemiscot got physical.

Hartville started stalling early in the fourth, looking to ice out the game by letting time chip off the clock.

Despite the Bulldogs’ best efforts, nothing seemed to be enough offensively as the taller Hartville squad dominated the interior game and kept South Pemiscot uncomfortable offensively.

In the end, the game went down as a crushing 44-27 loss for the Bulldog faithful, but the highly-ranked Hartville celebrated as it clinched a spot in the state title game.

The Eagles finished with three players in double digits, led by an 11-point performance from Payton Cogdill with 10-point supports from both Jalon Cryer and Jackson Ward.

For the Bulldogs, Robert Farmer finished his day with a 10-point outing, hitting an early 3-pointer and being a constant on-ball presence.

HARTVILLE 44, SOUTH PEMISCOT 27

Hartville (44) — Payton Cogdill 11, Jalon Cryer 10, Jackson Ward 10, Boone Garrison 7, Grant Culver 4, Mason Cogdill 2. FG: 20. (3-pointers: Garrison 1)

South Pemiscot (27) — Robert Farmer 10, Torrell Boyd 7, Ty Campbell 6, Damarius Mayberry 2, Jimmie Morton 1, Jaterion Smith 1. FG: 8. (3-pointers: Campbell 1, Farmer 1, Boyd 1)