St. Vincent reigns, taking FSCB Holiday Classic crown in thunderous win over Jackson

St. Vincent's Kate Rubel (center) roars in celebration of her and-1 during the Friday, December 20, 2024 First State Community Bank Holiday Classic championship game between the Jackson Indians and the St. Vincent Indians at the Show Me Center in Cape Girardeau, Mo. St. Vincent defeated Jackson, 48-33.

Cole Lee ~ clee@semoball.com

When Jackson shooters got cold on Friday night, St. Vincent got red hot, and led by a monstrous defensive effort the Indians of No. 2 St. V’s claimed their first First State Community Bank Holiday Classic championship with a 48-33 victory over top-seeded Jackson.

With a final score that might have looked even closer than the game actually felt, some cold spells dictated the tournament final as the No. 1 Jackson Indians went blow-for-blow with St. Vincent in the early phases but couldn’t keep the pace down the stretch.

The Rubel twins, familiar with this stage, put together a highlight reel of big plays, but a buzzer-beating triple from Allie Patrick to end the first half and further take the air out of Jackson felt like the most important play of the night.

“It was huge,” St. Vincent coach Mel Kirn said. “We called time out with 1:07 to go, I think, and we said ‘if we got it, we take it, if we don't, reset it.’ They worked it down so good, and then they set Allie up for that big 3-pointer right there before the buzzer went off.

“They don't get no better than that.”

That, and some and-1s from Kate Rubel and Lana Adams, proved to be the difference as St. Vincent went from fourth to first, avenging last year’s third-place game with a raucous victory over the Class 6 Jackson Indians.

“It feels great for the girls,” Kirn said. “They work hard and practice like I've been saying, and they had a mission tonight.”

For Jackson, it felt like a satisfactory defensive performance that simply could not be matched by the offense, which rarely hit a shot and seemingly relied on non-existent calls from the officials, of which there were few to the loud dismay of Indians fans.

A focal point for Jackson of late, defensive sloppiness and heavy foul counts played a big role in this one, while St. Vincent seemed much more kempt and composed as it marched out to a double-digit halftime lead.

Jackson rallied to cut back into that lead, coming as far down as 9 points inside the second half but never enough to undo an ugly second quarter that St. Vincent dominated, punctuated by that aforementioned Patrick triple.

“I thought we played well,” Jackson coach Angela Fulton said. “I thought the team came, they gave their energy, they gave their heart and soul out there.”

A couple of St. Vincent runs, particularly in the early second and late third quarters, proved to be a large difference-maker, and the lack of composure at times for Jackson became its undoing down the stretch.

“Not letting certain things that don't go our way affect us,” Fulton said. “I don't think we need to change anything, we just missed a few shots.”

The second-seeded St. Vincent Indians never won a game this tournament by less than double digits, now on a win streak of seven consecutive games to get to 10-1 on the season with a 15-point victory on Friday night.

Kate Rubel, Allie Patrick and Lana Adams each scored 10 points in the victory, while point guard shooter Brie Rubel’s 8 points on two 3-pointers helped facilitate a fierce victory.

Jackson’s undefeated season comes to an end, now 8-1 on the year after running into the toughest foe its seen to date, unable to recover from its offensive droughts in front of a loud Show Me Center crowd.

Camryn Alsdorf and Kate Deck each put in 10 points for the Indians, combining for all three of Jackson’s 3-pointers with Deck’s two leading the way. Addison Henderson added another 8 points in the loss.

For St. Vincent, it’s the perfect ending to an impressive four-game run in the FSCB Holiday Classic, becoming the first 16-team bracket champion in the tournament’s history in the most dominant fashion.

It hasn’t been the most marvelous season for St. Vincent just yet, with hopes of competing in the state playoffs on the horizon and a third-place finish in the Fredericktown Tournament in the rear-view mirror.

Yet, for longtime coach Mel Kirn, it’s a time to celebrate as the Indians are finally beginning to reap the benefits of their hard work, and they’re getting the recognition they deserve: Champions of the 29th Annual First State Community Bank Holiday Classic.