Leopold proves growth with complete victory at Scott County Central

SIKESTON — Leopold’s season has been about growth, and Wednesday, Feb. 12, was the latest proof.

A team that barely survived a one-point win over Scott County Central in December on a neutral court at the Southeast Missourian Christmas Tournament took full control in the rematch, leaving no doubt in a 56-45 road victory at Ronnie Cookson Gymnasium.

"We played pretty well tonight,” said Leopold coach Jimmy Lincoln. “Just like everyone else, we’re dealing with the flu, but I was proud of our guys. It’s never easy to beat a team twice in a season, and winning on the road on Senior Night makes it even tougher."

Winning in that setting—on the road, with emotions running high—only highlighted how much the Wildcats (15-8, 4-1 Mississippi Valley) has grown. Fresh off avenging an early-season loss to Meadow Heights by taking the Mississippi Valley Conference Tournament title, the team appears to have turned a corner. Now riding a six-game winning streak, they aren’t just stacking victories—they’re playing with the intensity and focus that can carry a team deep into postseason play.

“We played to our strengths tonight,” Lincoln said. “We’re a tough, grinding team, and defensively, we really set the tone. Once we get a lead, we can control the pace and dictate the game. We just kept building on that, and I’m pleased with our progress. We’re still focused on getting better each game, and we’ll see where this momentum can take us.”

The game started slow offensively, but Scott County Central’s Cortavian Banks made the first move with a steal and a quick finish. Leopold answered fast when Tommy Beussink knocked down a 3-pointer.

Buckets from Preston Campbell and Riley Engelen pushed the lead to 7-2, and the Wildcats’ patience started to show, moving the ball well and finding open looks.

Engelen got a clean look from deep, and with the defense lagging, he drilled another 3-pointer to extend the lead.

Engelen added another 3-pointer in the closing moments of the first quarter, giving Leopold a commanding 16-4 lead as the quarter buzzer sounded.

From there, the game slowed, with Scott County Central settling in during the second quarter. Although the Braves managed to play more consistently, Leopold’s offensive execution, particularly from beyond the arc, kept them in control.

Leopold maintained a double-digit advantage for most of the quarter. Banks briefly sparked the Braves, cutting the lead to 25-17 with a strong drive to the basket with about 17 seconds remaining in the half. But Scott County Central’s defensive breakdowns were glaring. On the ensuing possession, the Braves allowed Engelen to march the length of the court, where he worked his way inside, pump faked to shake off the defender, and easily finished with a layup.

As the buzzer sounded for halftime, Leopold held a 25-15 advantage, a comfortable lead they wouldn’t relinquish.

The start of the second half was more evenly matched, with both teams finding some rhythm. But Engelen, who had been dominant in the first half, picked up right where he left off, powering his way inside for an early bucket. Leopold’s lead grew steadily as the third quarter unfolded, and the Wildcats pushed their advantage to 15 points midway through the period.

Scott County Central made one last push, cutting the deficit to 47-37 on a bucket from Banks with 4:14 remaining in the game. However, the Braves' inability to get stops on defense prevented any serious comeback attempts. Leopold kept control, managing the clock and the pace of play, and sealed the win with key defensive stops and timely buckets.

Leopold shot the ball well enough to control the game, but Coach Lincoln wasn’t satisfied with one aspect of their offense. When asked about the team’s shooting performance, he acknowledged their success but pointed to an area that still needed work.

“We shot it well enough,” Lincoln said. “We’ve been shooting the ball pretty well here lately, but we have to zero in on our free throws.”

Despite their solid shooting performance, Leopold has struggled at the free-throw line in recent games. Early in the season, the Wildcats shot better than 80 percent on 79 attempts during the Christmas Tournament.

But Lincoln noted, “We’ve kind of been slipping there a little bit lately. We’re a team that has to get to the line and take advantage of it.”

Even with those struggles, Leopold’s shooting from the field remained consistent, contributing to the comfortable win.

Beussink led the way for Leopold with 23 points, while Engelen added 17. Both players have been pivotal in the Wildcats' success this season, and Coach Lincoln took time to recognize their contributions.

“Engelen has improved all season,” Lincoln said. “He didn’t play last year, and we were fortunate to get him to come out this year. As the season’s progressed, he’s knocked off all that rust.”

Engelen’s strong play was especially evident in last week’s MVC Tournament championship game, where he poured in a game-high 24 points—a performance Lincoln described as “similar to what he did tonight,” noting, “He took the ball to the basket with confidence.”

As for Beussink, his performance didn’t come as a surprise to Lincoln.

“He’s done well, and we’re confident when he gets to the free-throw line. Both him and Engelen have stepped up all year long.”

While Beussink and Engelen have been the scoring leaders, Lincoln also praised the team’s overall balance.

“Preston Campbell has been a big part of that,” he said. “We kind of have a three-horse team, but it’s about the whole group. Josh Harrell doesn’t get the ink because he doesn’t score a lot of points, but he did a tremendous job defensively tonight.”

Lincoln’s focus on team defense and effort underscores how Leopold’s growth is driven by more than just the big scorers—it’s a complete, balanced effort.

Leopold hosts Bloomfield (9-11, 1-5 SCAA), while Scott County Central hosts Oran (8-14, 3-3 Scott-Mississippi) on Friday, Feb. 14.

__LEOPOLD 56, SCOOT COUNTY CENTRAL45__

Leopold 16 9 18 13 — 56

SCC 4 11 11 19 — 45

Leopold (56) — Thomas Beussink 23, Riley Engelen 17, Preston Campbell 8, Cohen Campbell 6, Skyler Hoesli 2. FG: 18. FT: 13-18. F: 11. (3-pointers: Beussink 4, Engelen 2, P. Campbell 1. Fouled out: None.)

SCC (45) — Cortavian Banks 15, Cameron Bean 9, Courtney Sanders II 8, Jayden Easter 7, Trevor Brown 6. FG: 19. FT: 3-4. F: 17. (3-pointers: Brown 2, Easter 1, Bean 1. Fouled out: None.)