Sikeston puts Notre Dame in lockdown mode, cruises to SEMO Conference Championship

Tristan Wiggins (0) nails a 3-pointer during Sikeston’s 70-45 win over Notre Dame in the semifinal round of the SEMO Conference Tournament on Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024.

Dennis Marshall ~ Standard-Democrat

SIKESTON — By the time Notre Dame realized what hit it, the damage was done, as Sikeston applied a defensive stranglehold in the first half of the SEMO Conference Tournament Semifinal on Thursday at the Field House, laying the groundwork for a convincing 70-45 victory. 

“We guarded hard from the jump,” said senior Tristan Wiggins. “We set the tone and played together. That was the most important part: staying together and picking each other up.”

Sikeston (5-0) sent a message early, opening the game on a 9-0 run that started when Wiggins cleaned up an offensive rebound, followed by an inside basket from Trace Sadler, a corner 3-pointer from Lekereon McCray and a pair of free throws from Chris Artis. 

On the defensive end, Sikeston swarmed Notre Dame, forcing multiple turnovers and denying any quality looks. 

“We came out defensively with high energy and played with intensity,” said Sikeston coach Gregg Holifield. “The first half was our best defensive effort this season.”

Notre Dame got on the scoreboard with a midrange shot from Brett Dohogne midway through the first quarter, the team’s first-half points were few and far between and the offensive struggles continued.

Sikeston closed the first quarter with an 18-4 advantage after Marquel Murray buried a 3-pointer off a crisp pass from PJ Farmer, and both Kobe Thomas and Artis scored in transition following defensive takeaways. 

The second quarter offered no relief for Notre Dame, as Sikeston’s defense continued to suffocate their offense. 

Wiggins opened the frame with a make from beyond the arc. Turnovers piled up for Notre Dame, and clean looks at the basket were nearly impossible to find. 

For much of the quarter, it didn’t seem like Notre Dame would reach double figures in the half.

“We guarded great and it was a good win to send us in the championship game tomorrow,” McCray said. 

By halftime, Sikeston held a commanding 34-11 lead after displaying its most complete defensive performance of the season. 

Notre Dame found some offensive rhythm in the second half, largely due to Kolton Johnson, who caught fire from outside. Johnson hit five 3-pointers after the break.

“They’re very well coached and they have some good players,” Holifield said. “Notre Dame did a good job of finding Johnson and he knocked some shots down. We can’t let that happen. We have to be more alert.”

Much of the scoring surge was aided by Sikeston easing up, having already built an insurmountable lead. 

“I thought we relaxed a bit in the second half,” Holifield said. “Which allowed them to get some looks from the 3-point line. We’ll have to learn from these situations, and continue to play as hard as we can.”

Even as Notre Dame’s offense picked up, the outcome was never in doubt. The closest the game came was when Notre Dame cut the lead to 17 points after a Johnson 3-pointer early in the second half. 

Sikeston had a balanced attack with Wiggins, McCray and Sadler leading the way. 

Wiggins finished with 13 points, dishing out seven assists and grabbing four rebounds.

“He came out with complete aggression tonight that set the tone,” Holifield said. “He’s a senior leader and I thought he played well.”

McCray matched his 13 points while pulling down five rebounds and adding three steals. Sadler added 11 points and anchored the defense with seven rebounds and two blocks. 

“[Sadler] had more of an aggressive mindset tonight,” Holifield said. “For a 7-footer, he catches the ball so well, and he’s getting better in the paint every day. He just has to continue to improve, which he is by working hard.”

Murray, Thomas, and Artis each provided timely scoring, while Farmer contributed across the board with seven rebounds and five assists.

“We have a lot of guys who can score,” Holifield said. ”But I tell our kids all the time, that we don’t care how many points you score, we care about how hard and how well they play. It’s all about sharing the basketball and the team. We did good things tonight looking for each other, and overall the kids played very well.”

Sikeston will face Cape Central (4-1) in the championship on Friday at 8:30 p.m.

SIKESTON 70, NOTRE DAME 45

Notre Dame (45) — Kolton Johnson 22, Brett Dohogne 11, Hudson Dennis 4, Colton Landewee 3, Logan Landewee 3, Devin Dannenmueller 2. FG: 17. FT: 3-3. F: 15. (3-pointers: Johnson 6, L. Landewee 1, C. Landewee 1. Fouled out: None).

Sikeston (75) — Tristan Wiggins 13, Lekereon McCray 13, Trace Sadler 11, Kobe Thomas 9, Chris Artis 8, Marquel Murray 7, Jaharus Goodwin 5, PJ Farmer 4. FG: 28-58. FT: 10-11. F: 13. (3-pointers: Wiggins 1, Murray 1, Thomas 1, McCray 1. Fouled out: None.)